I read another article the other day that stressed the importance for teachers of writing to write. It does make so much sense, and it is a fundamental belief that I advocate for whenever I talk with other teachers. The article also went a step further by suggesting that kids need to see adults writing. This includes parents who write to and with their child. In another article found here on the National Writing Project site, you will find different writing activities aimed at encouraging families to write together at home. I think this is a positive step toward increasing an awareness of the art inside of writing. You can find the complete article from the blog site here ![]() I have been thinking a lot lately about all the life that exists inside the notebook. As I thumb back through my notebooks, I notice a crinkled page where I spilled some water during one of our Sunday drives in the golf cart. On another page, I found a smear of dried up clay from down in the gully where I sat one day, writing one of the scenes of my novel. These remnants are a great accomplishment to me. They represent time and pieces of my life that I have documented in my notebook forever. So, I had to share this entry written by my four year old, Zane. It was just another day here on the ridge. We were back at the climbing tree and the boys were climbing and playing as usual. I had been taking my notebook each time we went to the climbing tree so that I could write while they played. I was just getting the title on my entry when Zane came over and asked if he could write in my notebook. I gave him my pen, and he began to compose. I couldn't help but smile as I listened to him gather his ideas out loud, including all the things he could write about. When he was finished, he told me all about his stories on the page. From this one experience with Zane, I realize just how much he already knows about the art of writing. He knows that writing means something and that a writer can find topics by simply living wide awake with childlike wonder. My notebook is truly brimming with life!
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AuthorWelcome! I'm Kiesha Shepard, and I have a love for writing and the teaching of writing. Whispers From the Ridge is a place where I can share my words and ideas for teaching writing. It's also a place for you to find inspiration for writing the words inside of you. I invite you into my world of writing as I capture the whispers from the ridge. Follow by Email
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Schedule of Round Up:
January 4 Sylvia at Poetry for Children 11 Kat at Kathryn Apel 18 Tricia at The Miss Rumphius Effect 25 Tara at Going to Walden February 1 Tabatha at The Opposite of Indifference 8 Laura at Writing the World for Kids 15 Jone at Check it Out 22 Robyn at Life on the Deckle Edge March 1 Linda at TeacherDance 8 Catherine at Reading to the Core 15 Heidi at My Juicy Little Universe 22 Rebecca at Sloth Reads 29 Carol at Carol's Corner April 5 Karen at Karen Edmisten* 12 Irene at Live Your Poem 19 Amy at The Poem Farm 26 Carol at Beyond LiteracyLink May 3 Jama at Jama's Alphabet Soup 10 Liz at Elizabeth Steinglass 17 Michelle at Michelle Kogan 24 Dani at Doing the Work That Matters 31 Mary Lee at A Year of Reading June 7 Margaret at Reflections on the Teche 14 Laura at Laura Shovan 21 Linda at A Word Edgewise 28 Buffy at Buffy's Blog |