National Novel Writing Month for Homeschoolers
Using the NaNoWriMo Young Writers' Program with Children
Aug 20, 2009 Elisabeth Marshall
Chris Baty began National Novel Writing Month in 1999 as a simple challenge: a 50,000 word novel in 30 days. Since then, participation in the program has grown exponentially. Though there are plenty of high school-aged students who take on the regular challenge, the Young Writers' Program was founded in 2005 to extend the opportunity to younger children.
Aimed at kids under 17, the Young Writers' Program offers resources, support, online communities and an age-appropriate challenge. Children can sign up to a kid-friendly forum and choose their own word-count goal, which they can estimate based on their own ability, experience, and age.
Benefits of the National Novel Writing Month Program for Kids
It takes only one thing to win NaNoWriMo: the tenacity to reach the word-count goal within the month. Children can learn not only about the process of writing a novel, but also about goal-setting, time management, consistent effort, networking and encouraging one another, and celebrating achievement. No matter whether they are skilled writers or they struggle to express themselves, NaNoWriMo offers the chance to succeed by putting in the hard work without giving up.
NaNoWriMo is great for perfectionists – they can learn how to let go a little and not be afraid to write something that's less than perfect, and in return, they get to experience the satisfaction of a task completed. Similarly, children who aren't especially good at writing gain a substantial amount of practice at telling their stories, and their effort is recognised for what it really represents – an impressive achievement in dedication!
Homeschooling parents, as well as teachers and children themselves, can sign up for the YWP through its website. All it takes is an email address.
Incorporating NaNoWriMo into a Homeschooling Programme
Homeschoolers can approach NaNoWriMo in many different ways. Kids who are self-motivated may want to drive their own workload, while some children may need scheduled time to work on their novels. For those attempting the standard adult word-count of 50,000, each day's output needs to average 1,667 words; calculate the required daily average for a YWP participant by dividing the total goal by the number of available days (you may want to exclude days that you know will be too busy for writing, or factor in a few sanity-saving days off). For example, a seven-year-old who chooses a 3,000-word target and takes weekends off will have to write a consistent 143 words per day to win.
Use graphs, bar charts, kitchen timers, mini-goal celebrations, and other tried-and-true homeschooling tricks to help children toward their individual novel writing goals.
Rewarding Achievement in NaNoWriMo
The NaNoWriMo official store has merchandise including T-shirts, travel mugs, merit badges, posters, and stickers. They make great rewards that also help to keep children motivated during the tough weeks.
As well as the official YWP forums, some children will enjoy sharing the November experience with others – either other children and adults who are also doing NaNoWriMo, or frients and relatives who can read some of their novels and hear about the challenges and triumps of noveling. And when the month is over, participants should be sure to celebrate with a no-holds-barred National Novel Writing Month party!
NaNoWriMo is for Kids Too
|
What do you think about this article?
More in Education & Career
Latest Articles