I’ve been preparing for the class I’m teaching tomorrow…a writing workshop for 15 children, ages 6-14.  This is my second session with them and their moms.  It’s refreshing to see them embrace creative writing and delved into poetry, fiction and non-fiction.

Tomorrow we’re going to write poems about Spring.  I shall  encourage their moms to try, too.
The simple poems, such as “skinny” ones, shaped ones and acrostic, seem some of the easiest and most fun  for youngsters to start with.

For skinny, line or list poems, simply have the youngsters write SPRING across the top of their paper.  Then list 10-12 words they …read more

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One of my favorite activities involves in encouraging young writers.  I enjoy visiting schools and working with teachers, either coordinating something they’re teaching or planning my own workshop.  It’s rewarding to see youngsters become excited about writing stories, poetry, plays, essays and often illustrating them.
Youngsters work at various speeds and with differing degrees of inspiration.  When you can get a youngster, who professes to hate writing, turned around so he/she enjoys it, that’s a height of joy for a teacher.  Because I’m also a teacher (doing solely substitute teaching now), I can keep up with what teachers are teaching about writing …read more