If you have a fifth grader, you know how fast they are changing and growing and learning as they speed toward adolescence. Amid this whirlwind of drama and activity, writing may seem like a painfully slow process.
But it鈥檚 also the age of Harriet the Spy and many other iconic kid sleuths who use writing to propel themselves into adventure. This is a perfect age to introduce them to the diary: a place where they can explore their feelings, complain about you, or even pursue a neighborhood mystery.
Try this:聽Introduce your child to the drama of writing by getting them a book where the protagonist keeps a diary that goes hand in hand with adventure: Harriet the Spy, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, The Absolutely True Story of a Part-Time Indian, The Private Notebook of Katie Roberts, Age 11, and .
Then, as they become involved in the plot, suggest that they start their own secret diary. If you want to really emphasize the secrecy of it all, you could pair it with a gift of one of those diaries with a lock.
Still have any of your own childhood diaries or letters around? Read a page aloud to your children! It may inspire them to see the value of writing in a whole new light: suddenly they can hear the voice of their own parent as a child.
