Summer SAVY, Session 5 Day 5, Transformations in Writing (3rd-4th)
Greetings!
I am very happy to report that at the beginning of our session, about 1/3 said they didn’t particularly like writing. Today, we had 100% report they like it with a lot of ‘love it!” comments! I love that! The whole point of this week was not only to help them find their voice but to hopefully show them that writing is not only fun and creative, it is also a powerful tool!
We spent time in our morning meeting talking about how writing is personal, and it can be scary to share because we take it to heart, but by reading and writing more, each of these kids can become a phenomenal writer! Some are even artistic enough that they could illustrate it if they wished! One of the things we discussed was what kind of conditions they enjoy writing in. Most prefer a darker area with enough light to read so they can get lost in what they are doing. We also talked about how writing is so much easier now because it’s just dictating your story into a document!
We then spent a lot of time finishing up our stories (that we could finish) and going through the conferencing and editing points. Some are on white paper with illustrations, and some wanted to write more like a novelist, so there are some without. Some really wanted to create artwork and characters to go with their stories, and I must say, we have several series in the works! This is a great time to praise their creativity and encourage them to keep writing! We are still in the sloppy copy phase for some, and we talked about not throwing them away but keeping them and expanding their ideas. Also, having a journal they can just write in whenever they are inspired is great as well!
Our next shift was to learn about nonfictional writing. We had already talked about autobiographies, biographies, and other forms of nonfiction writing. Today, we looked at a TED talk and how you can research a topic that you feel passionate about and create media for it whether it is a YouTube channel, TED talk, PowerPoint, movie, website, etc. After they watched a video about kids who have worked to change the world, they got to research a topic and present information/evidence to support their opinion.
As part of our research on pollution or animals, students learned that .gov is government, .edu is a school/university, and .org and .com can be anyone’s company or organization, so you have to be aware of where you are getting information from, how reliable it is, or if it makes sense? Then, they had to give a 1-minute elevator pitch to another student about their topic. Have them do that for you! They need to shake your hand, introduce themselves, and then give you a quick rundown of the topic they felt strongly about! This has so much potential to offer your child a voice to advocate for something they want to support! I have had students in the past who have gone on to raise money for the homeless or who have been able to lead others for a cause they believe in, or even just something as simple as volunteering to help at an animal shelter or helping a neighbor! Gifted kids are often so compassionate and feel the need for justice in the world, and this is a way to teach them how to give back or support a topic. Talk to them about ways that you do that as well, even if it is something as simple as recycling!
We spent the rest of our time writing outside (which they asked for) and enjoying having the time to write. They have a lot to say! So, enjoy going through what they have written. Have them look at something and make up a back story or a funny story about it (we used a picture of a lighthouse frozen on Lake Michigan). If you can say it, you can write it. If you like telling stories, you are an author. Just write it down so you can keep it around!
Thanks, and have a wonderful rest of your summer! Your kids are fantastic!
Dr. Mall