The exchange always goes something like this:
“I can’t teach writing.”
“Yes you can! If you have ever been inspired by words on a page, then you can teach writing.”
If you can read and ask questions when you read something that is not clear, you can be a writing mentor. Whether we are reading a newspaper article, a scientific journal, a novel, or a poem, who wants to read words that are void of ideas?
Great writing begins with an idea crafted to words on a page by a courageous writer.
Madeline L’Engle in, Walking on Water: Reflections of Faith and Art, confides, “I am grateful that I started writing at a very early age, before I realized what a daring thing it is to do, to set words on paper, to attempt to tell a story, create characters.”
The most important thing we can do when it comes to teaching a child to write is to value their imagination and to teach them to do the same.
In my book, Habits of Being: Artifacts from the Classroom Guild I’ve collected snapshots from my experience teaching my own children and students in my Guild to demonstrate just what happens when they engage their curiosity.
Ask yourself, “Do I want my child to write formulaically or to write for real?”
Teaching children to write for real begins by teaching them to believe that their ideas are important enough to do the work of shaping words on a page.
Teach your children to become storytellers. Regardless of domain—fiction to non-fiction—great writing tells a story. Writing is a wonderfully tedious process. Provide writing opportunities that teach children the cardinal rule of real writing: Imagination first. After all, imagination is the seat of great ideas. When children discover that their imagination is valuable and relevant, they will work diligently to refine their voice. Purpose helps writers develop habits of being that motivates them to move through the writing process:
- Come up with an idea
- Write your idea
- Re-read and refine your idea
- Have someone else re-read and refine your idea
- Polish your words on the page
Moving from reading and recognizing ideas, to engaging in personal expression through writing, develops an awareness of the world at large. When students are encouraged to engage in the process of writing, they will discover the power of words.
Great writing is work connected to the soul. Great writing brings shape to imagination. Great writing evokes, engages, and inspires human curiosity.
Students who engage in the process of real writing will develop confidence in their voice, strengthen their ability to communicate new ideas and become keen observers of their world. Authentic voice is a one-of-a-kind fingerprint. And those are words on the page that are worth reading.
-Kim