Re: encouraging writing....was unschooling
Joseph Fuerst
While I think many others posted more thoughtful and kind advice about
writing......I still say you have to be careful about "encouraging your
children" to learn something you believe they need to be taught. I say
examine yourself thoroughly....where is this need coming from? Often, I
think parents efforts at *encouraging* are a thinly veiled attempt to direct
them to what the parent thinks is necessary. I think pushing, even subtly,
will drive most children away from the very topics you think they "need to
be taught" Why can you believe in them learning some things on their own
and in their own good time, but not others? Isn't it because their natural
interest and intrinsic motivation drive them to excel at what they're
interested in? Do you think your child will never want to write? Does it
matter to the child or to you whether "creative writing" is learned?
Susan
(Does creative writing include my 4 yo dd taking the box of 300 Q-tips and
forming them into a reasonable facsimie of her name dozens of time over the
whole floor?)
Encouraging journal writing may be something you could look into. For the
younger kids, Borders has a book called Scraps & Scribbles which is a great
starting point. They offer suggestions of things to write about (past
birthday parties, vacations, favorite relatives, oneself, etc.), and the
book gives plenty of doodle space to get one going.
A friend used a writing program***for her older children when they were
ready to go to college and yet hadn't ever written any essays or term
papers. http://www.writeguide.com/
They were very pleased with the program and the motivation it offered her
teen. You get to choose what type of writing you want to do and have a lot
of freedom of choices with their set up.
***Before it's pointed out that this is an unschooling list, I know that but
I'm of the belief that unschooling can encompass books of all kinds,
instruction from others can include what would normally be considered
"schoolish" *if* the child was the one asking to do "it". To *me*,
unschooling means that the person doing the learning is doing so of their
own free will and not being coerced into it.
Sarah
ps.. Carol, if you're in the Gastonia area, I can put you in touch with the
person referenced in the above paragraph.
[
writing......I still say you have to be careful about "encouraging your
children" to learn something you believe they need to be taught. I say
examine yourself thoroughly....where is this need coming from? Often, I
think parents efforts at *encouraging* are a thinly veiled attempt to direct
them to what the parent thinks is necessary. I think pushing, even subtly,
will drive most children away from the very topics you think they "need to
be taught" Why can you believe in them learning some things on their own
and in their own good time, but not others? Isn't it because their natural
interest and intrinsic motivation drive them to excel at what they're
interested in? Do you think your child will never want to write? Does it
matter to the child or to you whether "creative writing" is learned?
Susan
(Does creative writing include my 4 yo dd taking the box of 300 Q-tips and
forming them into a reasonable facsimie of her name dozens of time over the
whole floor?)
Encouraging journal writing may be something you could look into. For the
younger kids, Borders has a book called Scraps & Scribbles which is a great
starting point. They offer suggestions of things to write about (past
birthday parties, vacations, favorite relatives, oneself, etc.), and the
book gives plenty of doodle space to get one going.
A friend used a writing program***for her older children when they were
ready to go to college and yet hadn't ever written any essays or term
papers. http://www.writeguide.com/
They were very pleased with the program and the motivation it offered her
teen. You get to choose what type of writing you want to do and have a lot
of freedom of choices with their set up.
***Before it's pointed out that this is an unschooling list, I know that but
I'm of the belief that unschooling can encompass books of all kinds,
instruction from others can include what would normally be considered
"schoolish" *if* the child was the one asking to do "it". To *me*,
unschooling means that the person doing the learning is doing so of their
own free will and not being coerced into it.
Sarah
ps.. Carol, if you're in the Gastonia area, I can put you in touch with the
person referenced in the above paragraph.
[