The Write Start (8 page)

Chalk

Oh, chalk. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways. (1) You are so tactile. You help children to really
feel
their movements as they write, which sends so much valuable information to their eager-to-learn brains. (2) You are so easily correctable. A swipe of the finger, sweep of an eraser, or wipe with a cloth is all it takes to fix any slip-ups. (3) You provide a perpetual blank slate for young writers-in-training. Because your marks disappear, children’s inhibitions about writing vanish as well.

Not to go overboard, but chalk (white or colored) really is my favorite medium for the early stages of learning to write. I have seen so many children learn to write by making and erasing chalk marks over and over until they get it right. I imagine that’s where the expression “chalk it up to experience” comes from!

The Resourceful Writer

I’ve been known to write grocery lists on paper plates. My husband jots lumber orders and important measurements on scraps of wood. We’re in good company: Abraham Lincoln did his homework on the back of a shovel, Ernest Hemingway wrote on napkins, and our national anthem was drafted on an envelope. It seems that, no matter what, determined writers can always find a place to document their thoughts.

Children likewise record their ideas wherever they can because they just can’t help themselves. Covering a blank canvas with their own one-of-a-kind combination of words is irresistibly exciting for young writers. It is a rite of passage to scribble, scrawl, sign your name, and share your story on as many surfaces as you can. At the end of the day, all those little scraps left behind testify, “I left my mark on the world today.”

Henry David Thoreau observed: “The world is but a canvas to our imagination.” (Spoken like someone who’s never had to clean crayon off the living room walls!) Happily, there are many interesting (and acceptable) canvases upon which young writers can express their creativity. From butcher paper to bathtub walls, sidewalks to sand, almost anything can become a blank slate for a resourceful writer.

Paper: Plain or Lined?

I remember when I first got my learner’s permit; my parents took me to a big, empty parking lot to drive for the first time. It was there I was able to get the “feel” of driving. After a while, we ventured onto local streets, choosing the extra-wide streets (hard to come by in the city) to work on my parallel parking skills. Finally, license in hand, I braved a multilane highway (white knuckles and all).

Similar logic applies to choosing paper for little learners. When kids are first starting to write letters and words, big unlined paper works best. At this stage, the most important thing is that they get a feel for letter formation.
Later, when you see that their letters have become consistently smaller in size, indicating greater control, paper with extra-wide guidelines is appropriate. When they become more skillful at writing words and sentences, they are ready to handle ruled paper.

When it comes to lined paper, there are more varieties available than you can imagine. There is paper with two guidelines per line of writing, three guidelines (including a dashed middle line), and four guidelines (featuring an upper and lower line to direct ascenders and descenders). Some papers color code the lines so that children can distinguish between the baseline and the other lines.

Personally, I find the multilined, color-coded papers to be confusing. And if I can’t keep track of which line is which, how can I expect a child to figure it out? I opt for standard lined paper, wide-ruled first and college-ruled much later. After all, the lines are just meant to help kids steer their writing in the right direction. If they are overly focused on the lines (or overly distracted by them) they are liable to veer off course.

DIY:
Letterhead

 

My son often sits at his desk and shuffles things about in a very important way. When I ask him what he’s doing, he proudly replies, “Paperwork!”

Kids get the fact that the work we do at our desks is serious business. And they are eager to conduct some busy-ness of their own. Set them up with some personalized letterhead to give their writing a professional flair.

MATERIALS

 

computer

printer

blank printer paper

HOW-TO

 

1.  Using a basic word-processing program, put your child’s name, address, and phone number on the top of a blank document (an added bonus is that it helps them learn this important information).

2.  Print out multiple copies.

3.  Be sure to save the document on your hard drive so you can restock inventory as needed.

 

Notebooks

Children who have been read to since their earliest days have a happy reverence for books. That’s why it is especially exciting for them to write in one. To actually put their own ideas on those inviting blank pages, inserting their thoughts between those important-looking covers, is impressive. Yes, books make young writers feel bona fide.

Notebooks definitely give little kids that big-kid feeling. They are also great for a more thorough study of an interesting idea. Better than a piece of paper, a notebook can hold a whole series of scribbles, a day-to-day account of the amazing adventures of a favorite superhero stuffed animal, or an in-depth research study of cafeteria mystery meat. It is the perfect place to jot down clues, secrets, notes from a fact-finding mission, lists, dreams, wishes. More personal than a piece of paper, a notebook has covers that can be closed, like a bedroom door, making it more likely that children will put their true feelings on the page.

There are plenty of notebooks to choose from. Hardcover, softcover, and spiral notebooks, as well as three-ring binders filled with notebook paper, all come in both plain and fancy styles. Kids love to embellish the simple ones with stickers, names, and sayings. They also love notebooks with pictures of their favorite characters, sports figures, animals, and whatnot. Whatever helps them to own their books will no doubt encourage them to write as well.

Sticky Notes

Kids are instantly attracted to those sticky little repositionable notes. Dole them out carefully, however; they can go through a whole pack in a matter of minutes. What’s the appeal? Let’s just say there’s a serious wow factor in being able to plaster your ideas all over the place. Sticky notes make it okay to “write” on the walls, the floor, the ceiling (if you can reach), the furniture, your little sister, the dog . . . well, you get the idea. There’s endless fun involved in labeling your surroundings, captioning the action, or leaving a trail of thoughts for someone to follow like breadcrumbs. Hand over a pack every now and again, and just see what happens!

