Here’s another writing prompt: “Once upon a time…”
Sometimes it’s as simple as that. Since children are usually familiar with at least some stories that begin with this age-old opener, it’s wonderful to see their eyes open when they are given their own chance to experiment with these words.
With the more outgoing, self-confident children, “Once upon a time” can easily turn into a fantasy “about a princess on Bergen Street” that is told so rapidly that you can’t get the words down fast enough. This is a tough one, because you don’t want to interrupt the flow, yet you want to get down the child’s words.
For the shy, and less outgoing students, “Once upon a time” can be more of a challenge.
More on that tomorrow…