The Write Start (28 page)

Variations

For Scribblers:
Scribblers love to pass along their latest work by slipping it under a door, for example. Next time they pass you a scribble, add a scribble of your own to their page and pass it back. See how long you can keep the “conversation” going.

For Spellers:
Spellers are ready to start writing some simple notes of their own, and folding them into small, passable squares.

For Storytellers:
Storytellers may enjoy composing a cooperative story by passing a note back and forth. Every time the note comes back to you, add a line to the story, and so on, until it’s complete.

For Scholars:
Scholars will appreciate the opportunity to elevate note passing to an art form by incorporating a creative note-folding technique, such as the following:

1.  Fold the paper in half the long way, with the writing on the inside of the fold. Fold it in half the long way one more time, so that you have a long, skinny rectangle.

2.  Holding the long rectangle horizontally, fold the bottom left corner up to form a triangle on the left edge, and the top right corner down to form a triangle on the right edge.

3.  Fold the left edge over and in toward the middle again, forming a parallelogram shape. Fold the right edge over and in toward the middle again, forming a rectangle. Make another diagonal fold at each end, folding the right edge up and folding the left edge down. Your paper should look like an S shape turned on its side.

4.  Fold the right side of the S in toward the middle in the front, and then fold the right side back and down.

5.  Tuck the left side inside the top of the triangle in back.

6.  Now your note is ready for passing!

 

48

Pen Pal

T
HERE’S ONE SURE-FIRE WAY
for kids to make this great big world seem a little smaller: find themselves pen pals.

Pen pals bridge the gap of geography via good, old-fashioned snail mail. While pen pals share details of their days, each one might also learn about a faraway place or another culture.

A true lesson in diversity, everything about a pen pal’s correspondence initially seems different. Different paper, different envelopes, different stamps, different expressions, sometimes even a different language. But the more children write back and forth, the better they learn another important lesson. Among children, and people in general, there are far more similarities than differences. As pen pals become friends, they realize the distance between them is far less than they ever imagined. Which does indeed make it feel like a small world, after all.

 

M
ATERIALS

 

∗
paper or stationery

∗
pencil

∗
envelope

∗
stamp

 

H
OW-TO

 

Encourage children to exchange letters with their pen pals on a regular basis—say, every month or so.

 

Variations

For Scribblers:
Scribblers can start by exchanging mail with someone familiar, such as an out-of-town cousin or a grandparent.

For Spellers:
Emerging writers will enjoy sending short notes and pictures to a long-distance friend.

For Storytellers:
Storytellers can write all about their interests, and ask probing questions to find out what appeals to their pen pals.

For Scholars:
Scholars can locate their pen pal’s neighborhood on a globe, a map, or via the World Wide Web to learn more information about them and figure out new questions to ask.

49

Greeting Cards

I
T USED TO BE
relatively easy to pick out a greeting card. There were only a couple of choices, for only the most typical of occasions. Now it’s a different story. Greeting cards make music and light up; I’m sure some even dance. They’re made for occasions I’ve never even heard of, and they reflect every possible personal relationship. (I know people who have the knack for finding the most surprisingly appropriate greeting card for any time of the year; think: happy Groundhog Day, from your second-cousin-twice-removed.)

So how come, with all of this hyper-personalization, store-bought greeting cards feel more impersonal than ever? They still share a cookie-cutter quality. Even with all the variety, there’s a certain “one size fits all” assumption.

Enter the handmade, handwritten, greeting card. It’s certainly more personal than the alternative, and it’s a perfect fit every time. While your child’s card might not play a tune, they can make it for a song, and it’s sure to brighten the day of anyone who is lucky enough to receive it.

 

M
ATERIALS

 

∗
card stock

∗
crayons and markers

∗
stampers and ink pad

∗
stickers

 

H
OW-TO

 

Fold the card stock in half. Have your child decorate the outside of the card and write a heartfelt (or funny!) message inside.

 

Variations

For Scribblers:
Pre-writers will enjoy using stampers and stickers to decorate and “write” on their cards.

For Spellers:
Help Spellers spell big words like “birthday,” “anniversary,” and “congratulations,” if they ask. The rest they should be able to do on their own.

For Storytellers:
Storytellers may want to include a poem, a joke, or a funny little anecdote.

For Scholars:
Scholars may want to design a whole collection of cards, one for every special day they can think of. This way, they will have cards at the ready when occasions arise.

50

Party Time

T
O PARAPHRASE
an oldie but goodie: it’s their party, and they’ll write if they want to. And I assure you, they
will
want to write. Guest lists, invitations, wish lists, seating arrangements, party game ideas—they’ll be writing for weeks as they count down to the big day.

Parties are an exciting excuse to put pencil to paper. They involve quite a bit of planning, and kids want to be involved in every last detail. So put them to work!

And believe it or not, it’s not all about them. Children actually get almost as excited about throwing a party for someone else. Then there’s even more to do: banners to make, cards to create, gifts to tag, cakes to write on with icing. It’s education disguised as celebration, and a whole lot of fun!

 

M
ATERIALS

 

∗
paper

∗
pencil

∗
crayon, markers, or colored pencils

∗
place cards

∗
gift tags

 

H
OW-TO

 

1.  When party (or holiday) planning, a great place to start is with a guest list. Have your children help write a list of the names of everyone they would like to attend.

2.  Another ridiculously motivating pre-party writing activity is creating a wish list. Who could resist this one?

3.  Have your child contribute to creating and writing invitations a few weeks before the party.

4.  As the party approaches, be mindful of all the ways excited children can contribute their ideas through writing.