As tree leaves burst forth in beautiful springtime and trees reawaken, your children and teens can have fun discovering more about trees and use this research in their writing. Plus, there are MANY wonderful Scripture verses that can enhance your unit study on trees. We see trees... --from the beginning of the Bible, in the Garden of Eden, where God created trees pleasing to see and with food to eat. Two special trees were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. (Genesis 2:9) The Psalms begin with a majestic reference to trees and how they can inspire us to live holy lives. (Psalm 1:3) Early in the New Testament trees show us to spiritually produce good fruit. (Matthew 3:8-10) The Bible ends with powerful declarations and reference to the Tree of Life. (Revelation 22:1-3 and Revelation 2:7) Looking for a good book to help your children… Trees in the Bible: Learn About Trees While Exploring God’s Word by Kimberley Payne teaches children (ages 7-12) about trees and having faith in the Creator God. Each chapter includes a Bible story from the viewpoint of the tree. This book integrates faith and science, with suggested projects. ![]() I have always loved trees. One might say it’s because my last name is Vertrees and my maiden name, Tamm, means oak tree in Estonian. When I was young, I had a little sign that said--Please be patient with me. God isn’t finished with me yet. A mighty oak was once a little nut. When hiking in the woods, it’s such a thrill to look up high and see beautiful treetops against the sky…to treasure God and His majesty here on earth. In CS Lewis’s Chronicles of Narnia, we read about trees dancing and defending God’s creation. Also, author JRR Tolkien made trees significant in Lord of the Rings. Both these famous Christian authors knew the importance of trees in God’s creation. It’s said they were keen on everyone protecting our environment, too. The Bible says we are to be wise stewards of the earth. Both were devout, brilliant men. I am sure they intended important Biblical connections to their use of trees in their allegory stories. Chronicles of Narnia begins in a “wardrobe” made by a tree and it’s a tree that’s the first thing Lucy brushes up against when she enters the land of Narnia…just before she sees the lamp post in the snow…God’s light, right? And don’t we all want to enter a land that’s embraced by the Tree of Life? And all the trees of the field will clap their hands. (Isaiah 55:12 NIV) In recent times, amazing research has borne “fruit” that TREES TALK TO EACH OTHER! I invite you to see these fascinating National Geographic and TEDx talks on YouTube to learn about this exciting scientific discovery and why we need to protect our forests. (Just tap titles to connect.) 1. How Trees Secretly Talk to Each Other in the Forest 2. Nature’s Internet: How Trees Talk to each other in a Healthy Forest FUN WAYS TO LEARN THROUGH DISCOVERY
The trees of the LORD are well cared for…there the birds make their nests… (Psalm 104: 16-17) ![]()
Both trees can live for 3,000 years! Perhaps your young writers want to write a “compare and contrast” about these two spectacular trees. For the child who wants to write an adventure story
When I was young, I did a poor job of building a treehouse in --of all trees--our beautiful and fragile pink dogwood. My Dad lovingly overlooked my temporarily botching up his ornamental, front yard tree and understood my longing for adventure. Then he built a sturdier treehouse in a high, strong tree in our backyard. My brothers and sisters and I certainly enjoyed it. (It’s the black and white photo I took when I was ten. 😊) As I write this, I am perched on our upstairs balcony and once again am enjoying the beautiful trees (twenty-two varieties!) and birds all about. Some things never change! 😊 Dear readers, please consider how children in your lives can have enriching experiences with trees. They may love helping to plant small trees and watching them grow in your yards. Have they swung on a rope to splash into a deep, beautiful lake, with the rope strapped to a sturdy tree branch? Maybe they have a fun place to read in the shade of a favorite tree. How about rocking in a hammock that’s tied between trees in your yard or when camping?
