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      • april fool’s day
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getting kids to stop, observe and write

home / writing / creative writing / getting kids to stop, observe and write
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how to get kids to stop, observe and write

Our Everyday Journal cards have proven to be a really incredibleโ€”and sneakyโ€”way of getting the kids focused and thinking in a way that Iโ€™m not sure theyโ€™d be willing to do otherwise.

Thereโ€™s something exciting about choosing a card, about having the topic be a surprise, and about being willing and open to trying something totally new.ย ย  Andย  Maddy, Owen, and Cora have each slowly discovered their favorite areas of focus with the cardsโ€”photo inspiration, nature inspiration, poem inspiration, techy inspiration, and artsy inspiration.

But one of our first topics involved nothing other than finding peace and quiet, and still it remains one of their top activities.

Hereโ€™s the skinny. . .

  • Getting Kids to Stop, Observe, and Write: The prompt was simple.ย  All it said was

Go outside and find a quiet spot.

Pick one thing that you can see and describe it the best way you know howโ€”how does it feel, smell, taste, sound, and look?

I said, Sounds simple, doesnโ€™t it? So youโ€™re going to find a quiet spotโ€”all to yourselfโ€”and then what are you going to do?

Maddy jumped in: Looks like weโ€™re just going to sit in a spot that we choose and pick something to write aboutโ€”like everything about it.

Right, I said. Youโ€™re going to use your five senses to write about what that thing looks like, how it feels, how it smells, how it tastesโ€”if itโ€™s safe to taste it!โ€”and how it sounds. Cool?

Like if I were going to sit here and observe this one blade of grass, I would write something like, โ€˜I am green, long like a string bean, but flat.ย  Iโ€™m thick at the bottom and get skinnier to a point at the top.ย  I have tiny lines on each side of me.ย  I am dancing gently in the wind, moving side to side.ย  Iโ€™m quiet—I donโ€™t make a sound.โ€™ย  I smell fresh and crisp right after Iโ€™m cut or picked, but I donโ€™t have a smell if Iโ€™m left alone. And how does it feel?

how to get kids to stop, observe and write

We began with a challenge–having our kids stop, observe, and write–and it got their creative juices flowin!

Some are soft and others are pokey, said Owen.

Youโ€™re right.ย  Very true.ย  But for this journal weโ€™re picking just oneโ€”and I know itโ€™s hardโ€”but one object to write about. So look at this piece of grass (I pointed to the grass by our feet) and tell me how it feels.

Itโ€™s soft and bendy when you walk on it but still a little pokey at the top, he said.

Okay, so Iโ€™d write something like, โ€˜Iโ€™m mostly very soft and smooth and bendy when stepped on but have a gentle pokey top.โ€™

Then for taste? Hmmmm.ย  How does a piece of grass taste? I asked.

It can taste grassy, said Cora.

Youโ€™re right. It tastes like grassโ€”letโ€™s try one. Anyone want to try to eat a piece of grass?

No one didโ€”which surprised meโ€”so we left that part go.how to get kids to stop, observe and write

Cora worked on her letters in her workbook–to her insistence–and that was cool with me.

So let me read what we have, and we can make sure we have all of the pieces before you go and do your own observation writing, okay? Listen closely for all of the sensesโ€”how it looks, feels, sounds, tastes, and smells–you think you have anything we should add, let me know.

I read it, and they said it sounded great and could they please please please go do theirs now?

So they did.ย  Off they ran to find a quiet spot in the yard to stop, observe, and write.

And though this activity was a bit above Coraโ€™s abilities, she did want to take her letter-writing practice book out to a quiet place in the yard to practice writing her letters.ย  I suggested she go out and choose one object to drawโ€”but she said she wanted to write.ย  And really, since this summer and itโ€™s all about fun with some learning stuck in, I let her go for it.

Maddy and Owen took longer than I thought, but they didnโ€™t write a whole lotโ€”another reason that modeling is so totally important.ย  Once they shared their pieces, we talked about whether or not they included all of the five senses, and both kids did not. So they re-read what we wrote together, went back to their spots, found their object, and did a bit of revising.

 

It was fun. And they really loved it, so much so that weโ€™ve done it several times this summer, even on days that they didnโ€™t choose the card.

It was a matter of finding what got my kids going–and interested in writing–that helped me here. Like Jolie Stekly, writing and literature expert and former classroom teacher says in her piece on Mom’s Homeroom called, The Writing’s on the Road, it’s all about finding little gems of opportunity to give our kids reason to write and at the same time to avoid that dreaded summer slide.

She encourages parents to “in the same way we sneak greens into our kids’ other foods โ€” like adding a few leaves of spinach into a fruit smoothie โ€” we can do the same with writing during the summer months”ย  She says that “summer travel and events (vacations, road trips, camping, day outings, summer camps) provide great opportunities to put your kids’ already-acquired writing skills to use in a meaningful way” and that they’ll see the writing as fun–not work.

I like that–simple and sneaky like spinach in a smoothie. So if my kids are game to write in the backyard, quiet and carefully, I’ll take it!ย  Happy writing!

 

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About amy mascott

teacher, mother, dreamer. lover of literacy, fun learning, good food, and three crazy-cool kids. finder of four-leaf clovers | dc metro ยท http://about.me/amymascott
tweet with me: @teachmama

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Celebrate, we will! โ€˜Cause life is short but sweet for certain. . . 

What a weekend. So incredibly proud of all of these talented athletes!

