For Parents
It is said that it takes a village to raise a child.
Indeed, it takes an entire village to educate one as well. The Publish It
website will help you become involved in the development of your child’s
literacy. The process of learning how to write does not fall solely within
the realm of the classroom. On the contrary, it can occur within the comfort
of your own home. Writing can be a positive experience for both child and
parent if shared and mutually enjoyed.
A parent’s support is vitally important to a child’s
success as a writer. The Publish It site can help you to enhance your
child’s motivation to write, the development of their self-confidence, and
it creates an opportunity to spend quality one-on-one time together.
Here are
a few ideas to get you and your child started.
·
In Grandma and
Grandpa’s Day: Make a trip to Grandma and
Grandpa’s house to get the scoop on what life was like when they were young.
Write some interview questions with your child before you go such as, ‘how
did you spend your time? What kind of chores did you have? Where did you get
your food? What was school like?’ It might be a good idea to bring a tape
recorder with you so you don’t have to remember everything. With the
information you gather, write a book together about the kind of life grandma
and grandpa lived.
·
My Family Tree:
Take photos of each member of your family and
use them to create your very own Family Tree book. Write a short paragraph
about each member explaining who they are, and how they are related to you.
·
‘My Favourite
Recipes’ Cookbook: Write out your favourite
recipes with your child, including measurements, ingredients, and
step-by-step instructions. Make each recipe with your child and take a
picture to add to your cookbook. You may want to use this as a homemade
Christmas gift for friends and relatives.
·
Family Keepsake:
Another idea is to write a book with your child to create a priceless family
keepsake. Your book could document a special family vacation for example.
You may wish to include highlights of the trip, food that was shared, games
that were played, and photos of course.
·
Holiday books:
Document holiday festivities to create yet another family keepsake. Whether
it is about Christmas, Halloween, or Chinese New year, write a book sharing
your experience by explaining how your family celebrates. Perhaps you would
like to write about one holiday in particular or all of them more generally.
Either way, track down some old family photos for your book to demonstrate
your family’s special traditions.
·
‘I remember when….’
Brainstorm old memories with your child. Leaf through old photo albums to
jog his/her memory and make a list of events from the past. Next, choose an
event to write about. ‘I remember the time when Sonny had puppies…” for
example. Encourage your child to be as detailed as possible in their account
of the event.
·
I’m a big Kid Now:
Have your child reflect on how much they have grown up over the last few
years. Write a book about all the changes that have occurred during this
time. Begin by creating a ‘then and now’ comparison list. For example, “In
the past I crawled, but now I walk. In the past I wore Velcro but now I tie
my shoes. In the past I slid down the slide but now I can cross the monkey
bars,” etc.
·
My Neighborhood:
Take a walk around your neighborhood with your child and make a list of all
the places that you frequent. Take note of neighbors, schools, shops, parks,
playgrounds, and public services. Write a book describing your neighborhood
together. Take pictures of each place you describe. You could even draw your
very own map! Create a few walking routes using ‘left and right’ directions
for fun. Use your map to play, ‘Find the buried treasure.’
·
Safety Tips:
Write a book with your child to reinforce important safety rules such as
looking both ways before crossing the street, never talking to strangers,
and always chewing food well before swallowing. You could use this book as a
reminder when your child is engaging in inappropriate behaviour. It might be
a good idea to focus on particular rules that your child has difficulty
remembering at times.
·
Fire Safety Handbook:
In case of fire, everyone in the household should know exactly what to do,
including the kids! Writing a book with your child about fire safety is an
excellent way to reinforce procedures. You could create floor plans and
different escape routes, tips to avoid breathing smoke, important phone
numbers in case of emergency, and a plan of action when safely out of the
house.
·
Invent a game:
Has your child ever created his/her own game? If so, then write an
instruction manual with your child explaining the rules so that others can
play too. Perhaps you could play the game with the entire family, taking
pictures all the while. If not, then create one togrther, play it, take
photos, and then write about it.
·
Family Pet:
Write a book about a beloved family pet. Things to include are: Pet’s name,
species, breed, age, a description, their interests, and where you got them.
Make sure to include all your favourite photos.
·
A Gift:
Write a story with your child to give to someone as a gift. Topics may
include, ‘I love you because ________, You are my hero, #1Grandma/Grandpa,
For the best sister/brother in the world, Favourite Family Recipes, etc.
·
Bedtime story:
If your child is a fan of bedtime stories, then write one of your own
together! In fact, you and your child could write a series of bedtime
stories about a brave young character, (who just happens to have the same
name as your child), that encounters many obstacles throughout the course of
their perilous journey.
