Articlr

Teaching creative writing to children is fun and rewarding. Kids naturally love to here stories read to them. As parents many times our children fall to sleep while being read to. Teachers can build a stimulating creative writing program in the classroom by giving the children a desire to write. Here are 5 steps to start a creative writing program.

1. Begin small. Start out by picking a subject that all of the students can relate to. Pets, toys, friends can all be good places to start. Get each child to write at least five sentences. These sentences can be fictional but should be in story form.

2. Dictation. As children have heard stories and are fond of them you can help them move a step further. To do this each student can dictate a story to you. You can either use a tape recorder or write it down while they are talking. In a later class the students can read their stories a loud to the class. This helps them make a connection between hearing a story and actually making one up.

3. Word processor. Kids take to computers very quickly and most of your students are probably already familiar with them. If possible have them start typing their stories on a computer as soon as possible. Using a word processor is much easier than writing by hand and so the writing will be easier. At first do not be too concerned with grammar, punctuation and spelling. After awhile you can gradually start showing the students how to make capital letters and use some of the grammar and spelling tools offered in most word processors.

4. Idea box. One of the hardest steps for most writers is coming up with good ideas. An "idea box" can help. Bring a box to class and tell the students that this is only for creative writing suggestions. Be sure to let the kids know that others will have access to their ideas so they may also want to have their own idea boxes. This will help with brainstorming for new stories.

5. Teach character development. Developing characters in a story is easy when done correctly. Teach the kids that the main character needs to be the most likable. Read excerpts from Louis L'Amour where he develops his main character in the first few pages of his novels. You know that this cowboy is the best and smartest and, oh yes, he always gets the girl in the end.

Teaching creative writing to children can be a very exciting addition to your curriculum. Children are already familiar with stories so you will only need to guide many of them. Help them come up with ideas and lead this into character development. More advanced steps like plot development, editing and publishing will come later but these steps will get you started.