Here are just a few websites and programs that can be helpful for teaching creative writing for students. From lesson plans to book suggestions, these websites have a lot to offer for anyone who wants to encourage children to write. National Writing Project The National Writing Project is made up of University-based groups around the United States and help to bring teaching methods that will develop students’ passion for writing. Get in contact with a group near you, or explore their online resources. For teachers and homeschooling parents, there a variety of lesson plans available on the Resources page. They also have lists of recommended teaching books, as well as a stimulating podcast on education called NWP Radio. Teachers and Writers Collaborative Though their workshops are based in New York, Teachers and Writers Collaborative have plenty of writing-related resources on their website. Check out their list of books that are helpful in teaching writing, as well as their monthly magazine that features lesson plans, interviews, and general teaching tips. PBS LearningMedia Browse the English Language Arts section of PBS Learning media to find helpful videos and lesson plans to help illustrate writing concepts for your students. Search by grade level to find resources and teaching ideas, some of which have been submitted by teachers who have found success with their lessons. Additionally, when you create a free account, you can use the tools such as the Quiz Maker and Storyboard Maker. The Brown Bookshelf A blog created by African American children’s book authors and illustrate to help promote and review books by African American authors. Check out their list of recommended books, as well as their “28 Days Later” program for the month of February, where they celebrate Black History Month by spotlighting a different African American author every day. Are there websites you have found helpful that we are missing? Email sarah@stonesoup.com and let us know!
Homeschooling
Writing Activity: Stories about trust, truth and lying
The Mother’s Day Gift by Mathew Thompson, age 11, Dallas, Oregon
The Clay Pot by Naomi Wendland, age 12, Lusaka, Zambia
These two stories deal with the same problem: the tempation to lie to hide a mistake. The temptation to lie to cover up a mistake is a common one, and most people, at some point in their lives, give in to the temptation to pretend they haven’t done something that, in fact, they have.
Where are they now? We hear from Rachel Stanley, Stone Soup contributor in the early 2000s
We are often asked–and we often wonder–what careers our young authors and illustrators went on to as they grew up, so we were thrilled to hear from Rachel Stanley, one of our published illustrators and authors from the early 2000s. She gave us permission to share her letter to us with you. If you’d like to see what work she is doing now, you can visit her website. And, to hear about what publication in Stone Soup meant to hear, read on… She rose on her tiptoes and let herself fall forward Fourteen years ago, my childhood dream of being an artist officially came true when my illustrations were published in Stone Soup magazine. To this day, I owe so much to the magazine for the way it helped launch my artistic career. Submitting to Stone Soup was one of the best decisions I made as a young person. At the time I was just excited about getting my name and work in print, but I never could have foreseen the long-term benefits it would bring me. The magazine made me a better artist and a better writer, because each rejection forced me to work harder towards being published. It was one of the many factors that drove me to be an illustration major in college, and to this day remains a source of inspiration for me. I’ve kept every printed copy of Stone Soup I ever received, and to this day I love perusing the wide variety of styles and skills that are showcased in the magazine. He was running for me, and no one could ever stop us The first check I ever received was for my illustrations of “The Flying Angel” in 2003, and to my 11-year-old self, it was really a big deal. I was even more thrilled to have my story “Diver” and its accompanying illustrations published in the magazine in 2004. But to my surprise, Stone Soup has continued to net me benefits long after I passed the submission age limit. I’ve been able to maintain connections to the art community through following the magazine online. In the world of art-and especially illustration-connections and networking are everything, and I’ve been excited to reconnect with Stone Soup online and through social media in more recent years. Making a living as an artist isn’t easy, as I’ve found out, but Stone Soup is one of the things that encourages me not to give up on my dreams. I have even found some of my fellow Stone Soup illustrators enjoying exciting and successful art careers as a result of what was begun years ago with their publication in the magazine. So thank you, Stone Soup, for what you have done for me and for so many others. I hope that many more generations of aspiring authors and artists will be launched to success through their connections with you! ~Rachel www.rachelalana.com
