Everyone is a Writer, Family Writing Part 2

Megan

When my younger daughter, three years old, wrote this and drew a picture, I recognized her ability but had no words for it. Later, I understood when I read in Beyond Words: Writing Poems for Children, by Elizabeth McKim and Judith W. Steinbergh,* “There is no question that children have a rich store of material: experience, emotions, and images from which they can draw their own self-expression.” Now I describe young Megan’s poem as compassionate.

th sun a

s shInin on th wrld th brds r

flieg a sON g to the pepl

I recently received a collection of writing from Megan that, unbeknown to me, she started at age 36. Though each story is incomplete, it has elements of strong writing to engage a reader. Her accomplishment shows her potential to become a published writer. I often found myself hurrying ahead to find out what happened next. My favorite character (as she’s partly modeled on me) is Hillary Black, because “Hillary Black has no filters”—Megan’s insightful observation of me.

My realization is, “As a child is given opportunity to explore writing and art without praise or evaluation, and only positive interest shown, originality may spring from such freedom.”

* Elizabeth McKim and Judith W. Steinbergh, Beyond Words: Writing Poems with Children: A Guide for Parents and Teachers (Chestnut Hill, MA:Talking Stone Press, 1992).