Thursday, November 29, 2012

An Important Step in the Writing Process




Visualizing, or imaging.....We do it all the time!  
 Both are terms referring to the act of making mental pictures in your mind.

We are visualizing when we read a book 
and picture the characters and events.  

We are visualizing when we listen to oral directions
and see what we need to do in our minds.  

We are visualizing when we daydream 
and fantasize about our upcoming vacation 
or what we want for Christmas this year. 

 Most of this imaging is so automatic that we are hardly aware of it.  Bringing it to a level of consciousness, however, can allow us to use the skill in a variety of ways you may not have thought about.  For example-writing!!

Has your child ever sat staring at a blank sheet of paper 
and complained about not knowing what to write? 

 Visualizing what you plan to write is actually one of the most important steps of the writing process.  If you can clearly see in your mind's eye a scene or event, you will be better able to write about it.  The more detail you have in your imagery, the more descriptive your writing can become.  You just have to think about what you see and put it into words on the paper.

The next time your child is having difficulty with writing, encourage them to visualize the topic and then incorporate those images into their work.  They should include colors, shape, size, and other details they imagine.  This simple yet often overlooked step can help your child to become a better writer and make the whole process easier and more enjoyable!

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

"Easy-Peasy!"


Katie just finished her sessions at Langsford! While here, she worked hard to improve her reading and spelling skills.

She recently brought in two spelling tests from school that she wanted to show us.  She'd earned great scores on both of them! When asked about how she did so well, Katie replied that spelling is now "easy-peasy" for her!

We couldn't be prouder.

               
Miss Katie--------------------->

Getting Kids to Write



How can a child who can talk your arm off transform into a whining, crying, complaining, about-to-go-into-the-fetal-position mess when given a writing assignment?  What's so hard about writing?

Most kids who say they don't like to write say that because they don't think they are good at it.  Given praise and positive feedback, many reluctant writers will blossom into authors.  The key is giving them the tools they need to get their thoughts on paper, and then lots of encouragement with a focus on what they did right!

Heather Radar talks about using "wows and wonders" to encourage kids to write in her article "Coaching Reluctant Writers" for ChoiceLiteracy (click here to read). Wows for, "Wow, this part is great," and wonders for "hmmmmm......I wonder what you could do to make this part even better?"

Everyone likes to do things they feel proficient at and a little praise can go a long way in getting your child to write more.  But the praise needs to be specific.  Tell them exactly what you think is good and why it is.  Then, instead of saying, "This part isn't very good. You should change it," guide them gently to a revision by saying something like, "Gee, this is so good, but you do seem to say he said over and over.  I wonder if there are other words you could use that mean the same thing as said that might make your story more interesting?"

Who knows?  Maybe your child will be a published author some day, thanks to your encouragement!