The title of Pam Allyn’s book says it all: Your Child’s Writing Life: How to Inspire Confidence, Creativity, and Skill at Every Age. As parents, don’t we all want confident, creative, and skilled children? Pam Allyn explains the benefits in school and “real life” that results when they have developed writing skills.
I recently reviewed Pam Allyn’s book Best Books for Boys. In reading it, her love for students and her desire to help them experience success in learning was evident. With that in mind, I couldn’t wait to read Your Child’s Writing Life, which is written for parents (unlike the former which was helpful to me as a parent, but directed mostly at educators).
I feel almost weepy with joy at her words from a parent and educator who loves children that go right through to a parent’s heart. I’ll let her words beginning the section on the 7-year-old writer speak for themselves (since they rang so true to me, as the mother of a sweet 7-year-old boy):
Seven-year-olds are a poignant reminder to us grown-ups of the fleeting nature of time. They are standing between early childhood and something else: an awareness of mortality and the lines between what is real and what is not seem sometimes blurred.
Their teeth are wiggling and falling out one after the next. They even look a little funny, with their legs and arms and bodies all growing at different rates.
In this chapter Allyn outlines the developmental stage in the writing life of a child, from age 2 up to 12. She recommends activities to kindle the love of writing and specific books that will inspire them.
This is so much more than a how-to manual encouraging that desire that we parents seem to have to breed the best and the brightest. Instead of some sort of twisted recipe pushing early achievement, this really reads like a parenting manual. In fact, when she introduces the idea of a writing notebook, she encourages a parent to do the exercises/prompts alongside their child. I love this! What a way to connect.
We don’t think twice about making crayons and paper available and encouraging our preschoolers to use them to create, and it’s in this vein that Allyn informs and encourages us to incorporate writing into their developmental lives. Just as reading is important (and she stresses again and again that the best writers are readers too), writing is something we should be encouraging in a fun creative way.
I can’t say enough good things about Your Child’s Writing Life. Honestly, I could go on for pages about all the redeeming qualities (including “The Writing Doctor is in the House” which offers support as we are trying to support our children during times of homework stress and frustration). I am so happy to be able to give away a copy to one of you.
Leave a comment if you’d like to enter to win, and we’ll announce the winner right here on August 17.The giveaway is closed.
We have a couple of lucky winners to announce:
- The novel Rules of Civility goes to #
- The Where’s Waldo book pack winner is #14 Tammy Gordon
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Jennifer remembers her own young writing life, including attempts in elementary school to write the next great (middle grade) American novel. She uses her blog Snapshot as her writing outlet now.
Looks like a great book! I have several daughters who write and I’d like to encourage them more!
Sounds like a wonderful addition to child rearing bookshelf.
This looks like a book I need.
I would love to win a copy of this book. I homeschool my son and this is an area I struggle with. Other writing curriculums we’ve tried are dry and leave him lacking inspiration. Maybe this would do the trick.
Ooh ooh! Me! I’d love this book. I’ve been looking for a book exactly like this.
sounds like a book I would love!
As a homeschooling mom, I’d love to win this!
janemaritz at yahoo dot com
Another homeschooling mom who would love to add this to her collection!
Would love to win this. 🙂
I have a 5 yr old and a 7 year old. This is a timely read for us.
Memetu–You won this book! Please respond to the email notification with your shipping info.
I am looking for something like this for my nieces.
I would love to have this to encourge the creativity of all the children in my family. Thank you!
All children should always be encouraged to do the best that they can.
I have three very bright grandsons in one family between the ages of 2 and 12. This book would be perfect for them!
Love your giveaways!
This looks great!
I can’t wait to read this! Writing is so important, and as a homeschooling mom I find it to be one of the hardest subject to teach and encourage in my children. My 7 year old is a great writer but I feel I fall short encouraging her to the next level. My 4 year old creates the most imaginative ideas and stories but doesn’t even want to write his name. While there are many books in the market for developing young readers I’ve been hard pressed to find any for developing young writers.
It looks like a great book. I’m always looking for ways to encourage my little one to write more.
I love to write and hope to help my 3 kids find heir inner desire for writing as well!
Please enter me in the win the book contest
Thank you for sharing this. I had an amazing experience with all three of my kids when I was rewriting and redrawing my book. At ages 3, 5 and 7 they all sat around the table with me working on their own books, writing and drawing. It is a memory I will always treasure.
I’ve read Pam’s other books and have been part of the professional development offered through LitLife. Her work not only makes me a better teacher, but also a better parent!
This sounds awesome. I have two boys and a daughter, and I really want them to love writing and learn that it’s not just for school.
I would love anything that would help kids write and this looks great!
This sounds like a fantastic book! This would be great for my granddaughter.
I’d love to read this and help my daughter develop her creativity!
mearley1979 at gmail dot com
This sounds like a wonderful book! I’d love to put these ideas into practice with my twin niece and nephew.