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Schools

Young Students Spread Their Creative Wings

A writing-intensive workshop teaches young students the dynamics of writing in a fun, engaging way.

"Come live the writerly life," beckons the course description for Saxe Middle School's writer enrichment program for second to sixth graders. This week, 60 New Canaan elementary students who love to write are getting the chance to spread their creative wings. Keep your eyes open for soaring students if you pass the media center at the Saxe Middle School.

Letting the imagination run free is a great way to teach kids to think outside the box and to develop problem-solving skills, according to program director Karen Scalzo. Educators believe creative writing fosters other important skills as well. While they have a fun time, children also learn the discipline of ordering thoughts in a concise manner that can be understood and enjoyed by others.

And a spoonful of sugar can also help the medicine go down. Creative writing provides a good dose of grammar and spelling, freed from the dryer rigors of the daily classroom.

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Sixty students are attending the five-day program that began Monday morning, now in its eleventh year. Scalzo, who co-directs the New Canaan Public School's Summer Enrichment Program, is excited about this summer's workshop for a number of reasons. One is the changing demographics of student enrollment.

"We have increasingly larger numbers of boys participating," says Scalzo. "Research shows that there is a definite gender gap in writing and the district has worked hard to engage all writers."

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Educators believe captivating students in the writing process is the best way to increase their verbal skills. Educational reforms launched by the nation's governors more than 20 years ago required intensified knowledge of English in the early grades.

There may be lots of good reasons to encourage creative writing, but for the kids, who are mostly second to sixth graders, coming to this year's writing workshops is all about the fun of expressing themselves.

Students participating in the workshop begin their day with a stimulating exercise. One example asks students to design their own license plates. Imagine the endless possibilities without the constraint of DMV rules. Afterwards, the budding writers choose from a large menu of several mini-workshops led by a team of writing instructors from the town's schools.

The number of workshops has increased in the past few years, according to program organizers. The workshops have expanded to cover several areas of writing, including: "Where I'm from" poetry, Fractured Fairytales, and the more factual "All about me" newspapers and "Make Your Own 'ology' book."

Friday, the final day of the workshop, is devoted to writers publishing a complete piece in whatever area they wish.  Another innovative option offered this year: digital storytelling, podcasting, and websites that display student writing.   

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