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This summer, my friend asked me to do a writing workshop for five year olds. Who can’t read . . . and are just learning to write.

Hmmm.

I purchased lots of fun themed stickers to write sticker stories, an idea which YOU can do at home with your own kids. (yeah!)

Writing for this activity looks like  . . .

- writing by ones self with invented spelling

- creating a wordless picture book

- dictating the story to another writer (me)

Materials:

Stickers

Imagination!!

Blank Books

Steps:

1. We read a simple picture book together. Then we talked about what the action was. I explained that action is something that happens in a story aka. an adventure!

2. The kids looked and selected stickers that gave them an idea for an adventure story.

3. Then, they created their own story with stickers and wrote the story. (They wrote either at the same time or went back when done with stickering.)

Variations:

Use stamps instead of stickers.

Use stencils instead of stickers.

Focus on beginning, middle, end instead of action.

Focus on problem and solution instead of action.

Can you read what JJ wrote? Best guesses?

P.S. Speaking of stickers, I LOVE the little Dover sticker books for rewards. If you’re like me and you don’t want to reward with food or expensive toys, these can be the perfect treat for achieving a behavior goal. I buy 20 – 30 books at a time when one of my kids needs some reinforcement. (They’re $1.35.) They’re hard to find so if you like them, buy them from Barnes and Nobles. (Also, if you do, I’ll get a percentage of the sale which is how I earn money for my work on Imagination Soup!!)
Examples: Princess Leonora, Princess Mix-and-Match, Panda Stickers, Alien Invasion Stickers, Thanksgiving Stickers, Best Friends Sticker Paper Dolls, Easy Gingerbread House Sticker Puzzle, and Glow in the Dark Dragon Stickers.

Keep Reading . . . 

 Engineering for Kids!

 Write a Family Newspaper

 The Case AGAINST Skill and Drill