7 Days of Writing Fun

A creative journaling exercise for kids in grades 2-12!

Summer is the perfect time to help kids relax and freely express themselves through writing.

That’s why we’re sharing one of the most popular activities from our Sylvan Writing Program: Journaling!

Journaling gives kids practice taking the ideas in their heads and writing them down on paper.

With practice, kids become more adept at articulating their thoughts. Writing becomes more enjoyable. And ultimately, your child becomes a better writer.

Make journaling a stress-free experience this summer!

No grades. No pressure. No constructive feedback.

It’s simply a fun way for your child to:

Practice getting his or her ideas down on paper
Express himself or herself freely without judgment
Be creative, choosing what he or she writes about
Discover the joy in writing

So, here’s all you have to do ...

Over the next 7 days, have your child take 10 minutes each day to answer our journal questions in his or her favorite notebook. (Or download our FREE, printable 7-day journal here!)

No stress, no pressure: Your child’s journal entries should be private, unless he or she wants to share them. Resist the urge to review each journal entry and correct it.

Free expression: This is a chance for kids to share how they feel. It’s okay if your child writes: “I went to the park today. I had a bad time and was bored.” There are no right or wrong answers.

Family fun: This can be a really fun activity to do as a family.

Write your own response to the journal questions each day.
Then share it and have a family conversation about it.
If your child wants to share his or her own entry, great. If your child doesn’t want to share, that’s fine too.

Encourage, but don’t force: If your child wants to continue journaling at the end of the 7 days, awesome! Offer encouragement and support. If your child doesn’t enjoy it and doesn’t want to do it, that’s okay too. Don’t force it.

Get ready to hear: “I never knew writing could be fun!”

If your child continues to journal, you’ll see a more confident writer in the fall. That first book report or writing assignment won’t feel like an emotional roller coaster ride. Your child will realize that writing can be enjoyable. He or she CAN do it.

Let the writing fun begin!

My 7-Day Journal

Instructions:

Over the next seven days, take 10 minutes each day to answer the question(s) for that day. Write your thoughts in your favorite notebook. (Want a printable journal? Click here for the 7-page journal, complete with the daily prompts and pages for writing.)

You don’t have to turn in your journal or have it reviewed. There are no right or wrong answers. This writing is just for you!

Daily Questions:

Day 1: If you could go anywhere in the world for a summer vacation, where would you go? Why?
Day 2: If you could have any superpower, what would it be? Why would you choose that superpower?
Day 3: Describe your favorite family tradition.
Day 4: What is something you love about yourself? Why?
Day 5: Write about the qualities of a good friend.
Day 6: If you were an ice cream flavor, which one would you be? Why?
Day 7: You just won a million dollars! What are you going to do first? Why?

Want to continue journaling? Check out these tips for how to make journaling a habit over the summer and download another FREE 1-week writing journal that focuses on self-love.

Writing is a skill for life ... Nurture your child's love for it

You’re always looking to the future. That’s why you know that what you do NOW makes a difference for later.

If you help your child build the right writing skills today, you’ll improve the chances of your child’s long-term success and happiness—both in school and in 21st-century careers.

You also know that skills click faster when your child enjoys what he or she is doing.

So, the question is: How can you give your child more fun experiences with writing this summer?

Easy! Check out Sylvan’s Writing Program.

You’ll help your child head into fall with A LOT of momentum.

With Sylvan’s Writing Program, your child will team up with one of our certified tutors to become a more confident and strategic writer.

Through a range of hands-on activities, your child will discover how to:

Make the writing process easy and manageable, breaking the writing process down into small steps.
Identify the six traits of good writing and confidently apply them to essays, research reports, blog posts and more.
Correctly use writing mechanics, such as grammar and punctuation.
Hone the digital writing skills needed for 21st-century careers.
Score higher on tests because he or she has a clear plan for written responses and open-ended questions.

To keep learning fun, your son or daughter will work on activities that encourage creativity and reflect on everyday life. As other families will tell you, writing will become MUCH more fun.

Plus, research has shown that it dramatically improves our students’ writing stamina. We’ve had kids go from being able to spend only a few minutes on writing before getting frustrated to being able to spend many happy hours on it!

Imagine your child:

Feeling excited and inspired to sit down and write.
Getting a jump-start on the skills needed for higher-level courses.
Discovering how to clearly organize and convey his or her thoughts, so tough assignments are “no big deal.”
Completing assignments faster while producing higher-quality work.
Becoming a better test taker and writer in ALL subjects, earning even higher scores.
Building perseverance (not giving up after 10 minutes!).
Developing the critical thinking and communication skills needed to get ahead in school, college/university and a range of careers.

Make a big impact this summer!

Learn more about Sylvan’s Writing Program and find out how your local Sylvan experts can help strengthen your child’s skills and spark an interest in writing.

Find My Local Sylvan

We'd love to talk with you about how we can help your child reach his or her individual goals!

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