Publishing Children's Writing

Once apon a time a little boy called Davis he was at the beach. So he went in the water. However it was so hot outside the water that he wished it was colder. kaBOOM! thunder and lightning crashed everywhere he went. Then he wished the sun back in the sky - in a flick of a switch the sun was back in the sky.

So begins The Magical Sea by Oliver. He brought in this book to show his classmates, and we started the day yesterday with a very special read-aloud. Oliver definitely thinks of himself as an author, and enjoys sharing his work. This morning his audience grew, and Ollie bravely read his book to the entire lower school (and some parents) at drop-off time.

Sharing our writing is often called "publishing" - just as posting things on the classroom wall, or posting on this blog can be considered publishing. Publishing is an often neglected part of the writing process - but it is really important. It encourages the reluctant writer, strengthens kids' self-confidence, and promotes positive attitudes towards literature. I try a variety of ways to publish children's work, but this type of sharing is one of the best because the feedback is so immediate and so positive. Ollie's face just glowed as he heard laughter at the funny bits, and a huge round of applause at the end.

I'm hoping other children will be inspired to write books of their own - knowing that there is a audience here who will be thrilled to read them.