Ideas on how to motivate and inspire kids to do things we want fly like kite tails around our house. They are bold, beautiful, a bit daring and . . . often fleeting. We're all in need of improving attention, aren't we?
Well, I could go on a soapbox for hours (days, weeks my close friends will say) about the woes of organized education, with public education being the worst offender. But, I'll spare you and just point out that American kids are not WRITING like they used to. Handwriting and writing skills are minor considerations in the world of No Child Left Behind, where reading and math reign supreme.
I decided to get my kids to write more this Summer to make up for this atrocious change to schools (if you don't believe me, here's a snippet: my fifth grade son's class tossed out a monthly book project requirement to work on blogging skills and etiquette . . .). My brainstorm (here goes one of those kite tails): I started my own publishing company! I open for business every Saturday and will buy only stories that I feel like republishing (usually sending to grandma and grandpa). If they are super duper excellent, I will publish them to a wider audience and pay more. Any real profits go to the kids (a zero commission publisher!). Each kid got a notebook and are off and running.
Now the funny thing for me as a wanna-be published author is to be on the "other side." Granted there are no real pressures (like an agent or editor having to pay a mortgage), but I am looking at the stories wondering if I can find an audience. It is a very interesting perspective. I'm telling my 8 year old what I would find boring, when usually I would take his work and scream, "Print!"
If my quarter or dollar is going to his piece, I want it at least to connect with me (don't worry, I have a very generous acceptance policy once you get past the "must be related to me" requirement). Maybe one will be good enough for this blog!
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