But the godly will flourish like palm trees and grow strong like the cedars of Lebanon. For they are transplanted to the LORD’s own house. They flourish in the courts of our God. Even in old age, they will still produce fruit; they will remain vital and green. To help your children internalize this message deeper, they can rewrite it into their own words. For instance, Father God, I will burst forth and be a beautiful sight for all to see--like palm trees that are so inviting in a desert oasis. I will grow strong like the Cedars of Lebanon. By following God, I will grow like trees that grow by God’s house, I will continue to grow under His care, in His garden. I will live a ripe, old age, like trees that continue to produce fruit. May I produce fruit of the spirit. (See Galatians 5:22-23.) May I remain vital, important, and ever-growing as I cling to my Lord… My rock and my salvation. HERE ARE BIBLE VERSES you may want to include in a unit study on trees… Jeremiah 17:7-8 “…blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord…like a tree planted by the water…its leaves are always green.” (NIV) Psalm 1:3 Those persons are “…like a tree planted by streams…whatever they do prospers.” (NIV) The Tree of Life in Scripture often is mentioned as eternal life with Jesus. “I am the vine, you are the branches…” (John 15:5) A Bible study on this could start with Genesis 3:22-24 and Revelation 2:7. (Plus Genesis 2:9 & Revelation 22:1-3 mentioned earlier in this post.) PLUS…
Developmentally speaking, children can easily memorize Bible verses, poems, and songs. By learning these treasures "by heart," they can draw on them all their lives. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. (Psalm 119:105 KJV) ,I hope your children cherish trees, and learn to protect these magnificent gifts from God. When I was young, I read Joyce Kilmer’s poem, “Trees” and frankly, assumed it was written by a woman. Not so! Mr. Kilmer lived from 1886-1919 and was tragically killed in WW1. His beautiful legacy, “Trees” is in the public domain, and as I close this post, I share it with you. Trees By Joyce Kilmer I think that I shall never see A poem lovely as a tree. A tree whose hungry mouth is prest Against the earth’s sweet flowing breast; A tree that looks at God all day, And lifts her leafy arms to pray; A tree that may in summer wear A nest of robins in her hair; Upon whose bosom snow has lain; Who intimately lives with rain. Poems are made by fools like me, But only God can make a tree. ![]() Yes, only God can make a tree, Blessings to you, Heidi Vertrees Author/Educator Victor Survives Being a Kid! newSongpress.net Like this post? Share it! 😊
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Many children and even teens like to write picture-book fiction with animals as major characters. The tips here also can inspire writing for more in-depth fiction animal stories. With Palm Sunday and Holy Week/Easter soon approaching, let’s use as our guide, Howie’s Broken Hee-Haw, written by multi-award-winning author, Josie Siler. A variety of story frameworks lend to beautiful stories. In this one-- 7 Tips to GET ROLLING…1. There is a cute donkey colt. Place the most important character center-stage at the beginning of your story. Use pictures and words to make this character someone the readers want to know more about. 2. Next, make the animal’s problem loud and clear… in this case, a “broken” hee-haw! When Howie tries to hee-haw, like all the other good donkey-folk do, his only comes out Hee-haw-hee-ha-la-la-lay-lu-yaaa. Can you see where this is going? And don’t young readers love to make animal sounds! Okay, so he has a problem. Now what? 3. Show how the problem is making life hard for the character. Show how the main character feels about all this. You want your readers to connect on some levels and care about your character and the problem. Help your readers identify with some of the frustrations and make connections with troubles in their own lives. 4. This is a good time for the young writer to restate the big problem/challenge. Show the struggle with trying to do right (hee-haw “correctly”) and not knowing what to do. 5. Usually, this character needs to have a hand (or hoof) in fixing the problem, usually a big hand, but when writing with a Christian perspective we know the even Bigger Hand, and yes! Jesus helps Howie with his “problem” along with Howie. Stay tuned to read how. Young Christian writers can strive to show this God-given grace in their stories, too. 6. Now is a great time for the character to share the problem with someone trustworthy. Howie laments while his mom listens and tries to reassure him. Young writers should pick a wise soul appropriate for their story. Here is a nice place for the character to feel better…but the problem still lurks. 7. By the way, with animal stories, it can be charming to include other animals in the illustrations and story. Sometimes Howie is seen with a cute chick and chicken. 2 Tips for the BIG CHANGE OF SCENE… 1. Now the action picks up. Life comes in full force. In this case, Howie and his mom are being tethered by two men who lead them on a journey… The writer can make this transition from known to unknown by building in suspense. What will happen next? Show that the main character is on a MISSION. 2. They are brought to Jesus. The coming-to-Jesus scene here is especially precious because Jesus tells Howie, He needs Howie’s help. The readers’ own souls can awaken here. How does Jesus need their help? And they can super relate when Howie responds that he is not worthy. Even Moses was worried about speech problems when God summoned him to go forth! Don’t we all have our issues of feeling inadequate? But with God… 2 Tips for the BIG AH-HAH MOMENT…1. Make it an important discovery that helps your animal character grow stronger and wiser. The beautiful message in this story is that Jesus tells Howie He needs Howie’s special hee-haw. You know, the one Howie thinks is his big problem… 2. Make the BIG AH-HAH MOMENT fill your readers with joy. The message to the readers is that we are each created just the way God intended and God has special plans for each and every one of us. I am excited for your young writers to see what Ah-Hah moments they create with their stories. Please encourage them to pray to God about this. Howie is “only human” and is still afraid that others will laugh at him. Jesus is about to ride on Howie as He enters Jerusalem and cheered on by a great crowd of palm branch wavers. But Howie finally understands that he was made to praise Jesus. AREN’T WE ALL! 2 tips for the EXCITING, SATISFYING ENDING…With some encouragement from Jesus, Howie bellows his hallelujah bray as he transports the KING. Now Howie is brave, and onlookers do laugh…but with delight, as they shout out their hosannas. 