MAY BLOG

Part 1 -Writing-Blossoming Minds-"Creating Memorable Characters Kids Will Love"

Welcome to May! A month that is the end of school for many along with graduations, confirmations, the beginning of family BBQ's, days by the beach or pool and so many others to celebrate! We also want to celebrate National Children's Book Week, May 5-11, and National Teacher Appreciation Day May 7. (I'm a bit late this month posting due to family obligations but we can still honor these dates)

As we begin this month, I will take a deep dive into creating relatable and inspiring characters in stories. How using creativity in characters can be fun and interesting.

When I was writing "My Baby and Me," which is a fact-based story about my daughter's first doll, I wanted to be sure to use real issues and create characters that were authentic and relatable too. Through our true life experiences, I wrote this book which many children and parents can connect with. If you want to write for a young audience it is important to see life through their lens as they explore and find out who they are.

An example of a story for a five year old might include a short dialogue with simple words such as "my train is fast," or "the puppy needs a nap," when the character is engaged in conversation with another person. Here is how a scene in a brief story about a train and a puppy might go:

As the boy's mother was gathering up the toys in the room to take along on the family trip, the little boy saw his favorite red train sitting on the pile of trucks and cars where his Mom was standing. The little boy happily shouted, "my train! Take this one too!" As he picked up his train, the family dog, Milo, ran into the room and with a wagging tail, licked the little boy's nose, to which the boy giggled and said, "that tickles, Milo." The boy asked his Mom, "can Milo come with us?"

The scene prepares us to want more from this happy boy and his dog. The dialogue is short and relatable to how children play and interact with toys and people in their world.

In order for children to learn to create stories with characters that can entertain and keep an audience engaged, it is important to start with what they know and grow from there. Writing about a character from experience brings a real connection to the reader.

Find below a template on Character Creation to help get your youngster started on their story journey!

*Note: The Character Creation Sheet includes a section called Myers-Briggs which refers to a personality assessment tool used to find one of the 16 personality types which breaks down preferences and how individuals might understand their own personality needs in life.

Part 2 -Education -"The Power of Story Telling in Teaching Lessons"

Do you remember when teachers would read directly from a text book in front of the class and expect students to retain what was said by "memorizing" certain facts in hopes to pass the quiz they got the next day? Fortunately, those days are over!

Today, lessons in all subject areas are better understood when they are accompanied by engaging in connecting abstract concepts to real-world situations or personal experiences in order to be effective for students overall.

Lets face it, one size does not always fit especially in learning. Different minds need variety in the way they learn and learn to think!

Consider reader's theater to help engage students in comprehension by acting out playful and creative content. For those who are history buffs and enjoy true life learning, using a "dress up to your favorite historical character and using a series of "guess who I am" questions while describing some interesting known facts can create a fun story telling moment. Don't forget about math in story telling! Plenty of stories about sharing and multiplication can be done using seeds from a plant or cookies when used to practice fractions. (The hands-on idea doubles the lesson planning) Ideas for stories in creating memorable lessons are endless.

Technology can also be integrated into story telling by using power point to show character trait relationships and parts of speech when using a Venn Diagram or graphs to connect visuals to words.

The purpose of a good story telling lesson is to enhance engagement while learning. It is also effective in creating interactive activities, like when using hands-on tools such as puppets or other material to reinforce comprehension.

Children learn by doing so another great way for them to become good story tellers is by writing as often as possible. Why not have your youngster write a "thank you" letter to a teacher, a tutor, coach, mentor or someone who is making an impact on your child's life? Make sure to celebrate those "A-Ha" moments!

Part 3 - Parenting -"Raising Curious Kids: Encouraging Lifelong Learning"

Sometimes, it can be quite challenging to get a response that challenges critical thinking and problem-solving in a young person. Open-ended questions invite the exploration of those "why" questions and begins a back and forth dialogue that can stimulate a young mind to look further than a simple response. Be specific in asking a question when prompting your child to respond with more than just a one word answer. You have to dig a bit deeper in order to engage with passion. For example, to ask "what color is the sun?" in a young child you will most likely get a one word answer, "yellow," BUT if you asked, "why do you think the sun is yellow?" you would get a different response. Encouraging kids to be life long learners requires a routine and time to support the journey. Kids are naturally curious and will follow your curiosity as well.

The best times with my own children were spent together learning and reading then sharing what we discovered. Many family activities can be a regular contributor to raising curious kids as life long learners. On days off from school, I would take my three children on the train into NYC and we would go to a museum and spend the day walking around my favorite parts of where I spent many years working in the midtown area of Manhattan. We visited the Empire State Building, had lunch outdoors on a bench watching people walk to and from work, and visited the once famous toy store, FAO Schwartz, which was made popular in the movie BIG with Tom Hanks. These are the memories I will remember always and hopefully my children will too.

Capturing moments that you and your child will enjoy for years to come can be found right in your own neighborhood if you look. Visiting a farm, an outdoor flea market or a garden, a waterfall and so many others will give you memories that will last a lifetime!

Don't forget: May 18th is International Museum Day. A fun place to discover the old and the new. Have fun and create a scavenger hunt as you make your way through the history and the beauty of knowledge!

Until next month, Happy Story Telling! :)