One of my kids has had a heck of a time getting started with a new nonfiction story.
I’ve seen this before. It’s one of the executive functions (Initiate, Sustain, Inhibit, Shift)—things we do with our attention. I think he needs “front-loading” before writing, to include:
- His Heart--His classroom-generated list of what’s in his heart (a picture showing what he really loves)
- Photographs from home of recent fun times, trips, pets, relatives, friends
- “Cheat Sheet” from parents, telling me the “hot button” topics I can use– what he did over the weekend/over vacation, pet’s name, best friend’s name, favorite hobby
- Access to published stories written by other kids his age, to show that writing about domestic/common things is OK
- A “pocket of passion” – Kids who write about what they are passionate about can do it more easily than those who don’t have these ”pockets of passion”. This should be what pre-K is, but don’t get me started!
Reluctance to write also can be:
- a stalling tactic (“If I look perplexed about what to write, I won’t have to write),
- a “worthiness” issue (“Nothing I’ve experienced merits a story; I’m comparing my life to others and my experiences don’t merit a story”),
- just a lack of experience in getting started—not only with writing, but perhaps getting other things started on his own. What has the child begun lately? Was it haphazard? Poorly conceived? His writing might be a reflection of this, and he needs practice in getting things started.