Stretch Your Writing Genes
Comic Relief
Encourage your artists to draw and write a comic strip. If they are a writer and not an artist, join friends or family members together for a fame of comic relief.
Poetry Plot
Look for words, phrases, etc. from magazines, photographs, etc. and build a poem using your findings. It stretches the creative juices.
Chain Reaction
Start one person with a short writing prompt…it could be a word, a phrase etc. Then designate a time frame, such as one minute of writing. Pass around to each family member so they can add on to the story. Share when everyone has participated. This works well for parties.
Acrostic Fun
Pick a noun that names something you love such as animals, boating, etc. and then make a poem of sorts using adjectives to describe each letter. This is a great one for classrooms.
What IF?
Allow each participant to come up with a what if scenario and write it on a piece of paper. Add all the questions into a bowl and each persondraw one that is not their own and share their answer. It’s a great way to break the ice for a get-together.
Literacy Playtime
It’s the first day of school and Lillian hides behind the folds in her mama’s skirt. She pleads to be taken home, and that she doesn’t feel well. Mary knows her daughter isn’t sick, and wonders if it could just be her nerves. As the teacher encourages Lillian to pick out her special seat, she turns to look up at her mama with tears streaming down her face. She whispers, “I can’t. I don’t know how to read very well. The kids will make fun of me. Please take me home.”
On the other hand, her brother Lonnie runs to his classroom full of energy and spunk. He starts talking with the other kids right away. Wondering how soon recess will be, he sulks back to his desk knowing any amount of time is too long. When his teacher introduces herself, he shares with her “I don’t have time for reading. I like to build stuff and ride my bike all over town.”
Mary sighs, as she thinks back to when they were mere babies in her lap. Time felt frozen those first couple of years before having to go back to work. Lonnie, being the older child, doesn’t fit the mold of being studious, cautious, or an over-achiever. Whereas, Lillian is quieter, perfectionistic, and sensitive about the fact she doesn’t pick up on things as quickly as her brother.
After finally settling both of her kids into their classrooms as best she could, Mary drives home questioning if she did everything she could to prepare them for what lies ahead. As a reader herself, she longed for both of her children to love books, but it may take more work than she thought.
Many of you may share in some or all of these experiences. As a mom, I have definitely felt some of these struggles. There is hope…there are activities that can booster literacy and the love of reading. Let me know which ones help foster reading in your family!
1. Family chapter reads – choose a class that will span the ages of your children and read a chapter each night to build anticipation
2. Games – board games encourage pre-reading skills
3. Cozy Corner – create a special space for reading/relaxation
4. Mix & Match – age appropriate magazines, different levels of reading, poetry
5. Make a book – write down their own stories and make them into a book
6. Tea Party – celebrate reading sight words or early readers over a fancy tea
7. Treasure Hunt – act out an outdoor adventure with a favorite book being the treasure
8. Character Creations – make up your own book characters and create costumes
9. Scavenger Search – hide clues around the house using book titles
10. Library Date Day – weekly date, special library card, or summer reading program