๐Ÿ† 3rd in the state of Maryland for @sherwoodcheerleading ๐Ÿ’™๐Ÿค

UMD Womenโ€™s Basketball won todayโ€” great job by @marylandcheer โค๏ธ๐Ÿ’›๐Ÿ–ค

#lovethesegirls #cheerweekend #marylandlife #lifeinmaryland #moco
View
Open
This Sugarfina Advent Calendar is what your teens want. 

$33 shipped TO YOUR DOOR w my 10% off and FREE SHIPPING!

Normally itโ€™s $60! 

I have been sharing my fave, super-COOL, Advent Calendars for teens and adults in my stories today!

This one right here was ours from last year, and we โค๏ธ LOVED it!

It is made by @sugarfina and each day we were surprised with FABULOUS sweet treats! 

Good-bye to the ole, crappy, tinfoil chocolates. Weโ€™re taking fun, new, and different candies each day of the month!

Grab it here: zulily.gfpv.net/MX9Ngn

#linkinbio @zulily #adventcalendars #adventforteens
View
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Hey #MoCo Voters, Itโ€™s #ElectionDay2022! 

Do you need a ride to the polls? If you do, @VOTE411 and @lyft has got you covered! 

So, #NoExcuses. Get out there and make your voice heard!

#VotePlan #VoteReady #expectus #MomsDemandAction #appleballot #MCEA
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Get out and VOTE. 

Please. 

Not sure where to vote? https://www.vote.org/polling-place-locator/

#midtermelections #getoutandvote๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ #linkinbio
View
Open
Did you have a chance to join my IG live today?

It was a rainy, gross Sunday here in Maryland, and I shared one of my top picks for the holidaysโ€”> LEGO but for BIG KIDS. 

Or GRANDPARENTS. 

Or PARENTS. 

Actually ANY grown-up who likes to unplug once in a while and CREATE. 

I showed how I was doing with the LEGO Flower Bouquet (๐ŸŒท๐ŸŒบ๐Ÿ’๐ŸŒผ) and how many other awesome sets are 15% off and FREE SHIPPING (yayyyyy!!) over on @zulily ๐Ÿ’œ. 

Check it out. Theyโ€™ve got a ton of sets to choose from, like 
Marvel, Star Wars, Harry Potter, Friends, Disney, Mario Brosโ€”you name it. 

Find them here: https://zulily.gfpv.net/jWqkmn

Fab prices + free shipping = BIG WIN. 

#linkinbio #ad #LEGOforgrownups #everyonelovesLEGO #holidaypicks
View
Open
LEGO at 15% off and FREE SHIPPING! 

Check out the AWESOME set that is PERFECT for teens, grandparents, and ANY grownup who likes to create! 

This bouquet will last forever!

๐ŸŒผ๐ŸŒท๐ŸŒบ๐Ÿ’

Use this link โ€”> zulily.gfpv.net/jWqkmn

#bestgiftsforkids #grandparentgifts #ad #LEGOforgrownups @zulily
View
Open
WHAT HAS ARRIVED FROM @zulily !?

Since Zulily carries such a vast array of items, it could be ANYthing: 

๐Ÿ’œ boutique-style clothes or shoes

๐Ÿค brand-name clothing & shoes

๐Ÿ’œ toys

๐Ÿค books or magazines 

๐Ÿ’œ pantry items, snacks, & treats

๐Ÿค haircare or cosmetics 

๐Ÿ’œ pet toys, treats, or accessories 

๐Ÿค personalized gifts

๐Ÿ’œ houseplants, seeds, or bulbs

๐Ÿค basics for kids through adults

๐Ÿ’œ craft supplies and kits

๐Ÿค furniture or home goods

๐Ÿ’œ designer handbags, sunglasses, or belts

๐Ÿค luxury items and gifts

๐Ÿ’œ sports equipment 

๐Ÿค sports gear for ALL fansโ€”NFL, MLB, NCAA, you name it

๐Ÿ’œ small appliances & kitchen items

๐Ÿค towels, sheets, blankets, linens

๐Ÿ’œ home storage & organization items

๐Ÿค coats, hats, scarves 

๐Ÿ’œ just about anything you can imagine!

Follow my stories for the deals and steals for families and educators, or check the Zulily Highlight!

Especially nowโ€”as we move into the exciting holiday seasonโ€”I will more frequently share items, and they will MOVE QUICKLY! 

So make sure you are checking in regularly, and pleaseโ€”if you are looking for specific items and a specific price point, let me know! 

I am happy to do some research to help you out!

๐Ÿ’œ๐Ÿค๐Ÿ’œ๐Ÿค๐Ÿ’œ

#zulilypartner #linkinbio #ad #holiday #giftgiving bestgifts

Want to check it out for yourself? zulily.gfpv.net/teachmama
View
Open
๐ŸŸฆ๐ŸŸฅ๐ŸŸฉ๐ŸŸจ

THE best toy for kidsโ€”and classrooms!โ€”is on sale right now. 

The 101-piece PicassoTile Building Set (WITH CARRYING CASE!)
is only $34.99 on Zulily WITH an extra 15% off!

Stock upโ€”think: teachers, daycare providers, classrooms!
AND birthdays, holidays or rainy days!

This is a toy that I cannot recommend highly enoughโ€”perfect for littles through elemor middle school. 

From a tween I know and love: The *click* of the magnetic blocks is so satisfying, and honestly, theyโ€™re just really fun and relaxing to use. 

๐ŸŸฆ๐ŸŸช๐ŸŸง๐ŸŸฉ

hereโ€™s the link that will get you AN ADDITIONAL 15% off โ€”> zulily.gfpv.net/JrDdbE

And remember: FREE SHIPPING ON orders of $89+

#ad #linkinbio #besttoysforkids #dealoftheday

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