Sharing Thoughts and Stories
How:
Start with Quick Writes! Daily quick writes only require a pen/pencil and some paper and a short amount of time (3-10 mins). Your child can write about a recent experience, or a picture, a quote, a poem, reflections of a video clip/movie that you provide. The most important aspect of this type of writing is that there is a continuous flow, no stopping, and no pauses for corrections. After several quick writes over time your child can go back and pick one to develop further into a poem, a story, a letter, etc.
Heart Mapping: Engage your child in writing by asking them to draw a big blank heart on a sheet of paper. Next have them draw and/or write some of the things that are important to them inside the heart. This might be people and places they care about, special memories, things they love, what makes them unique. Ask them to consider: What goes in the center? What colours are used? What size will I make my words and images?
After creating a Heart Map your child can choose one item from the map and expand their thinking into a poem, a song, a story, or a painted picture.
CBC Kids Small Talk Small Talk
Small talk videos are short 2-minute videos with young children talking about various things…love, honesty emotions, fears, goals, and feelings. These videos can be used to spark conversation and to write about. View the video and then try writing continuously for 5-10 minutes.
Why:
Writing everyday develops fluency and engages student thinking about themselves and the world around them. Quick Writes and Heart Mapping can assist children in overcoming writer’s block, result in authentic writing, and provide ideas for future writing.