While learning to read, it is helpful for your child to learn how to write her own stories. Children need to be able to put their thoughts on paper. At first your child will use “scribbles” instead of letters and you will write the real words under each of her words. Then she will progress to writing letters for sounds that she hears. Writing her own stories will teach her how to form a complete sentence; beginning with a capital letter, leaving a space between words and adding punctuation at the end. She will also learn how to illustrate her stories to match what she has written. Keeping a journal of her stories is a great way for her to see her own growth as a writer.
Forest Fun – Lesson 29
“I can write a story.”
Objective: To use inventive writing to write a story. (W.K.1)
Materials: journal, pencil, crayons
Procedures: Give your child a journal pencil and crayons. Talk about how the little boy was afraid of the bat. Tell your child she is going to begin writing her own stories in a journal. For a writing prompt, tell her to write a sentence about something that frightens her. Model how she can use squiggly lines to represent the words. Also, model how to put spaces between words and to add a period at the end. You will write the real words under her sentence. Then she will illustrate her story. Remind her that her picture must match what she has written. Keep the journal in a safe place for her next story.
Conclusion: Have your child read her story to you again. Talk about her beautiful illustrations and tell her how much you enjoyed her story!