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There is little we can do to control the climate of the world right now, but still lots we can do to influence the climate of our homes Here are 3 simple suggestions for using writing to put a spotlight on the positive in these weeks leading up to Thanksgiving! 1. GRAFFITI A PUMPKIN (THANKSGIVING… Continue reading See the Good

We’ve spent the past couple of weeks encouraging writing friends to buy our Writing Station in the name of keeping young writers organized. And YES this is a good idea–a place for everything and everything in its place. Instead of searching for a pencil, the stapler, or wondering where the notebook went, give it all… Continue reading The Messy Business of Writing

A very common mistake we see teachers and parents make is feeling responsible for figuring out what children are going to write about. From our 10+ years of experience, trust us when we say what children mostly need for writing is a blank piece of paper and permission. That really is the secret. In fact,… Continue reading Writing Prompts that Work

We both grew up with dads who were crazy about sports. They taught us not to “call a game too early.” The record books are full of last second shots, 9th inning homeruns, and unexpected over-times.   Sometimes when it comes to writing, we make the mistake of “calling it too early.” We don’t see… Continue reading Dad’s lesson: never call it too early

This year, we have listened to so many beautiful stories from our Box writers. There have been stories of dragons and hedgehogs and babysitting adventures. We’ve heard the mystery of the wicked witch and the continuing saga of Petunia. While these stories have been well worth celebrating, we believe the most important story of the… Continue reading The Way We Tell Our 2020 Story

We love answering questions about our Writer’s Box and considering ways to help families make the most of the Writer’s Box experience. This week, a mom asked us how the Writer’s Box might look for her two children. Maybe you’ve wondered the same thing. We have lots of families who use the Writer’s Box together.… Continue reading How can I make the writer’s box work for my whole family?

Immediately after President Biden’s inaugural address, 22-year-old Amanda Gorman was introduced as the National Youth Poet Laureate. She mesmerized the nation with her poem, “Hill to Climb.”   As I listened with my middle school students, her words were like a sort of magic swirling around the my classroom. Standing there in her yellow coat… Continue reading Amanda Gorman: Look at What Young Writers Can Do!

St Patrick’s Day Writing Prompts Weaving the holidays into a school day is a fun way to celebrate and keep academics moving forward. If you’ve been around us at all, you know our favorite way to celebrate any holiday with children is to find a way to write about it!   But before we give… Continue reading St Patrick’s Day Writing Prompts

Does your child struggle with handwriting? Every summer, we have at least one parent ask us to please not say anything about their child’s poor handwriting during their week at writing camp. This is an easy yes. In fact, we can 100% guarantee we will not breathe a word about handwriting. Our camp is a… Continue reading Solving the Handwriting Dilemma

Today my oldest daughter Lauren spoke to my youngest daughter’s English class about her work as a copywriter for an ad agency. She graduated from BYU a year ago and has had lots of fun writing ads for brands like Jeep, Fairlife Milk, Deva Curl . . . it was a blast to have her… Continue reading 3 Ideas for Preparing Writers for the REAL World