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This creative writing activity employs the use of the creative writing process in order for your student(s) to create a story. All of my writing activities are appropriate for use either in a classroom setting or in a homeschool setting usually at the elementary school level but could be easily adjusted for older students. As a refresher, here is a graphic to remind you how to progress through the 5 steps of the creative writing process.  Okay, today we are going to have your student write a story about a valiant knight. Note: if your student is a girl, it is important not to change this assignment to say “princess” or something with a female character. Children can learn even more by writing about a character that is not exactly like them. We can do a project with a female character on a different day for which it will be important that boy children participate equally with girls. Here is your writing prompt: The main character is a valiant (brave) knig...

For today’s activity, your students get to imagine themselves all grown up and doing a very important job!  To begin, first have your student(s) give several examples of different careers and talk about what they do. Write them all down where the students can see (add more that you can think of). Then, tell them to choose a career and close their eyes and imagine doing that kind of job. *You could find a book at the library or go online to find more information about the career they have selected to write about. (see below) Now to begin your writing activity, start with the sentence “If I were a ______, I would…” For example “If I were a veterinarian, I would take care of sick animals.”  The next sentence (can be more than one, especially for older students) should describe how they intend to carry out that duty. "Whenever someone brings me their sick pet, I will do everything I can to help that pet get better." The last sentence(s) states why they have ch...

Why should you teach your students creative writing? During most of our school days, the main push and focus is Math, Science, Reading, and Social Studies. But, what about writing? And some may argue that kids are able to do plenty of writing during the course of their other subjects so adding writing as a separate subject might seem unnecessary. That may be because they do not understand the value creative writing has and how it can actually enhance a child’s ability to learn the other subjects. Okay, now really, how can “Once upon a time…” really help a kid with math or science? Good question! I’m glad you asked! The answer lies in the creative writing process itself which not only allows a writer to bring a story together, but also to train their mind to organize and process data. The Creative Writing Process (in a nutshell): Brain Storm Draft Revise Edit Publish During brain-storming , young writers are often encouraged to create a flow chart that...

  Last week was our FIRST EVER week of home schooling for our 3 rd grader and our PreK girls! It has been around 110 ° in Oklahoma City for the past few days, so we decided that it would be a great time to get started and enjoy a break later in the fall when it’s cooler.   I’ve been a little nervous about the idea of homeschooling. I wasn’t sure if I was up to the task. But this week has been absolutely terrific and A.J. and L.A. LOVED schooling at home.    Because it was our first week, I didn’t break out the main curriculum I have selected just yet. Instead, we played math games together so A.J. could brush up on her math facts. We explored some current science articles produced and short videos by Answers in Genesis and discussed their impact. And we also discovered some “ancient ruins” in the yard where the girls had to make a conclusion about the history of a make believe family when they found some items buried in the dirt (I buried them beforehan...