2-4-21

Writing essays is boring. My son makes that declaration at least once a day, if not more. I admit, I have put far more emphasis on writing than most teachers. There are several reasons for this. The primary one being, I am a writer. I enjoy the process of expressing myself through words and I think it’s important for any child’s development. No matter what field my son decides to pursue, writing will help him excel — especially if he does it well. Also, I have only one student which gives me the luxury of being able to work with him one-on-one every day. I’ve been able to help him organize his thoughts, and figure out how best to convey them. When his drafts are complete, I can read through them thoroughly making detailed comments which I can then discuss with him in even more detail. No teacher with a room full of eleven year olds has time to invest that much effort in each student. There aren’t enough hours in the day. 

We are only half way through the school year and already he’s produced more work than he ever has before in a year’s worth work. He’s written a research papers, comparison papers, personal narratives, persuasive essays, and a book review. So when he asked, “Can we please do some fiction? Can I please write a short story?” I didn’t object. I promised he could have as much time as he needed to draft a story and then we’d go from there. 

His first draft blew me away. If his short story had been written by one of my writing peers, I might have pulled it apart more. I might have made him dig deeper and explain more. But he isn’t an adult with a degree in writing. He’s an eleven year old boy. The last thing I want is to discourage him. But I made some comments, asking him to add more detail or explain a few things that I found unclear. I also had him edit some of his grammar — sentence structure, commas, capitals, word choice, apostrophes. No matter how many times I review it, the kid can’t seem to remember to use an apostrophe to indicate possession. It’s a minor problem, but if I lose my sanity by June you’ll know why. 

I admit, I’m completely biased. Not only am I his teacher, but I’m also his mother. However, I’m more than a little impressed by his first venture in the world of short stories. His eye for detail is incredible. I know adults who struggle with adding this level of detail to their stories. After reading his work, I think it’s clear — when you take into consideration the age/experience difference— who the better writer is in the family.

The inspiration behind this piece is a toy wooden horse that used to belong to my brother when he was young. My mother saved many of mine and my brother’s favorite toys in the hopes that she would one day have a grandchild. My son inherited everything and when he visits her he still pulls out the old toys. While on a recent trip, he rediscovered the horse and spun this story around it. 

You can read “The Wooden Horse,” here:

The Wooden Horse