Using the news as a starting point for writing.

There has never been so much news. And there’s never been a better time for your child to engage with the news because, for once, the headlines directly affect them. We are all being encouraged to talk to our children about the current pandemic and answer their questions, to keep the dialogue open so that they are free to express worries about the future. My experience with children tells me that being accurately informed (at their appropriate level of maturity) reduces anxiety. And so, what better time is there to encourage your child to watch the news? There are a few outlets that produce good quality children’s news but my absolute favourite is the BBC’s ‘Newsround:’ packed with accurate information and presented in a child friendly format, it’s an excellent resource.

Who knows, perhaps it might even inspire some ‘news related’ writing. Here are some ideas for news inspired writing activities:

·         Write your own newspaper report

·         Start a journal- excellent for everyday writing. Also excellent for mindful, deep thinking children who may need to record some of their anxieties.

·         Create a podcast of your own about a news story that matters to you- this can be any story that is of interest i.e. ‘local dog shelter needs £200,000 for new kennels.’

·         Write the story of a person you’ve seen in a news interview/ story.

·         Write a persuasive letter; good news gets people interested. Encourage your child to be passionate about what they see- perhaps they might send a letter to the government about making facemasks obligatory or delaying the beginning of the school year.

Remember, not all news is bad news (although sometimes it definitely feels that way.) Look at some of the good news sites, I like sunnyskyz.com, it’s full of feel good stories about people being kind to each other… and, let’s face it, we all need a little more of that right now. 😊