·
What a Wonderful
World: Have a discussion with your child;
asking them why they think the world is a wonderful place to live. Write a
book together, listing all their reasons. Include pictures that represent
your child’s notions of beauty such as pictures of nature, smiling babies,
animals, etc. Perhaps you could transform your written work into a simple
poem.
·
Our Earth:
Teach your child about the importance of taking care of the Earth by having
them reflect on all the ways they can help keep the Earth clean. Write a
book with your child outlining all the things that your family does to live
in an eco-friendly way such as recycling, reducing, and reusing, planting a
garden, picking up litter, buying local organic food, saving rain water,
carpooling, composting, etc. Take photos of each member of the family doing
something to care for the Earth.
·
Feelings:
Have your child reflect on how they express themselves when they experience
different feelings. Each page of your book could describe a particular
feeling. For example, ‘When I am grumpy I… I get excited when… You know I’m
happy when…Take pictures of the people in your family demonstrating
different feelings to illustrate your book.
·
Visiting Grandma and
Grandpa: Send your child to grandma and
grandpa’s house for the weekend with a camera. On their return home, look
through the photos and write a book together about what their child did.
·
Exciting Events:
Any number of books could be written about
events your child finds exciting. Events include sleepovers, birthday
parties, family reunions, barbecues, or a visit to Ross Farm Museum for
example.
·
My sister/brother
and I: Have your child write a book about
their big/ little sibling. Some things to consider might be their age, their
physical description, how their big sister helps them, how they help take
care of their little brother, and their favourite shared activities. Such a
book would honor their sibling and would become a family keepsake to
treasure.
·
Just right books:
A just right book is a book that fits a reader’s purpose, interests, as well
as reading level. If you do not have any books in your home suitable for
your child, you could write some together about any number of topics your
child finds appealing.
·
Wants and needs:
A great way to teach your child about wants and needs is to write a book. Go
through your home with your child taking pictures of needed items and luxury
items. Define want and need with your child and discuss each item you
photograph in context. Write a book that includes your child’s definition of
want and need as well as the highlights of your discussion. Some questions
to ask are: Do wants and needs change? Do you need the same things now as
you did when you were smaller? Do wants and needs change depending on where
you are from in the world?
·
Difficult Issues:
Take the time to write a book with your child about a difficult issue that
they are dealing with such as being afraid of the dark, being bullied,
having lost a friend or family member, dealing with grief, etc. Writing a
book together will help your child to express their feelings, develop coping
mechanisms, and think proactively about a situation. Keep in mind this book
will be available for all to see when published so remember to ask your
child if they feel comfortable sharing their issues.
·
Change:
Your child may benefit from writing a book about any big changes they are
experiencing such as the arrival of a new baby, moving to new house, or
gaining a stepmom/ stepdad. By writing a book together, you can get to know
your child’s state of mind and list the advantages of change. By writing a
book together, you might be able to help your child understand a situation
from a new perspective.
·
Responsibility:
Reinforce the importance of responsibility by writing a book with your child
about their household chores. Describe a different chore on each page and
add a photo of your child accomplishing each task.
·
Theater Fun:
Help your child write a play to act out with his/ her friends. Make sure
there are enough roles to play for all those involved.
·
Summer Vacation:
Write a book about summer vacation to share with the class when school
starts. Dedicate each page to one event or activity. Share some of your
summer photos as well.
·
Pen pal book swap:
Get together with another family and write
books for one another using the Publish it website. To make this activity
more exciting, mail the books to one another.
·
Backyard wildlife
guide: Take your child into your backyard, or
the surrounding area of your home. Bring a camera to document all that you
see. When you have collected enough data, write a book about your
experience. Write detailed descriptions of the bugs that you find and any
other noteworthy things. Other outdoor book suggestions include: books about
catching frogs, hunting for salamanders, bird watching, and observing the
flora and fauna.
·
Babysitters Handbook:
Write a book with your child outlining pertinent information for the
babysitter when parents have gone, such as bedtime, routines, safety
measures, house rules, extra duties, important phone numbers, favourite
books, snacks, and movies, emergency contacts. Discuss with your child what
they feel is important for the babysitter to know. Take photos accordingly.
By now, I’m sure you have realized that there are an
endless number of ways to use this website with your child. It is a way to
encourage, support, and enable the development of your child’s literacy. It
creates an opportunity to work on something together as parent and child, to
bond, and to create a positive association with writing for your child. The
site will allow you to reiterate rules, guidelines, and safety procedures.
It is a way to teach your child about feelings, right and wrong,
responsibility, and how to engage in prosocial behaviours. It is a way to
create family keepsakes, to celebrate change, and give heartfelt gifts.
Finally, it can be used to bolster confidence, creativity, imagination and
self-esteem.
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