There is a difference between writing and editing. Writing can be creative and messy and free-flowing. Editing needs to be logical and considered and thoughtful. It’s like switching on a different part of your brain! I hope these ideas help your children to improve their writing. These ideas are written directly to primary school children. [Read more…]

Not all kids like writing, and some kids don’t mind writing but find it difficult to start or come up with ideas. I’ve put together some writing worksheets in pdf so you can print and write on them. They are linked to the points below, which can be used as guidelines to help you help your kids to develop a story at home or at school.

It’s so important at the beginning of a story to encourage wild brainstorming! No idea is too whacky to form into a story. Be open to all ideas and fragments – anything can be developed and teased out. If you have a child with a passionate idea for a story about black ice-cream but has no idea how to take it further, keep asking questions until you can stretch it out into a plan. Where does the black ice-cream come from? Who makes it? Where can you buy it? What happens when you eat it? Who wants the black ice-cream? Do you have to eat it – can you do something else with it? What texture does it have? What does it taste like? Do kids like it? Do adults like it? Who wants the black ice-cream most of all? What will that person/thing do to have the black ice-cream? Who will stop that person/thing who wants the black ice-cream? Your questions can really help your young writer to work out their story. [Read more…]