Butcher Paper, Kraft Paper, and Newsprint

At my office, a bright boy named T. J. was a mile-a-minute talker full of captivating stories. I was (and still am) convinced that he will someday pen the next great American novel. But whenever he sat in front of a pencil and paper, he got very quiet. No more stories. Reluctant to even pick up the pencil, he resisted writing in a big way.

That was until I brought out the
big
paper. The day I unrolled a giant roll of butcher paper, T. J. wrote up a storm. Words, pictures, arrows, diagrams, you name it. It all came out. At the end of our time together, T. J. rolled up about twelve feet of work with a self-satisfied sigh, tucked it under his arm, and marched proudly down the hall. Apparently his ideas were a little too big for an 8½ x 11 inch page. The small size seemed to stifle him. From that day on he gravitated to the big paper roll and generated writing by the mile.

Since children
think
big, they love having the option to
write
big. Try spreading a big sheet of paper out on the floor or across a table, hanging it on the wall mural-style, or clipping it onto an easel. Stand back and watch what happens. But be prepared—big paper tends to inspire larger-than-life ideas. You may have to move some furniture (or put an extension on the house!).

Butcher paper is available in large rolls at restaurant supply stores, or you can ask your local butcher to sell you some. Brown kraft paper can be found at craft stores. Newsprint also comes in big sizes. It is sold at school supply stores, but, better yet, ask your local newspaper for some of their end runs. They often give this leftover paper away for free.

Chalkboards

My (aforementioned) affection for chalk pales in comparison to my fondness for chalkboards. Love ’em. And kids do too.

Chalkboards invite children to write. Each one is a literal blank slate, just waiting to be covered with a new idea.

Because they are so easily erased, chalkboards inherently encourage practice. Without a word, chalkboards suggest to kids, “Write something. Wipe it away. Write some more.” How supportive!

Chalkboards also encourage learning in the opposite way: by offering resistance. As chalk drags across the board’s rough surface, children get a “feel” for what they are writing. The feedback their little hands (and brains) receive from writing on a textured surface reinforces what they are seeing. In this way, writing on a chalkboard is a multisensory experience that really helps kids process the “big picture.”

In addition to all that, I have to say that there is also something about the aesthetic of chalkboards that is just plain appealing. They have a classic, old-school look that evokes a sense of nostalgia. Although today’s classrooms are getting equipped with the latest SMART Board technology, chalkboards are a timeless (and equally intelligent choice) for home.

DIY:
Chalkboard Paint

 

Just imagine my delight when I discovered chalkboard paint. It was as if a new world had opened up to me! I painted one whole wall of my office, from floor to twelve-foot ceiling, in green chalkboard paint. And, oh, the writing that ensued!

At home, I’ve lost track of how many surfaces I’ve enhanced with chalkboard paint. I like to think of it as developmentally-appropriate décor. Wherever I find to use it, it turns a space into the perfect combination of form, function, and fun.

MATERIALS

 

painter’s masking tape

chalkboard paint (available at hardware stores)

paintbrush

drop cloth

HOW-TO

 

1.  Use low-tack painter’s masking tape to section off the area you’ve chosen to be painted with chalkboard paint.

2.  Following the directions on the paint can, apply a first coat of paint. Let it dry.

3.  Repeat with one to two additional coats, allowing four to six hours’ drying time between coats.

4.  When paint is thoroughly dry, remove the masking tape.

5.  Let the paint cure according to the directions, usually about two days.

6.  Holding a piece of chalk on its side, rub the entire surface to cover it with a thin layer of chalk dust. Wipe off the excess.

Your chalkboard is now ready for use. You can write on it, erase it, and wash it with a barely damp cloth when needed. We use ours for drawing maps, leaving messages, writing to-dos, making special-occasion signs (like “Happy Birthday” and “Congratulations!”), keeping score, jotting down reminders, writing menus, and playing tic-tac-toe. We use it constantly; it was well worth the effort!

 

A Place of One’s Own

As we learned from the movie
Field of Dreams,
if you build it, they will come. I assure you that this rule can apply in your home as well. If you make a place for it, they will write.

Devoting an area in your home to writing sends a message to your child. It says that writing is so important that it deserves its own special spot. It doesn’t have to be an entire room of one’s own, as writer Virginia Woolf described, just a dedicated area for organizing writing tools and supplies. Young writers will gravitate toward this spot to collect their materials and gather their thoughts. And they will know exactly where to find their latest work in progress when inspiration strikes.

FYI: Make Your Mark

 

Don’t forget these other ingenious ideas:

 

•  Tub crayons on bathtub walls

•  Fabric markers on T-shirts

•  Body crayons for messages on . . . you!

•  Food markers for writing on your sandwich

•  Magnetic letters on fridges, washers and dryers, little red wagons

•  Window crayons on windows, glass doors, and mirrors

•  Sidewalk chalk on the sidewalk, front steps, or a stone wall