Internet Writing Communities for Kids

If your children need extra help with their writing skills, besides what they receive from their teachers and classmates in school, then check out some helpful internet writing web sites just for kids. Not only do they teach children how to become better writers, but they also offer opportunities for them to submit their writing online and participate in contests. Besides getting valuable feedback from other young writers, children who take advantage of internet writing sites can share their writings with kids around the world where they can gain confidence and grow as writers.

Here are a few of the online web sites that are just for kids. By Googgling the following sites you can find all the information you need to get your kids started in internet writing and submitting their work online.

*Young Authors Workshop---Here children in middle school, grades 4 through 7, are offered instruction in writing. They're provided links which can take them through the writing process, teaching them basic writing skills. What's more, children can find links to online publications accepting their stories, articles and poems.

*FaithWriters For Kids---Kids, ages 7 through 14, who enjoy writing poems, spinning imaginative tales, bragging about their amazing pets or just explaining why God is their best friend love FaithWriters For Kids. Birthed only recently, out the parent organization of FaithWriters.com, FaithWriters For Kids is shaping young writers in their craft. Children submit their writing into age groups (7-8; 9-10; 11-12, and 13-14). The writing categories include "My Stories", "My Poems," "My Jokes and Riddles", "About Me," "About My Pets", "About Life," and "About God." What's more, every week the web master chooses one poem, article, or short story to be displayed on the front page of the FaithWriters for Kids' web site. In addition, if they kids can't think of anything to write about, they can use the weekly topic, posted at the site. For example, this week's topic is "Adult". (This is a spin-off of what the "older" writers of FaithWriters.com do each week in the Weekly Writing Challenge competition. (Once the kids turn 18, watch out----Then they're eligible to compete with the adult writers in the FaithWriters.com Weekly Writing Challenge.)

KidsCom.com---Here kids can horn their writing skills by not only reading stories and poems by other kids, but try to become published themselves. Each week kids are given a main character, a prop, and a place to get them started writing their stories. As Thanksgiving is less than two weeks away, the current main character is "Tom Turkey", the prop is "Karaoke Machine" and the place (or setting) is "Solar Barn". And, just as us older writers, there's a place to chat, as well as a busy message board.

These are only a few of many opportunities the internet provides for young writers. I'm sure by searching for more, you can find just the writing community that's right for your children. If you encourage them while they're young to submit their work online, they may be breaking into print before they're adults.