For over 30 years, I’ve helped kids write well and enjoy the process.
If you dream of confident kids who love writing, Family of Writers is a perfect course for 3rd - 5th grade students and their parents! For some of you, that might seem scary. “Wait! I attend the class? I have to write?”
Yes! Between you and me, that’s the secret sauce of the class, but don’t worry. My approach is always positive. It won’t feel like I’m coming at you with a fierce red pen! Working with me feels like a big hug, but most of all you get to spend time with your child and tell each other stories.
If that isn’t enough, the following list includes ten reasons why Family of Writers is awesome. This post could also be called Ten Ways To Grow Writing Confidence!
Confidence in our ability to write means we’re likely to enjoy the process and put pen to paper more often. The more you write, the better you get. Family of Writers is the perfect way to grow confidence, write more, and have fun.
Read this list to learn how the magic happens.
Ten Reasons Family of Writers is Awesome
It’s a safe place to write.
No grades. No forced sharing. All response is positive.
Whenever a writer shares, we find golden lines (words, phrases, or sentences that we love), and we let the writer know! I describe what the writer did to make the words awesome.
Then, I say to the writer, “Bob, that’s something you already do well. You can do that in your next piece.”
Then, to everyone else in the room, I say, “You can do Bob’s technique in your writing, too!”
We write fast.
Often, no more than 15 minutes. We keep our pens moving. We don’t worry about spelling (yet!), and we just write I’m stuck I’m stuck I’m stuck until we aren’t. This helps us outrun the internal censor that is constantly saying, “You’re not a writer. You can’t write.”
Everyone can write. Everyone has a story to tell.
And everyone can cross out those I’m stucks when they finish.
Writers choose their own topics.
I give clear directions for a writing idea, but there is always choice built into the prompt. Writers are free to go in any direction they choose. Writers need to feel ownership about their topics, and write about what is important to them.
We hang out in the memoir genre.
This helps eliminate writer’s block. Instead of learning something new or doing research, we just have to remember personal stories we already know well. This means we are writing from plenty rather than scarcity.
We write under the inspiration of mentor texts.
Often, I borrow a first line, last line, or structure from the mentor text that demonstrates amazing writing. This decreases the writing challenge just enough to allow writers to focus on craft and meaning.
There is an authetic audience.
Since families write and share together, there is an authentic and invested audience. Kids aren’t writing for one teacher or a grade. They are writing for people who care about the words they get on the page.
I write alongside students and invite you to do the same.
This gives kids confidence because we’re all experiencing the writing process together. Even if I’ve written a lousy first draft, I share it. I tell everyone about my unwavering faith that bad first drafts lead to awesome future drafts.
Parents show kids writing is important.
When parents haul themselves back to school (or log onto Zoom) after long days at home and work, they show kids that writing is important. When parents tell their stories, they are share a priceless legacy no one else can offer.
I am not the only teacher in the room.
With feedback about what writers are already doing well, I show everyone in the room that we can learn from each other.
We always have treats.
There is a prize drawing for anyone who shows up on time. Special snacks enhance the class.
As a resource for Family of Writers and when considering future writing classes, here’s a printable checklist with questions that help you know if a writing class will increase your child’s writing confidence. For all five questions, you want the answer to be YES!
Family of Writers is YES for all five questions!
I’ll end with the Family of Writers motto. Start tired. Finish inspired.
