One of the grade level expectations for young children is that they can write for different purposes or to different audiences.  In one of my earlier posts, I encouraged you to allow your child to write a survey to collect information.  In another to write a letter, and in other posts I have provided other means of giving your child meaningful writing experiences.

Today I am going to ask you to get out your child’s clipboard and pencils and tell them that ya’ll are going to go on a pretend trip to the make-believe grocery store.  Tell your child at the make-believe grocery store you can buy whatever groceries you want for free. 

Ask them to help you come up with a list of all the items that they hope might be on the aisles.

Each time they name something, get excited for their idea.  If they name something that isn’t a grocery item say “hmmm….we’ll have to put that on our make-believe ______ (pet store, mall, -or whatever it applies to – list.” 

As they name items say “Hmmm…I wonder what letter would make the sound at the beginning of that word??” If they say something like “Popsicle Candy” you might say “/p/ /p/ /p/ Popsicle candy…do you know what letter might make that sound?” 

If your child is beyond beginning sounds ask them to “pull out” other sounds they hear in the word.

You should have a clipboard out too, writing down each item.  Guide, model, share, but don’t overwhelm your child with technique.  If your child is writing well, this can always be a “draft” and you can go back the next day and ask them to make it super neat so you can put it in their Fun Work Binder.

One of my favorite Kindergarten teachers to observe incorporates writing activities into her daily routine.  Anything that sparks her students interest in group time is usually followed by “Ooo, let’s go write about it!”  She has her students sit down and with crayons and pencils express their thoughts.  This can really produce a wide array of results, but it is a great way to get them engaged with the writing process.

So much of creative writing is mapping out our ideas and passions and spending time revising it to make a completed work.  So, at these early stages, one of the most important creative writing activities you can do with your child is to allow them to swell up with excitement about something and express it on paper.

It may initially look like scribbles and chaos, but over time, your little one will pay attention to details and will heed instruction about shapes and formations that you are teaching through various activities.

So, for today’s activity….I want you to inspire your creative writer by taking him/her to a special place: a park with fun structures, a pond to feed the ducks, the campus mascot’s cage, the zoo, a museum, a creek in your neighborhood, or anywhere you can think of (even your backyard will do) to observe and record.

You will need a clipboard of sorts (or a hard book), but children feel so official with a clipboard.  You will need not one, but two clipboards because you will be recording too.  You will need paper, a ziploc bag of pencils, colored pencils, or crayons, and you will need an imagination (because your kid already has one).

Give your child 10-15 minutes (more, depending on their attention span) to observe all the things of interest in the area.  And then (with excitement in your voice) ask them to join you to write/draw all about this place so you can SHOW your family back home where you went.  Tell them you want to “take a picture” of the moment and without a camera you need to draw it.

This can be a daily activity.  You can just go on a stroll and when your child gets excited about it, pull out the clipboards, plop right down on the grass, and draw away!

As always, Have fun!

***Look in my “must haves” on the sidebar for some fun learning clipboard ideas.