creative writing classes for kids

creative writing classes for kids

The Importance of Creative Writing Classes for Kids

1. Introduction

From the mental perspective, creative writing has been shown to help improve interpersonal and communication skills than compared to other forms of writing. Because there are many types of creative writing, from poetry to novels, students often struggle to express their thoughts and ideas clearly. In striving to improve this inadequacy, their writing becomes more valuable to them. The value added from improved writing exceeds the cost. Although the student may not see direct material gains from their newly acquired writing abilities, the mental development experienced through creative writing will help students in their future professions, no matter what they may be. In writing there is a gift of self-discipline and increased mental clarity. A student writing a position paper will learn the value of revising and rewriting. This instills an essential skill for the professional world. The creative writer, however, possesses an added advantage; clarity. The act of portraying something that is only in the author’s mind, a character or a setting, will force the author to carefully consider what exactly he wants to describe. With practice, the skill of precision trickles down into all other writing, which is a valuable asset for all professions. Articulating ideas in a clear and precise manner will almost always result in a favorable outcome.

Students’ best work doesn’t arrive at the conclusion of the process, but instead it arrives in the form of drafts in which they apply their best efforts through process writing. At all grade levels, it is crucial to focus instructor and student attention on revising and editing the writing piece. Modeling this process is powerful and helps students understand they are part of a community of writers. Finally, teachers should provide students with editing checklists that walk them through the process of editing their writing pieces. This empowers students to be responsible for their own writing and supports the development of organizational skill. Creative writing is taught through the above process, and it should be the one elective that all students take throughout their educational career.

2. Benefits of Creative Writing for Kids

Creative writing is an important developmental tool for kids. It stretches their imagination, helps develop language and communication skills, and is an outlet for self-expression. Since some children express themselves better in writing than in speaking, teaching them creative writing is often a plus. With all the technological advancements of this generation, kids are spending more time in front of the television and computer. Taking a break and putting pen to paper is a great way to engage an active, dynamic mind. With the increasing academic demands on students in today’s schools, this is a great way to get children to focus on learning, even outside the classroom. Kids are facing more stress and anxiety than ever before. The most commonly prescribed anti-anxiety medication for children is a stimulant, Ritalin, to help them focus. Ultimately, creative writing is an important tool to help improve the mental health and overall wellness of today’s kids. Here is a brief summary of the benefits of creative writing for kids. This list is helpful for parents to share with their children who may not be too enthusiastic about starting writing.

3. Key Elements of Creative Writing Classes

Creative writing classes in schools help students do well in any career, as good written communication is a must. Keeping the importance of effective writing in mind, I started to integrate creative writing into my class. One thing that I have found is that you have to do it gradually and in a way that doesn’t seem like work. Some kids are not natural writers and do not think creatively. In order to help them free up their creative minds, I use a ‘sharing’ activity early on in the class which I will discuss in a later blog. This activity is good for almost any age group and helps foster that creativity needed for good creative writing later on. By realizing you have to start at the bottom and students need to know that it’s okay not to be the best at something new, I began to read and write along with the students so that I too am doing the assignment that I am asking them to do. I found that it’s comforting for them to know that everyone is trying something for the first time, the kids who are good at it will be happy to get stuck in and the children who aren’t won’t feel like they are being left behind. This is important because the feelings of the children come into play with my next point. An illustration/activity can be the difference for the understanding of one child compared to another on a written task. Visual learners do not interpret information in the same way as those who are analytic sequential learners. If the desired outcome is not reached by all students, it creates a cognitive gap and it is quite possible that the second student has a misunderstanding of the work that he may not realize right through into adulthood. This only shows that ‘there’s always more than one way to skin a cat’.

4. Tips for Teaching Creative Writing to Kids

5. Games with written rules are great to get kids thinking about precise words and clear explanations. An example of one game is to mix up an anagram of a sentence (great for older kids), and the first one to write the sentence correctly wins.

4. Utilize audio/video methods. Good dialogue is a key component to a great story and recording your child and friends’ conversations has double the benefit.

3. Kids with a natural talent for writing or a strong interest in a particular topic will be more inclined to write, so customizing activities to your child’s interests are very effective.

2. Individual, pair, or small group work is equally effective as long as kids are really involved.

1. Short, simple writing activities are one of the best ways to help kids learn how to put their thoughts into words. This will take the intimidation out of longer writing assignments and allow kids to explore their creativity on paper.

Given their natural proclivity to write at this point, most kids enjoy writing. However, they have trouble staying on a topic long enough to explore it effectively. This is where you can help them. Choosing the one activity that is most relevant for your child is a great way to preview the material and find out what the course is like. It gives the instructor an opportunity to get to know your child before the course begins. Then, if your child enjoys the activity, he or she is already comfortable with the instructor and the format of the class. This removes a major obstacle to taking a course. The second time around is always easier and more enjoyable for kids. It’s important to remember that we all have different intelligences — and children are no exception! Some children will enjoy and learn from free writing activities, while others really need a structure in front of them. This is OK! The most commonly enjoyed activities by kids are writing stories.

5. Conclusion

Creative writing is an important way to express yourself in a way that is challenging and always interesting. That is the reason why I feel that all high school students should be required to take a creative writing class. My high school career is coming to an end and I have found myself pondering the very class which I took a few years back. I believe that I have grown in many ways because of that class. I have learned to think outside the box and find that there is almost always another way. I have noticed that I have become a more logical thinker and am better able to find holes in arguments because of the thorough analysis of my stories done in class. I feel that the many different facets of my character have been challenged and that they have grown because of the countless different results and writings I have produced. The challenges to grammar have made me more confident about the quality of my formal writing. It has been a very valuable class. By making high school students take a creative writing class we will be molding a more open-minded, free-thinking, intellectual person inside of them which I think is the most important attribute one can have.