Incorporating Authentic Family Writing Experiences

Last week, I wrote about ways to make writing part of your family tradition.  Here are a few ways you can authentically add writing to your family’s daily life:

1. Have each family member make a list of things to do for the day/week.
2. Write notes to slip into lunch boxes.  End the note with a question. Ask your child to respond to the note in writing when he returns from school.
3. Make a Top Ten List of. . . birthday gifts, games to play, chores to complete – endless opportunities.  (see an example from our family below)
4. Provide a Family Dialogue Journal in a central spot such as the kitchen. Write notes to each other in the journal. Provide different color pens to differentiate between family members.
5. Make ABC books about favorite family topics (seasons, holidays, vacations, etc.).  In my opinion, ABC books are timeless and this is an activity that can be enjoyed by children up through the end of elementary school at the very least.  The complexity of the ABC book will depend on the age of your children.

ABC Book Models for Young Children:

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom: Anniversary Edition by Bill Martin, Jr. and John Archambault

Alphabet City by Stephen T. Johnson

ABC Book Models for Older Children:

When I taught fourth and fifth grade, I would often use Jerry Pallotta’s alphabet books as models for my students.  He has written several books that tied into our science curriculum and so I would read aloud the book and then students would make their own ABC book based on our science topic.  Here is just a sampling of some of his alphabet books.  There are many more:

The Underwater Alphabet Book (Jerry Pallotta’s Alphabet Books)

The Extinct Alphabet Book (Jerry Pallotta’s Alphabet Books)

The Icky Bug Alphabet Book (Jerry Pallotta’s Alphabet Books)

The Butterfly Alphabet Book (Jerry Pallotta’s Alphabet Books)

The Ocean Alphabet Book (Jerry Pallotta’s Alphabet Books)

The Construction Alphabet Book

The Yummy Alphabet Book: Herbs, Spices, and Other Natural Flavors (Jerry Pallotta’s Alphabet Book)

The Jet Alphabet Book

The Flower Alphabet Book (Jerry Pallotta’s Alphabet Books)

The Bird Alphabet Book (Jerry Pallotta’s Alphabet Books)

The Vegetable Alphabet Book (Jerry Pallotta’s Alphabet Books)

Some writing samples from our family:

Our Travel Journal – We travel every summer.  About three years ago (when my son was 4) we traveled to Georgia to visit family.  To give him something to do in the car and while on vacation, I created a travel journal personalized to our trip.  I simply created a template so that he could draw and write based on a prompt.

Our Beach Alphabet Book – We take a trip to the beach every year.  During the same year we traveled to Georgia, we also stopped in Myrtle Beach.  I was looking for something to keep my son occupied and also provide lasting memories for us.  I created “My Beach Alphabet Book.”  I encouraged him to think about the things we did and saw while at the beach.  I had planned for him to work on his book during down time at the beach, but we didn’t seem to have much.  So instead, we worked on it when we returned.  This turned out to be a nice way to reminisce about our trip after we were home.  He only completed a few of the letters, but we still have a nice memory of our trip that year.  And best of all, I can see how his writing has evolved over time, now.

Top Ten Reasons We Love Daddy – Last year for Father’s Day, we made a book for my husband.  The kids listed their top ten reasons they love their dad.  I provided ten pieces of cardstock and had my son (in kindergarten at the time) and my daughter (an early 3 at the time) brainstorm reasons they loved their dad.  I had my son write them and then I split each page in half so each could draw a picture pertaining to their reason.  We did this for eight pages.  The last two pages of the book, I had each of them write one individual reason each and draw one picture.  I made a cover for the book, punched holes in it, and tied yarn to bind the book.  Needless to say, it was a big hit!  The kids enjoyed making it and my husband really enjoyed receiving it!  Oh, and it was a really inexpensive gift that came from the heart!

(He reads books to us)

How do you incorporate writing in your family?

Dawn Little (aka Links to Literacy) also blogs at www.teachingwithpicturebooks.wordpress.com where she provides educators with picture book lessons based on comprehension strategies and the Six Traits of Writing.  In addition, she blogs at www.literacytoolbox.wordpress.com where she provides educators and parents with tips and tools to enhance the literacy lives of children.  She is the founder and owner of Links to Literacy, a company dedicated to providing interactive literacy experiences for children and families.  Find out more at www.linkstoliteracy.com

Provide Your Family with the Write Start

We often forget that reading and writing go hand in hand. If we want to be a better reader, we need to write more. Conversely, if we want to be a better writer, we need to read more. Parents can help children reach higher levels of literacy not only by reading with them, but by writing with them, too. By weaving writing into the fabric of your family’s daily life, you are nurturing your child’s learning and can create traditions that will last for generations to come.

Creating a Write Start Environment

If we want to encourage a love of anything, we must immerse ourselves in it. Therefore, in order to encourage a love for writing in our families, we must immerse our families in writing. The easiest way to do this is to provide many opportunities to write during the day and to have writing materials easily accessible. Make your house writer friendly. Set up a writing center for your children – a space to free write. Provide plenty of writing tools: pencils, pens, crayons, colored pencils and markers. Provide different types of paper: lined paper, plain paper, stationery, envelopes, notepads, etc. Don’t forget construction paper, glue, and staplers for children to make their own books. Make the space fun and inviting.

Make Writing Relevant

Writing is learned best when it occurs in authentic situations.  So, tie writing into what you are doing as a family.  This may be as simple as having your child write out the grocery list for the week, write a recipe for his/her favorite meal, or to write thank you notes for gifts received.  Special ways to make writing authentic: create Family Vacation Journals.  Take pictures to paste in the journal and write about the event. Or create Family Activity Journals. You or your child can take pictures of day to day family activities. Place the photograph in the journal and then write about it. Aim to take one picture a day. One very special and easy way to encourage writing is by encouraging your child to begin a correspondence with a family member or other type of pen pal. A grandparent is a perfect candidate, especially if they don’t live nearby. Writing letters or even emails is a great way for your children to share their daily/weekly/monthly activities with their grandparent. And each will enjoy receiving mail from the other.

Make Writing a Family Tradition

Make writing a part of your family’s activities and it will quickly become tradition.  Create a weekly family writing night. During these evenings, take turns adding to a Family History Journal. Have each family member write about something special that happened during the week. If you have a child who is not yet writing, have them draw a picture.  Create Father/Son or Mother/Daughter dialogue journals. Use these journals to “talk” with your pre-teen or teenager about their day. They may feel more comfortable sharing events in their lives if they don’t actually have to verbalize them. Use the dialogue journal to ask questions and seek answers, to provide encouragement, or to apologize.

However you choose to incorporate writing into the fold of your family’s fabric, I hope you create family traditions that live for generations to come. What sweet memories they will hold as your children grow up, move on, and have children of their own.

Dawn Little (aka Links to Literacy) also blogs at www.teachingwithpicturebooks.wordpress.com where she provides educators with picture book lessons based on comprehension strategies and the Six Traits of Writing.  In addition, she blogs at www.literacytoolbox.wordpress.com where she provides educators and parents with tips and tools to enhance the literacy lives of children.  She is the founder and owner of Links to Literacy, a company dedicated to providing interactive literacy experiences for children and families.  Find out more at www.linkstoliteracy.com