The Young Writers' Club ©

By Marian R. Carlson

     The Young Writers' Club is dedicated to quality educational programs that challenge and motivate young journalists with constant discovery and excited learning. The Club encourages and inspires children at schools, home-schools, and after-school programs to learn about the great authors; emulate their examples by composing their own written works; build confidence in the writing process in different genres; develop as lifetime scholars who are self-motivated to read, write, and enrich their families and communities.

•  In an era when students are swamped with activities, high stakes testing, and pressure to succeed...
•  Parents and teachers need the tools to effectively teach life-long writing skills
• Our program has the right mix of fun-filled writing adventures and a solid classroom tested curriculum that challenges and motivates.

Dear Parents and Teachers,

     The Young Writers' Club encourages you in what you're already doing to teach writing skills. It's an enrichment program for all students, especially those who benefit from high interest, engaging activities. The club introduces students in grades 4-8 to the classic authors as historic role models, bringing out the gifts and talents in all students.

     Nellie Bly's Beat - In Search of the Great Writers is a lively multimedia introduction to the classic authors chosen from the Massachusetts Language Arts Frameworks. Students step back in time and discover what it's like to walk in their shoes. They examine their stories from a writer's viewpoint and develop their own writing ability imitating the style of these historic role models. The search includes critical thinking as students become effective writers in different genres. The Writers' Round Table gently encourages revising written work as real authors do. A "field trip" to an author's home highlights this study. Finally, a Family Tea, featuring a Museum Road Show, celebrates the great writers - past and present. It's an exciting journey filled with maps, letters, artifacts, music, slides, and fun.

Goals and Strategies

"Read the best books first or you may not have a chance to read them at all." Thoreau

     All children deserve an exciting entrée into the rhyme, rhythm, and rich language of the best classics. The Young Writers' Club opens the door to classic literature and inspires readers to continue their search for great writers. In this adventure students learn to find their own voice and develop as a great writer themselves.

Five Literary Goals

•  Inspire reflective listeners/readers who anticipate plots and character development, challenge events in a story and use critical thinking skills.
•  Develop confident writers who are comfortable in different genres such as: the short story, poetry, folk tales, legends, journal and letter writing.
•  Train knowledgeable writers who are familiar with the writing process and move through prewriting, drafting, revision, proof-reading and publishing.
•  Encourage informed readers who are willing to explore authors in depth, appreciate their dramatic life stories, and discover links in history.
•  Develop lifetime scholars who find joy and creativity in reading/writing on their own for information and pleasure.

Student-Centered Strategies

•  Provide an interdisciplinary introduction to the world's greatest writers using maps, slides, spotlight story, pen pal "letter", and on-line computer "chat" discussions.
•  Provide a high-interest opportunity to examine quality editions of the author's writing, artifacts from the period, writer's scrapbook and web site video clips.
•  Provide quiet, supportive environment for the students to respond to the author's letter and a Writer's Round Table to share written work aloud.
•  Provide support for submitting best written work for publication.
•  Provide community outreach by inviting local authors or editors to visit, hosting a Family Tea, taking a field trip to an author's historic home, and welcoming parents' support and suggestions.