Sweet Writing

Besides grammar, teaching writing can be a daunting experience for both teachers and students. There are plenty of books available in classrooms but are they really effective? It would be unfair to say that none of these books are useful but they do lack in one aspect. How to inspire students to write? Inspiration is very unique to each one of us and so it is the same for children. The Oxford American dictionary describes inspiration as "the process of being mentally stimulated to do or feel something". How to inspire children to write?

The Writing Tools

Before one can write, one needs to know the basics of writing. However, a teacher would not want to overshadow a student's writing by too many writing rules. When the process of writing becomes tedious work it actually can block the student's inspiration to write and pushes him to give up. Focusing on one aspect of writing usually turns out to be sufficient for the student to handle and lets him retain his inspiration to write. Writing is very much like a baby's first steps. No one would put obstacles in front of a baby's first steps. The obstacles come naturally and gradually. Writing is identical; giving gradually small challenges to your students will make them stronger in their writing without losing their inspiration to write.

The Inspiration

Remember the definition of inspiration? It is "the process of being mentally stimulated to do or feel something". How to stimulate your students to write? Much of our stimulation is associated with our senses. Involving the senses (see, hear, taste, smell and feel) to the writing process can actually inspire students to write. If students are personally involved and their senses are stimulated they will be mentally stimulated and the results is INSPIRATION!

The Experience

Here is a very simple writing project to try with your students. I will call this experience "Candy Power". Bring an assortment of candies. Choose candies with different wrapping, size, flavor, color and texture. After displaying the candies on a table let students choose a candy of their choice. The students cannot eat the candy at first but must follow the steps. Before starting this exercise, you will want to give your students their writing challenge. Adverbs? Adjectives? Simile? Comparing? Verbs? Conjunctions? Rhyming? Also it will be a good idea to give them the necessary vocabulary according to their level. Let's start!

Step 1: See. What do you see? Let students describe the candy wrapper, color and size.

Step 2: Hear. What do you hear? Have the students play with the candy (with its wrapper) between their fingers and let them bring the candy close to their ears.

Step 3: Smell. What do you smell? Students smell the candy in its wrapper and without its wrapper.

Step 4: Feel. What do you feel? How does the candy feel in your hands? How do the students feel now? Are they excited, impatient to try the candy?

Step 5: Taste. How does it taste? Now the students can eat their candy. Have them describe the sensation in their mouth and the texture of the candy.

Let students write their thoughts after each step. Once the five steps are completed, students start writing sentences reflecting the challenge you have given them.

This exercise will inspire your students to write. They will be totally involved and stimulated. There is a multitude of experiences that involves our senses. A little preparation is all that is needed. Why not give it a try?