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I have spent countless hours searching for great sites that get kids excited about writing.  I have found many that provide prompts, encourage kids to publish work, and enter contests.  Here are my favorite five right now.

Prompts for journal writing – I love writing in a journal.  I always have three or four journals going at one time.  If you are ever stuck and don’t know what to write, check these sites out.

http://www.tooter4kids.com/journal_writing.htm

http://www.creativejuicesbooks.com/

Online Publishing Sites – Do you have a story that you want to publish online and share with other young writers?  If so, go to this fun site.

http://www.kidpub.com/

Writing Contests – Do you need incentives to get you going?  Enter a contest and get a chance to win fun prizes.

http://www.readingrockets.org/books/fun/exquisiteprompt

Writing Programs – It’s not to late to write a novel by the end of the month.  Take the NaNoWriMo challenge and start on your novel today.

http://ywp.nanowrimo.org/

Write daily and form a habit that will nurture you for life!

Fall is here and so are school conferences.  It’s that time of year where parents across the country meet with their child’s teachers and discuss setting goals, meeting standards, and celebrating achievements.  From preschool drawings to research projects, your child has been working on learning ways to communicate through writing.

As a former teacher, I was amazed at the progress my students demonstrated during the course of one year.  I always kept a portfolio for each child and shared writing examples at conference time.  So, this year when I attended my first preschool parent-teacher conference for my little girl, I was extremely excited to see her work.  My eyes lit up when I saw that little “cinnamon roll” person.  She drew one circle with four little sticks pointing out and used dots for eyes.  She is at the beginning stages of writing.  She is learning to draw representations of her world.  Over time, she will add more details and begin to write words, which will lead to stories.

There is no way that I can keep every drawing or project that she brings home; however, I can keep those pieces that move me.  I intend to keep a “Writing Portfolio” for her at home, so I can see snapshots of her writing development.  Learning to write is a journey that continues for a lifetime.  There is no doubt that writing needs to be assessed and grades need to be given, but I encourage you to remember where your little one started and where they are now.  There is no doubt that they have come a long way!

** To create a beautiful keepsake “Writing Portfolio”, see Magic Lantern’s Custom Publishing option: http://www.mymagiclantern.com/category-s/28.htm

There is no doubt that if you are reading this blog, you are familiar with all of the technological advances within the last several years.  Facebook, Twitter, and MySpace are only several examples of the different ways people are communicating online.  We at Magic Lantern embrace the launch into the “Tech World,” but we want to invite families across the world to experience the magic of the writing with your kids the “old-fashioned” way.

No matter what developmental stage your child is at, there are ways to incorporate writing into your daily activities.  Maybe start a family journal, or encourage your little one to draw a picture of their favorite part in a book that you have read together and then add a sentence describing the picture below.  Together make lists of favorite activities, books, or foods.  These lists can be saved and used as topics to write about in a journal or book.  Even if your child does not show interest in writing, with a little guidance you can get them writing without even realizing that they are doing it.  One of our goals with this blog is to provide parents and caregivers resources and ideas to help young writer’s enjoy the writing process and see themselves as writer’s.  When you take the time to look for opportunities to write with your child, you will be amazed at ways you can incorporate writing into your routine.

Welcome to Magic Lantern!  We’re so excited to get this blog going and I’d love your help.  I’m a Mom of 3 and I know there are many challenges when it comes to helping kids of all ages learn to read and write.  We would like you to send us your questions, concerns, or challenges.  We have a fantastic support team of educators who can give advice, resources, and ideas to help you help your child on this incredible journey