Course Sample for Our Discovering Poetic Elements Homeschool Language Arts Course

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Discovering Poetic Elements
By Jennifer Miller

Week 1, Day 1 – The What of Creativity

Do you like to read? Maybe you even love to read! When I was your age, I loved climbing into the big magnolia tree in my family’s backyard with a good book. One of the tree’s limbs was just right for sitting on, and I would sit there and read and read and read.

I often thought I would like to write interesting things myself, but sometimes I thought I could never be as good as those whose books I read. But I didn’t have to be “as good” as those writers in order to enjoy what I wrote, or for others to enjoy what I wrote either.

Writing is a skill; like playing an instrument, the more you practice and critique and learn, the better you’ll likely get. And the more you see how others display their craft, the more you can learn and be inspired by others as well.

In fact, being inspired and thinking creatively are important parts of writing, and I want to start our lessons there. People who love to read often enjoy books because they’ve been inspired by at least some of the things they’ve read. Similarly, people who write really well often mix creativity and inspiration with hard work and established techniques.

Writers may use various methods to get their creative juices flowing. Here are just a few of them; maybe you’ve already used some yourself!

1. Writing prompts
2. Going outside
3. Looking at pictures
4. Reading another’s poem or book
5. Writing a letter
6. Writing in the morning or before bed
7. Drawing a map

Let’s use the first method today to get your creativity going. Choose one of these three writing prompts, and write for at least ten minutes. Have fun!

1. A dog who has lost his collar
2. A hippo who is afraid to go to a birthday party
3. A princess who has to take etiquette lessons