Little kids are so cute...

[Moonlit_Angel]

This is totally random, but eh, oh, well.

My creative writing class just finished our unit where we wrote and illustrated children's books, and we took our children's books and went to elementary schools the last couple of days and read them to kids there.

My story was geared toward first-graders, and it's just adorable to see how excited they get-you ask a question, and all their little hands go up-they all want attention from someone, and they're just awed at seeing the "big high school kids" come and visit them, and they're so willing to talk...it's great.

And I was in one classroom today-I could not believe how small the chairs were (I didn't sit in one, I got a bigger chair).

It was just neat to be able to read to them and see how excited they were.

Anyone else have this kind of experience?

Angela

 

[BrittanyNova]

In my ninth grade drama class we traveled around to elementary schools putting on the play Cinderella. They were so happy to have the show, and really nice. I was afraid they'd peek and laugh when we asked them to close their eyes so Cinderella could change clothes, but they just played alone. I know what you mean about the small stuff, when you're a kid you don't think you or your stuff is little, but then when you get big you can see how little you really were.

 

[U2Kitten]

That's really cool! How cute too! I'm glad they liked your books, are you interested in writing kid's books? I've always wanted to be a writer and I've heard it's good to start out with kids' books.

 

[Moonlit_Angel]

BrittanyNova, that's adorable. Glad to hear they liked that and played along. .

That's really cool! How cute too! I'm glad they liked your books, are you interested in writing kid's books? I've always wanted to be a writer and I've heard it's good to start out with kids' books.

You've wanted to be a writer? Neat-I want to do that, too! .

If and when I do become a writer, I don't know if I'll do children's books regularly-I'm thinking more young adult fiction stuff, but maybe I'll do a children's book at some time. It is fun to try, but it's funny, we got this packet talking about all the things to consider when writing a book for children-I never knew there was so much to consider when you're writing the book.

Still a neat experience, though.

Angela

 

[erised]

I miss those days

I used to teach dance, and I taught the little ones a couple days a week...I was in charge of a room full (as many as 20) of 3- and 4-year-old girls and boys. I tell ya, I have never loved a job more than I loved that one. I absolutely loved being with all those kids... they truly keep you humble and remember what's important in life. Handling that many kids could get hairy at times ( ) but then one of the kids would say something soooo cute and I'd totally forget why I was even frustrated to begin with.

I miss that job.

But writing a children's book has been on my list of things to do for years... and your story of reading your books to the children has really inspired me to get my butt in gear and just do it already!

 

[U2Kitten]

Please, do write a book Angela and Erised! Then you can be rich by the time you're my age. I wish I had, but I was always so afraid of rejection and I didn't know how to get it official and sent in and all. Maybe I'll still send in for one of those information packs!

 

[Sweepie]

When I was in fifth grade, some of us who were the best readers got sent down the hall to help the first graders who were having a hard time reading. It did seem like they responded better to us than the teachers! I think I helped some of them.

 

[U2girl91289]

When I was in fifth grade, some of us who were the best readers got sent down the hall to help the first graders who were having a hard time reading. It did seem like they responded better to us than the teachers! I think I helped some of them.

I did the same thing in 1st grade to the kindergarten. My school now( a different one) is grades K-9, and the 7th-9th graders can be assigned a certain class(K-3) to help on friday afternoonds for an hour. I've helped the 2nd(last year) and 3rd grades, and this trimester I'm helping the Kindergarten. They're so cute and sweet and a few of the little girls have been making pictures for me. They're so sweet, and they think it's really cool to have a "big 8th grader" playing with them, and helping them pack up

 

[verte76]

Oh, I absolutely adore the children's books at work (at the library). They are so creative and cute! I love it when kids come in with their parents and they read to the kids!! They're so cute! Some of the kids are still infants, but most of them are a little older. Cute!!!

 

[BonoInAKilt]

For my Child development class...we went to a preschool and helped out..kinda like shadowing the teacher..observing the kids.. ahhh they were so cute!!!!

and also..im taking a creative writing class...and we get to do the same thing you did. im kinda excited....except...i don't know what my book is gonna be about yet...

i dont know if i can write a childrens book....

hmmm. im just gonna have to try..

~Katelyn

 

[Moonlit_Angel]

For my Child development class...we went to a preschool and helped out..kinda like shadowing the teacher..observing the kids.. ahhh they were so cute!!!!

and also..im taking a creative writing class...and we get to do the same thing you did. im kinda excited....except...i don't know what my book is gonna be about yet...

i dont know if i can write a childrens book....

hmmm. im just gonna have to try..

~Katelyn

Neat!

Good luck on the book...it's not too hard...what age level do you think you'll be writing for?

Verte, that is cute to see, definitely. It's really great if you see kids actually reading the books themselves, sounding out words they don't know and learning how to read-especially if they're really young kids. They've found something that interests them, and they're always so proud when they can read an entire book, it's so cute to see kids' proud faces when they've done something great-they want to tell everyone and they're all smiles and everything.

I think it's very important that parents read to their children from the time they're babies. My parents did that with me all the time when I was little...by two I was reading on my own, and I've developed a love for reading. It's a big plus, it'll certainly help kids in the long run.

Angela

 

[BonoInAKilt]

Neat!

Good luck on the book...it's not too hard...what age level do you think you'll be writing for?

Verte, that is cute to see, definitely. It's really great if you see kids actually reading the books themselves, sounding out words they don't know and learning how to read-especially if they're really young kids. They've found something that interests them, and they're always so proud when they can read an entire book, it's so cute to see kids' proud faces when they've done something great-they want to tell everyone and they're all smiles and everything.

I think it's very important that parents read to their children from the time they're babies. My parents did that with me all the time when I was little...by two I was reading on my own, and I've developed a love for reading. It's a big plus, it'll certainly help kids in the long run.

Angela

yeah but like i don't know if i can write things...for children. All the stuff I have written for that class so far...has been...i dont know what im trying to say. I just think its going to be hard to write for young children. i don't think im that creative. and i have no idea what age level i'll be writing for...ill know that soon though.

and i agree with you about it being important that parents read to their children from th times they're babies. it wil definitely help the kids...a lot. i totally agree.

~Katelyn

 

[Moonlit_Angel]

yeah but like i don't know if i can write things...for children. All the stuff I have written for that class so far...has been...i dont know what im trying to say. I just think its going to be hard to write for young children. i don't think im that creative. and i have no idea what age level i'll be writing for...ill know that soon though.

Writing for children can be hard, absolutely. Writing for any age group can be hard. I love to write-want to make a career of it...and I still have trouble thinking of what to write about a lot of the time.

But if you're stuck on what to write about, if you honestly don't think that you can come up with anything really creative, talk to other people and see if you can get some suggestions, get your mind jogging. If you know any little kids, you can ask them what kinds of stories they like to read.

Here's another idea-my teacher had us write out lists of things sometimes to get our minds jogging, so maybe you can think of various things that you enjoyed reading about as a kid or things that you know most kids do enjoy, and make a list. And then maybe that'll help get some ideas flowing in your head.

And even if the story isn't anything exactly original, if you add your own interesting little idea to the story, that'll make it a little more creative, if not a lot more.

Good luck with the story. .

Angela