Writing with Your Grandchild

by Candace A. Dietz

Grandparents have a special bond with their grand-kids—they’re not too busy, not too tired, and always ready for fun. Any number of children’s books can help your grandchild explore feelings and build confidence. A Bee Named Bea and Other Poems is recommended especially for pre-schoolers, kindergartners and first-graders.

The little narrative poems in A Bee Named Bea can be used as springboards for children’s talking about their own experiences and writing their own stories. The prompts below may be useful to grandparents (parents or teachers, too!) in encouraging a child to engage in story-telling.

Non-writing children might dictate their stories, with a grandparent helping to write them down or type them up. Kids should be encouraged to use their own words—it’s likely they’ll make up prose sentences rather than rhymed stanzas like those in A Bee Named Bea, but children love rhyme as much as they love invention and they may surprise you.     

Here are some sample prompts for writing activities using poems from A Bee Named Bea:

“A Goose Named Grace” cannot share her special buggy.  Is there one toy that your grandchild loves and does not want to share? Have the child describe it and list all of the reasons why it is so special. Will she ever be able to share it? What are the things that are easy to share? Ask your grandchild to make up a story about a favorite toy.

“A Canary Named Larry” can’t sing. Is there something that your grandchild can’t do and wishes she could?  What is that? Is there another way to achieve the goal?  Lessons?  Practice? Is there a different way to participate (as Larry did by ringing a bell instead of singing)? Use the answers to these questions to create a story about overcoming a challenge.  

“A Chicken Named Charlie” ignores safety rules while riding his little Harley. What are the safety rules that your grandchild needs to observe on his bike, in the car, with strangers? Make a list of important safety reminders, and encourage your grandchild to tell you a story that has to do with rules.

“A Lion Cub Named Lionel” doesn’t like peas. What is the least favorite food of your grandchild? Why is it yucky? Make a long list of foods the child likes. Does he like some of the things that Lionel likes—linguini, peaches, yogurt, hotdogs?  Help your grandchild write a poem about or tribute to his favorite food (or a criticism of his least favorite).

“A Giraffe Named James” loves to dance. What does your granddaughter/grandson love to do? Why is it such fun? Do friends like it, too? Ask your grandchild to make up a little story about an activity she grandchild really enjoys.

“A Bee Named Bea” can’t find a friend. Ask your grandchild to tell you about how friends act. How do we make and keep friends? How would it feel to be left out like Bea? Encourage your grandchild to make up a story about a lonely animal who finds a friend.

Your grandchild will probably want to illustrate his or her story with crayon drawings. My grandchildren love to do this, and to make little stapled or ribbon-tied books from their stories and accompanying art. The stories that come out of these exercises will be a written time capsule of a special time in your grandchild’s development—a treasure for the whole family.

Copyright © 2014  by Candace A. Dietz. If you wish to reprint or re-post this article, please include byline and author’s bio (top right of this blog).