Method for Encouraging Writing

I have been searching for a way to encourage my children to write as opposed to giving them a topic and requiring some type of writing assignment that feels like a lot of work and not much fun. I finally found a great method in this book - A Place for Wonder: Reading and Writing Non-Fiction in the Primary Grades by Georgia Heard and Jennifer McDonough. The best part is that the co-author is a childhood friend of mine who is a public school teacher. I haven't spoken to her in twenty years, but found out about her book after our parents ran into each other in our hometown....... Anyway, back to the book.

It was written for public school teachers, but I have found the method and activities adaptable to homeschool. First children are encouraged to wonder about the world around them. Things the children wonder about are then transioned into writing topics. The children are taught how to research their topics in different ways, add interesting details and edit their writing. The book outlines the steps and activities very well.

The classrooms in the book are Kindergarten and 1st grade, but I am using this method with my 3rd and 5th graders. Implementing it with older children simply results in more developed writing. Therefore, I would recommend it for all elementary students.

I am so excited about this book! If you have used it or anything similiar (an approach to writing that is more about method and less about individual assignments) please let me know.


* I did not receive any compensation for this recommendation. I'm just a homeschooling mom who has found many products that I like. If you're interested in the products I recommend on this blog I want to make it easy for you to find them. 
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