A few months ago I shared a writing tip you could use in your classroom or homeschool. Since that time I was once again reminded how important it is to let our children have some ownership over their writing topics. Let me share my story….
Last week, my son’s lesson was writing a biographical sketch in five paragraphs. We had recently been studying the Roman Empire, and I hoped that he would write on one of the church’s founding fathers – not only would this reinforce those lessons, but he would also have the chance to delve more deeply into books which we had not had time to read earlier. Despite my excitement, I could see he was less than eager.
I could tell his disinterest as we talked about his topic. So, we started talking baseball. He had just finished reading a biography of Derek Jeter, so I suggested doing his paper on Jeter. He did not complain and even told me of two other sources he could use. He had to use a minimum of 3 sources and only one could be internet.
That settled it – Derek Jeter it would be.
Over the past week, he has been hard at work researching Mr. Jeter’s life and collecting information. Today’s assignment was to narrow the facts down to three, keeping his paper from becoming a full book. From this point, he will work on an effective outline and begin to write.
He is much happier and more enthusiastic about his assignment, since he is writing about a topic that interests him. This keeps him motivated, and his writing is most effective when he has the freedom to choose a topic. He’ll learn more, and retain more, this way.
By letting your kids choose their own topics, they take ownership of their project. Give it a try – it makes a huge difference! Your children will learn more and be happier about it; you’ll be thrilled with the results.
Publishing Your First Blog Entry
