Customer Reviews

Games for Writing: Playful Ways to Help Your Child Learn to Write

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I am both a writer and a former English teacher (besides being the mother of two), so I may be prejudiced, but I think writing is the most important thing children learn in elementary school. Once they get to high school, in most subjects it will not make any difference how much they know if they can not get clear thoughts down on paper. If you have a child struggling with writing, this is a very useful book. Some school districts get so obsessed with mechanics (spelling, punctuation, etc.) that the kids rarely practice doing any real writing. Others are more creative, but never seem to get around to things like spelling, punctuation and handwriting. In contrast, the approach Peggy Kaye uses is perfectly balanced. She is full of ideas for encouraging creativity, but also full of painless, even fun ways to practice spelling and penmanship. Both of my kids have loved games from this book, and ASKED to play them. They have no idea how much they are learning, they just enjoy the games. I have looked at a lot of books like this, and I have not seen any that are nearly as good.

This book is a wonderful resource to help your child learn to write. It addresses five different levels of writing skill: those who need to learn to motor-skills to control a pencil; those who can form the letters but find writing words or sentences a daunting task; those who can write at a simple level but need help with spelling, handwriting, and grammar; those who have mastered the basic writing skills but need some encouragement to develop their own writing style; and those who are ready to write at some length and need practice. The author has developed games to assist children at each of these levels develop the skills and confidence they need for writing.

My six-year-old has been reading at the fifth grade level for some time, but she had absolutely refused to learn to write (beyond forming the letters and a simple word or two). I found this book at the library and tried out several of the games with her. She was delighted by the extreme silliness and sheer fun of the games, and had no protests about the writing part of the games. Now when she gets home from school, she insists that we play one of the writing games -- and I can already see the improvement in her writing and her confidence about it.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who would like to help their child improve their writing and excel at school. It is also a fun, low-pressure way for a parent to spend some time just playing with their child.

Games for Writing is one of the best books that I have used with my children. Their skills have improved dramatically within weeks of using several of the suggested games. After using work sheets and finding my kids bored with the same types of skills, Peggy Kaye's book was refreshing and adaptable. I have taken many of the games and altered them slightly to fit the needs of my kids. Fantastic resource for teachers, tutors and parents, who want to teach children that learning is fun.

This is a wonderful book for the homeschooling environment. First, the author is a tutor for children struggling with public school methods, so she offers enjoyable, imaginative alternatives to the plug and chug kids get in school. Second, as a tutor, the author works with children primarily one-on-one. These games, therefore, lend themselves naturally to the experience of home schooling. Third, the author provides meaningful explanation of the kinds of writing and thinking skills each game addresses; in this sense, these games are more than games. Finally, many of these games can be tied in easily to whatever other content you may be covering at the moment. For example, I found a wonderful game in here that I plan on using when my son and I cover the artistic concept of "line". I also appreciate the chart in the back of the book that categorizes each game according to grade level.

On the whole, the author takes a "bottom up" approach to writing. Ditch the spelling tests and grammar grind for now, and teach kids to love writing by providing writing exercises that they'll love. She respects and celebrates the kidness of kids.

You can really get several years of use out of this book, even with no other writing book.

My son just doesn't really like reading and writing. He would rather be playing baseball or building things. I bought this and other Peggy Kaye books to find ways to get him to read and write that he would enjoy. I was looking through this book when my son asked what it was about and I told him it was about writing games. He said, "I don't like writing." I said that I knew that and then read him the directions for a game. He actually grapped a pencil and a piece of paper right a way and started playing and of course writing. As with Peggy Kaye's other books, the games appeal and work for my son. I owe her a big thanks!

I am so impressed with this book. Having children who have struggled with fine motor control, i was curious as to what this had to offer. I really enjoy the games from prewriting all the way to composing lengthy stories. I will be using this book for years. If you have a child that hates to write, or hasn't learned yet, don't hesitate. Buy this book! It's very creative and clever. I really like it.

My daughter is 8 and has only just learned to write her name. She has short term memory problems and motor planning trouble. This book, and the others by Kaye offer so many fun easy ideas that give her the repetitive practice she needs but with variety and interest. Also, many of the games get at some of the developmental skills she missed out on, and teach to other senses than simple visual. Awesome!

We absolutely LOVE this book. I pulled my son out of Kindergarten to homeschool him because he was miserable with all of the worksheets and it made him hate writing! This book saved us. These games are fun and it doesn't really even feel like "work". Writing doesn't have to be boring. He has improved 100% and no longer complains about writing... It's even fun for me!

I'm an educational therapist who works with children struggling with writing. While struggling students do need direct, systematic instruction, Peggy Kaye provides a wonderful collection of supplementary games.

As Kaye discusses in her book, children need to practice writing in order to become proficient. Yet, practicing can seem arduous. These quick and engaging games are a great way for students to practice writing, and more importantly, find some pleasure and satisfaction in the process.

One of my students, who has problems with attention and memory, finds writing tremendously challenging. Yet, he's a creative young man. When we warm up with one of the games in this book, he's much more engaged throughout our hour together. I highly recommend this book to teachers, therapists, and families. You're sure to find at least a handful of fun games for elementary aged students.

My second grader son was having a REALLY hard time writing.. after a week playing games from this book, his teachers and I are completely amazed with the change; he woke me up one morning to show me the poem he had written for me!! and he is writing a lot (his own initiative).
He wants me to take the book, paper and a pencil everywhere (restaurants, etc).

I couldnt be happier about this book...HIGHLY recommended