Ideas for writing!

My children, probably similar to yours, have very different learning styles and talents. Two of my children mastered reading and writing quickly, at about age 6-7, while three of my other children had (and still have!) significant difficulties with reading and writing. All three were not able to read independently until they were 10 years old! The same goes for writing… It may seem like a long time when you teach them… But don’t be discouraged! Each child progresses according to his or her abilities.

I would like to share several tips that I have discovered over the years to entice and encourage my children to write and develop their writing skills. Of course, they don’t always like the themes I suggest, but I have noticed that they are proud of themselves when they manage to produce a piece of writing, even if they don’t want to let it show. They gain something from it and their skills improve significantly.

I have found that with children who have particular difficulties such as dyslexia or dysorthographia, they need to be given very short and simple challenges, because if they are given a difficult and time-consuming task, they lose confidence and become stuck. They may even develop an aversion to anything to do with writing…

I often had to break down the exercises I gave them into bite-sized chunks, greatly reducing the level of difficulty and my expectations of them. The result was much more satisfying for them and for me!

Here are a few examples of activities ( in random order) that can stimulate the desire to write, in primary and even in secondary school!

• Describe a job, a sport or a means of transportation using a word bank (nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs) related to these themes. The “Rallye écriture” on the French “Mieux enseigner” website provides many examples of themes that can be used. *An English site with themed wordbanks is https://www.enchantedlearning.com/wordlist/

• Describe a place based on an image, using the 5 senses (what you see, what you smell, what you touch or feel, what you hear, what you taste). For example, a picture of families on a beach in the summer or a picture of a campfire at a campsite can spark a whole range of ideas!

 

•  Write down the ingredients needed to make a recipe, describe only the steps involved in preparing the recipe, or make up a fun recipe with wacky ingredients.

• Talk about a famous person who inspires us by describing their achievements.

• Compose 10 funny sentences using vocabulary words from a list.

• Create a story puzzle from keywords: each child chooses a fictional character, a place, a time, an adventure, an ending, etc. and writes them on pieces of paper. All the slips of paper are then placed in different bags, by category. Each child then picks a place, time, main character, etc. to create their own puzzle story. This can make for some very funny situations!

•  Imagine the advertisement that could be made by families who want to adopt a pet. Describe their needs, their requirements, which animal they would like to adopt, and what price they are willing to pay. Conversely, describe animals from a shelter that are waiting to be taken in by a family: their age, their physical characteristics, and their character.

 

• Using grocery store flyers, cut out fruits and vegetables, categorize them, glue them to a large cardboard box and write their names below each picture.

 

• Make an imaginary grocery list, with no limit on cost or quantity.

 

• Imagine a cultural, artistic, or sporting event and create a poster advertising this event.

 

• Create a “joint writing” story: the parent writes what the child dictates and the child writes only one or two words in the sentence. Very helpful for a child who is reluctant to write…

 

• Describe a tradition of a particular country or a way of celebrating special events. Give details of who is invited, what the event is like, what costumes are worn (if any), what food is served, what games the guests play, etc.

 

• Write a letter to your municipality asking for a new service to be launched (library, sports centre, community kitchen, family support service, toy library) or for a space or park to be developed.

 

• Imagine an outing to an agricultural fair or a funfair and give a description of 3 different places on the site, describing what you can see and do there.

 

• Write a speech by the presenter of a Nobel Prize winner: who the person is, what their field of work is, what their achievements are.

 

• Write a newspaper article about a fictional or real event in your town.

 

• Write a “blind” story: Write one line of text of a story, leaving one word on the next line, and fold the paper to hide the text you have written. The next person continues the story using the word left uncovered at the beginning of the line. He or she then hides what he or she has written by folding the paper over, while leaving a word visible on the next line for the person who comes next, and so on. Didn’t you do this in high school? Laughter guaranteed!

 

• List and describe in detail the steps and tools needed to accomplish a task, such as “How to change a burnt-out light bulb” or “How to drive a car” or “How to make pancakes” or “How to build a birdhouse”.

 

• Create packaging for an imaginary product, describing the functions of the object, its lifespan, relevant warnings, etc.

Finally, I suggest that you consult the website ‘Activities and Competencies: “Homeschooling language” to “DEM language” Translator’ created by Julie Charrette and her husband. There you will find many other suggestions for writing activities for primary and secondary school levels.  https://activitescompetences.ca/

(Editor’s Note:  Julie Charette will demonstrate this tool on Discovery Day, May 3, 2022, as part of the 2022 ACPEQ Conference).

Happy writing!

Rachel Arseneault