Thanks, M.E. It seems that each of us need to discover our own right approach. Marilyn, above, needed structure to contain her creativity, and you, I and others need to be free before we can be hemmed in. The trick in education is to train teachers in the creative process. A more personal understanding of the struggles and pathways could help them guide students intuitively instead of by following rote programs.

Thanks for providing your perspective on American education.

Hi, Marilyn! Great to hear from you. It’s true that, for many, the creativity comes quite naturally. For me, organization came intuitively, even obsessively. When I was young, freedom was almost frightening! I needed permission to express myself. But when I finally accepted that it was OK to express what I felt, I found I had the tools I needed to manage the chaos. I guess that’s why my method tends to address freedom first. You’re so right that we need many teachers who approach things different ways. One never knows what will turn the key.

Jennifer, hello and thank you for finding The Writers Circle. I appreciate your thoughts on the challenge of teaching young children to write. I find the same struggles with many of the children I work with. Some understand it intuitively. Others look at the paper blankly and don’t know where to begin. But a playful approach really helps them understand the nature of the game. Writing requires the same kind of creative imagination as the games children naturally play. The challenge is to get them to transfer their incredibly rich pretend narratives into words on the page.

I commend you entirely for blogging to improve your own writing. It’s a terrific resource and record of one’s thoughts. I hope you’ll join us often here and share your experiences as a teacher and writer.

Using outlines helps those children who struggle to put words on paper – especially in a report format. It also helps parents know what is expected.

In my sons’ school, those who follow the outline meet the expectation and receive a B. Those who add more – information, creativity – will receive an A.

I, myself, have always struggled with writing. In June I decided to start blogging as a means to write everyday. I am a teacher (Kindergarten) and I feel it is important to be comfortable with putting words on the page if I expect my students to do the same.