Writing

17 Ways for Kids to Learn New Vocabulary

Fluent readers need a big vocabulary. The more words a child knows, the better reader and writer they are. (Anderson and Freebody, 1981; Graves, 1986; Stahl, 1998) (DOE, NAEP, 2011) It’s up to us as parents to help our children learn and develop a large vocabulary. The best way to learn new words is to […]

The Number One Thing for Kids to Be Better Writers

“You can’t be a good writer without being a devoted reader.” – J.K. Rowling “If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all others: read a lot and write a lot. There’s no way around these two things that I’m aware of, no shortcut.” – Stephen King. The Number One […]

Personal Narrative Mentor Texts for Teaching Writing

In my Imagination Soup Writers Homeschool Writing Curriculum, growing writers will be starting out writing personal narratives using children’s books as examples. Personal narratives allow children to speak with experience and authority because they’re stories based on their real lives. In my curriculum, as I did when I taught writing workshops in the school system, […]

Mentor Texts for Teaching Small Moments Writing

If you’re looking for new picture books that capture small moments, here’s a list of current picture books to get you started. I about to launch the Imagination Soup Writers Homeschool Curriculum which will start with personal narratives and small moments. The goal with this homeschool curriculum is to teach kids writing craft moves using […]

30+ Literary Reading and Writing Gifts for Kids

Are you looking for reading and writing gifts for kids for kids growing as readers and writers? Sometimes all it takes for kids (and me) to want to write or read are creative literacy gifts like a brand new journal or a playful game. These literacy gifts for kids will inspire them to read more, […]

The Best Journals For Kids

The best journals for kids are . . . the journals they write in! And like us, every child will have his or her own preferences. The Best Journals For Kids Just remember . . . — encourage writing stamina and fluency, not spelling. — journals aren’t meant to be revised or edited unless your […]

The Best Writing Prompts for Kids in Books and Online

Want to get your kids writing? Many kids want (and even need) ideas and inspiration for writing. These fantastic books and online story and character prompts will help. The Best Story Writing Prompts 1. The Storymatic Kids! The best thing about Storymatic Kids! is the amazing (and seemingly endless) combinations that push you to think creatively. It’s our […]

Summer Printable for Kids

Download this amazing free summer learning printable for kids that will guide them in reading, writing, and math learning. (And prevent the summer slide & summer learning loss!) Summer Printable for Kids Stick the printables into a 3-ring binder or just staple the packet. (I like the binder because then I can add math worksheets and handwriting worksheets.) […]