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nanowrimo young writers
11 Oct 2011 08:10 amI convinced all four kids to join the Young Writer's Program. I knew I could get Brenna to do it because she likes to write but I was shocked when Meagan nearly fell off her chair with excitement. MEAGAN! Wanting to do something educational! Owen was reluctant but then came up with a story idea and wants to try. Nora, of course, wants to do everything the older kids do.
Meagan has decided to write fanfiction. She's reading James Patterson's Maximum Ride stories (on book 2 now) and she already has an idea for a story. She's plotting it out in her head, she said. She chose a 2000 word goal but thinks she can write more.
Owen isn't sure what he's going to write. I suggested something about a space war since he's into sci-fi and military stuff. So now he's doodling space wars. His doodles are hilarious and so cute. They're all stick figures but really detailed. Hopefully he'll come up with an idea before November. He chose an 800 word goal which is a lot for a kid that HATES to write.
Brenna's idea is my favorite. She told me she wanted to write about our move across the country last summer so I suggested she do that but from the point of view of a dog because she loves dog. Her eyes lit up at that idea. She's already decided on what kind of dog (chocolate lab) and her name (Flower) and a title (Flower On the Move). I told her she should draw a cover for the book with a truck piled super high with stuff and a dog sitting on top and mountains in the background. She was so excited that last night she did some brainstorming and outlining then wrote 40+ words on another topic (supposedly about being grounded and how much she hated it but I haven't read it). She chose a 500 word limit which comes out to like 17 words a day but she thinks she can write more. Her story idea is so cool I'm thinking of writing my own version later on.
And then Nora just HAD to have her own account and challenge. So she chose a 100 word limit (which was middle ground for a kindergartener according to the website) and wants to write about our family going to a pumpkin patch. I told her she should write about a zoo but she be the monkey wondering why all the people kept watching her. We'll see what she'll come up with.
I'm glad they're all interested but this is going to create a huge scheduling issue with the computer. That's 5 people wanting to use the computer. And we only have the one. Should be interesting.
On a related note:
Meagan came home from school yesterday and suddenly "found" all her missing math assignments. Four of them were stuff done in class. Apparently they do an assignment from their book every other day or so and then have to turn it in the next morning. So, if you don't finish it in class you're supposed to do it for homework. Her binder was so disorganized she couldn't even find where she stuffed the papers. So I spent almost four hours helping her with math to make sure she actually understood what she was doing. I now have had plenty of practice in fractions, long division and decimals. Oy.
But she now has all 6 assignments finished plus her homework from last night. Not sure we did them all right because it's been a loooooong time since I've done 6th grade math, lol. The highest she can get on each assignment is 80% so if she gets some wrong her score won't be high but it's better than a straight 0. If she got all the answers right it will bring her grade up to a B.
We also worked on organizing her binder. I have no idea why they don't use folders and didn't have dividers on the supply list. Luckily I had dividers in our school supply box so she pulled everything out and organized it by class. She also knows if this happens again she's grounded.
I was also shocked at how messy her work was. I can't believe the school allows the disaster that was her homework pages. When I was a kid it would not have been accepted and I would have had to redo it. She doesn't use the lines on her paper at all. She just randomly puts a number down then does the work and then starts the next problem where ever she wants. Nothing is written on the lines (not even non-math answers). I was appalled. I told her she will write on the lines and write neatly or she'll be doing lines every day... 50 times of "I will write neatly on the lines," should get it in her head. By the last page she was using the lines and being neater. Hopefully she'll transfer that to other classes because her world history teacher has been on her case about neatness. But his papers are printouts and don't have lines.
Meagan has decided to write fanfiction. She's reading James Patterson's Maximum Ride stories (on book 2 now) and she already has an idea for a story. She's plotting it out in her head, she said. She chose a 2000 word goal but thinks she can write more.
Owen isn't sure what he's going to write. I suggested something about a space war since he's into sci-fi and military stuff. So now he's doodling space wars. His doodles are hilarious and so cute. They're all stick figures but really detailed. Hopefully he'll come up with an idea before November. He chose an 800 word goal which is a lot for a kid that HATES to write.
Brenna's idea is my favorite. She told me she wanted to write about our move across the country last summer so I suggested she do that but from the point of view of a dog because she loves dog. Her eyes lit up at that idea. She's already decided on what kind of dog (chocolate lab) and her name (Flower) and a title (Flower On the Move). I told her she should draw a cover for the book with a truck piled super high with stuff and a dog sitting on top and mountains in the background. She was so excited that last night she did some brainstorming and outlining then wrote 40+ words on another topic (supposedly about being grounded and how much she hated it but I haven't read it). She chose a 500 word limit which comes out to like 17 words a day but she thinks she can write more. Her story idea is so cool I'm thinking of writing my own version later on.
And then Nora just HAD to have her own account and challenge. So she chose a 100 word limit (which was middle ground for a kindergartener according to the website) and wants to write about our family going to a pumpkin patch. I told her she should write about a zoo but she be the monkey wondering why all the people kept watching her. We'll see what she'll come up with.
I'm glad they're all interested but this is going to create a huge scheduling issue with the computer. That's 5 people wanting to use the computer. And we only have the one. Should be interesting.
On a related note:
Meagan came home from school yesterday and suddenly "found" all her missing math assignments. Four of them were stuff done in class. Apparently they do an assignment from their book every other day or so and then have to turn it in the next morning. So, if you don't finish it in class you're supposed to do it for homework. Her binder was so disorganized she couldn't even find where she stuffed the papers. So I spent almost four hours helping her with math to make sure she actually understood what she was doing. I now have had plenty of practice in fractions, long division and decimals. Oy.
But she now has all 6 assignments finished plus her homework from last night. Not sure we did them all right because it's been a loooooong time since I've done 6th grade math, lol. The highest she can get on each assignment is 80% so if she gets some wrong her score won't be high but it's better than a straight 0. If she got all the answers right it will bring her grade up to a B.
We also worked on organizing her binder. I have no idea why they don't use folders and didn't have dividers on the supply list. Luckily I had dividers in our school supply box so she pulled everything out and organized it by class. She also knows if this happens again she's grounded.
I was also shocked at how messy her work was. I can't believe the school allows the disaster that was her homework pages. When I was a kid it would not have been accepted and I would have had to redo it. She doesn't use the lines on her paper at all. She just randomly puts a number down then does the work and then starts the next problem where ever she wants. Nothing is written on the lines (not even non-math answers). I was appalled. I told her she will write on the lines and write neatly or she'll be doing lines every day... 50 times of "I will write neatly on the lines," should get it in her head. By the last page she was using the lines and being neater. Hopefully she'll transfer that to other classes because her world history teacher has been on her case about neatness. But his papers are printouts and don't have lines.
