One of the first things I noticed about 500 Writing Prompts for Kids is that this 72 page book is very well organized.  In the Introduction, Bryan discusses why kids need to write and how to use the writing prompts. I also liked his suggestions on having parents write along with their children during the writing time.  There are 10 chapters and in each chapter there are categories with 10 writing prompts listed for each category.  For example, in Chapter 7 titled "The Seasons" there is the category "Summer" with 10 prompts about summer.  After all the categories and the 500 writing prompts are listed, Bryan gives creative ways to use the prompts to keep your child interested while they let their imaginations and pencils flow!

Having so many creative writing prompts at my fingertips is definitely a plus for me as a busy homeschool mom.  But, this book can also be used by busy classroom teachers since there are so many great prompts that can be adapted for any setting.  The possibilities of how parents and teachers can use this book are endless which makes this a resource that can be used for many years and for a wide age range.  Sometimes half the battle for me is coming up with topics that my children can write about.  Bryan's book saved me from having to think of prompts on my own.  The hundreds of prompts can be adapted for each child and can be used over and over again. 

One of my goals for this summer is to have my three older children (rising 6th grade daughter, rising 4th grade son, and rising 2nd grade daughter) write more so Bryan's book came just in time.  Since we are in the summer season, one of my children's favorite time of year, I thought I would try having my children write using the prompts in the summer category.

I first photocopied some of the prompts under "Summer" and cut each of them apart:


Then each day I had one of my children pick one of the prompts from our Question? box.  Here is my son picking out the prompt for the day:

Then after I read the prompt out loud, we discussed it and then I gave my children time to write.
I told them that they needed to write quietly for at least 20 minutes, but they could always use more time if needed.  I also let them know that I just wanted them to write and I would not be grading their work or correcting grammar or punctuation. (But, there was always so much editing I wanted to do :) )
Since I have done this with my children I have been surprised that there have been no tears and they actually sat and wrote out their thoughts. Some of my children chose not to write on the selected prompt and decided to just write a creative story.  I didn't force them to stay with the prompt since I just wanted them to get in the habit of writing and enjoy expressing themselves with pencil and paper.  Each of my children also enjoyed illustrating their writings when they were done.  I then gave my children time to share their writings with their siblings as they read what they wrote out loud for everyone.

I highly recommend Bryan Cohen's book for any parent or teacher.  It is a great resource to have on hand and it can be used in so many ways for a wide age range.   

It was a year ago this month that I began my blog and what a great year in blog land it has been!  To celebrate my blogiversary, I am hosting a giveaway by author Bryan Cohen.  Here are the details:

Author Bryan Cohen is doing a giveaway of his book 500 Writing Prompts for Kids for the next week along with a grand prize drawing for a $50 Amazon gift card!

Simply add your name and email to the InLinkz below and and you are entered in the drawing for one digital copy of the book on this site (there are over 10 sites involved in the giveaway, with one winner of a book per site). One lucky winner will be picked from all the sites to win a $50 Amazon gift card.

If Bryan's book, 500 Writing Prompts for Kids, reaches the top 500 in sales this week, he will add another $50 Amazon gift card to the drawing! The drawing will occur on June 23rd, so register your name and email address before the deadline! You can visit his website at Build Creative Writing Ideas.


Just add your name and email to the InLinkz below.  The giveaway is open to all, even those who don't have a blog, so it is not mandatory to include your URL.  You may only enter once.   

GIVEAWAY GUIDELINES:

1. Your entry must have your email address included. If its not in your entry, and you’re the lucky winner, a new winner will be chosen.
2. This giveaway ends 6/22/2011 at 12 Midnight EST – all entries must be in before.
3. If you are the lucky winner, you have 48 hours to respond to an email from myself or Bryan Cohen. A new winner will be chosen if we do not hear back from you within that 48 hours.
4. Winner will be announced on A Slice of Smith Life.

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