We are becoming better writers every day! One way we have worked on this is by working on "Show, Don't Tell" in our writing. In Show, Don't Tell, we use our words to show ideas to our readers instead of just telling them. This makes our writing a lot more interesting to read and it helps the reader paint a picture of our story in their mind. Check out the example that we wrote together in class to show that that the boy was mad.
We have gotten pretty good at this skill. Give your child a telling sentence (The girl was happy. I am hungry. The desk is messy. The student is nervous. It is a nice day.) and let them tell you what great sentences they would use to show this idea. Check out the examples below from some of the authors in our class, and see if you can figure out what the writer is trying to show you.
Encourage your child to find examples of Show, Don't Tell in the chapter books they are reading. We can learn a lot from published authors! Also, have them point out places in their writing where they included Show, Don't Tell. If they can't find an example, encourage them to find a place where they can add it in. It is neat to see how much their writing grows once they start adding Show, Don't Tell into their writing!
