Any Child Can Write: An at Home Guide to Enhancing Your Childs Elementary Education

by Harvey S. Wiener and Harvey S. Weiner

Book Overview

Writing is a magical realm of expression that allows children to come to terms with the joys and pains of daily living. It is a way for them to explore the inner self. A few words, a few sentences glow on a page like a little crayon drawing. It is an expression of personal vision, a perception of the world as the child sees it. It is also a permanent record of experience--words and sentences holding and keeping the essence of a moment in language.
In this delightful and engaging book, Dr. Harvey S. Wiener shows how parents can encourage their children to write with a home program that can be used from preschool through high school. As Dr. Wiener explains, such a program begins with the building of attitudes and moves through simple, varied, and practical experience with the written word. By setting up an atmosphere in the home that encourages creative written expression, coupled with a parent's guidance in writing (guidance that often falls short in many schools), children will gain an outlook on writing that will build confidence in their abilities to use language.
Children learn by imitation, and there are countless opportunities for a child to watch an adult performing simple writing tasks everyday. For example, lists are some of the most accessible day-to-day writing activities. Dr. Wiener shows that children of any grade level can work with an adult to put together a list: for family groceries, the next birtday party, a list of toys to take on a visit to Grandma's. And, as the child grows older the list can be adapted to his or her own interest and needs: a schedule of activities for after school, or a list of expenses to keep track of weekly allowance or money earned babysitting. Other enjoyable and easy writing experiences are room signs (Peter's Room), labels affixed to objects throughout the child's bedroom (window, closet, desk), birthday notes to parents, brothers, and sisters that can be displayed on the refrigerator, table, or bedroom door, and, with a home computer, children can make signs for every holiday and celebration (Happy Thanksgiving, Happy Anniversary). Dr. Wiener goes on to offer ideas on how to use riddles, games, and rhymes to build vocabulary, and how to use a small child's crayon drawing as an inspiration for his or her first written communication.
Children love words, says Dr. Wiener; they are natural storytellers. In general, however, their writing skills seem to be getting poorer. This is due in part to to television, movies, tape and disk players, and other technological advances. Dr. Wiener insists that this can be overcome. Parents are a child's best teacher, and this wonderful book shows just how simple it is for a parent to help their child draw upon ordinary experiences and put them down on paper. He offers helpful hints for working with a child on homework, an entertaining list of one hundred ideas for writing at home for all ages, a special parents' refresher guide to the basics of grammar in clear, simple language--so parents can spot mistakes--and a reading list for young readers and their parents.
Written in a warm and engaging style by a renowned educational authority, Any Child Can Write will allow parents to instill positive attitudes toward writing in any child. Encouraging a child to write is giving the gift of communication. This fascinating book will help parent's give the gift of a lifetime.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0195094158
• ISBN13: 9780195094152
• Release Date: January 1995
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
• Length: 352 Pages
• Weight: 0.72 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.3" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

A great addition to the home library

As a home schooler of seven plus years, we have been using the suggestions and ideas in this book for the past couple of years and have found them most effective. Our children enjoy the activities and I have noticed an improvement in their writing skills which I am sure is due, in part, to these activities. The book itself is a very easy read and I would highly recommend this book to anyone. It's a great resource for those just beginning home schooling and, for those already established, provides some new ideas to add to their programme. For those not home schooling it will assist parents who are eager to help their children improve their writing skills. Well done Mr Wiener and thank you!

Great Writing Advice and Ideas

Descriptive, creative expression is the focus of Wiener's book. He gives many concrete examples of how to improve the quality of one's writing. This book is full of fun activities to encourage lively, precise writing--yet it has none of those ghastly, contrived writing assignments.Instead the author states: "A better synonym for creative writing is 'autobiography.' Those countless moments in an individual's life--brief, intense stretches of time--stud a child's day and glitter in his mind like diamonds long after the moments pass. By recalling those moments of experience through sensory language--specific, exact, sharply drawn--the young writer can practice the vital skills of writing. ...you should mine the riches of experiences in every child's world, riches for the pen or pencil to transform into record."My children refer to the lists of tips I copied from "Any Child Can Write" as they write about their experiences, or a book they read, or a painting they studied. The lists help them write a description of a place or person or event. They also use more descriptive vocabulary as they write about a photo to place in their scrapbook. We find our writing has improved from our time with Mr. Wiener.

Wonderful addition to the home library...

As a homeschooling mother, this book has been a great addition to our home library. It's not one of those books that I spent money on just to have it sit on my bookshelf taking up precious space. The simple exercises and helpful ideas have become the backbone of our home writing program. This book is much less expensive than investing big money in a complete writing curriculum. The ideas in this book would also provide easy supplemental writing activities for parents to do with non-homeschooled children, as well.