1. Writers should show how their character has solved (or learned to live with) the big problem and be better for it…brave and courageous, wiser, or whatever character traits they are aiming to present. 2. The problem resolution should be great for the character and very satisfying for the readers. There should be special sparkles at this moment that also encourage the readers for challenges in their lives. 2 tips for A GREAT TAKE-AWAY…1. Create a special message in the story that readers will want to remember and hold close to their hearts. Howie learned--He was intentionally created, and for a purpose. Readers should appreciate this about themselves, too. 2. As in this story, young writers can add a special prayer at the close of their stories, for their readers to pray for their own lives. Words such as …I want to be wise and use the special talents You have given me… May you all have a great and lovely journey helping children and teens write fiction stories, with a Christian perspective! INVITATION TO SHARE If your young writers would like to share their animal stories that include a Christian viewpoint, I invite you to send them to me by July 1st. I am sure it would be fun for us to see some of these in an upcoming post. You are invited to send these via the contact page on newSongpress.net. We look forward to seeing these stories! I invite you to tap below to connect to book sales for the title featured in this post. Josie Siler’s award-winning children’s picture book (for ages 2-7), Howie’s Broken Hee-Haw is a superb Easter-time book! Plus, it makes a sweet touchstone book for discussions with older youth. It is available at End Game Press, Christian Books, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other retailers. ![]() May Joy & Peace with God be yours, Heidi Vertrees Author/Educator Victor Survives Being a Kid newSongpress.net Writing about animals and pets can be very rewarding for children and teens, and can spark their imaginations for adventure or adorable, heartwarming stories, and true tales of investigation. For this post, I have interviewed a multi-award-winning author, who writes with a focus on animals. Here’s what she shares about helping children and teens write—with a Christian perspective and to include animals in their writing. The tips here will be for nonfiction. An upcoming post will address advice for fiction writing with animals. Denise Lee Branco, author of Rabbit at the Sliding Door: Chloe’s Story and Horse at the Corner Post: Our Divine Journey, writes true animal stories to honor these marvelous creatures. She says, "Every animal comes into our lives for a reason."Ms. Branco encourages young writers to write about those special reasons for the animals in their lives.
Before young writers take pen to hand, Ms. Branco suggests handling a pet’s favorite toy, collar, or looking at photos, such as pictures from the adoption day, to remember special scenes to then write about. It helps to have a theme. Ms. Branco is an ardent animal advocate. Her theme is the... Ms. Branco encourages young writers to develop each scene based on the writer’s theme. Her goal is to help others grow in respect and appreciation for God’s wonderful animals. Ms. Branco's theme, “animal-human bond,” focuses on this goal of appreciation, so readers see how beautifully people can be connected to animals. So, one of her key writing strategies is to…
This is a good strategy for young writers to intentionally use, too. For instance, if a child has been in the hospital, how did the child feel and what did the child do when finally arriving home and being greeted by a family pet? Facts also can help readers appreciate these stories better, by getting an overall view. Young writers may want to use an Internet search engine to gather statistics about their animals of topic and include some important facts in their writing. Your local SPCA, BestFriends.org, and Rabbit.org may be a good place to start, says Ms. Branco. She also encourages young writers to write a “Gratitude Letter” to their beloved pet. It is good practice for children to learn to write what they appreciate or love about an animal and to explain why. Young writers can find ways to also express their thankfulness to God for His creation and how their special animals enrich their lives. Many churches have a special service each year for the blessing of one’s pets, both big and small. Children may be fascinated to attend such a service in your area, and then write about this experience. In early October, in honor of Saint Francis, (patron saint of animals), Christian churches worldwide bless animals and have special prayers for creation. INVITATION TO SHARE If your young writers would like to share their writings about animals that includes a Christian viewpoint, I invite you to send them to me by July 1st. I am sure it would be fun for us to see some of these in an upcoming post. You are invited to send these via the contact page on newSongpress.net. We look forward to seeing these stories! Author Denise Lee Branco invites readers to go to www.DeniseInspiresYou.com where you can order her books from Amazon and Barnes & Noble and also purchase autographed copies directly from her. Her books make beautiful gift books for teens and young and older adults! Would you like to see more blog posts like this, to help young people in your lives have fun writing and include a Christian perspective?
I invite you to click here to go to www.newSongpress.net and sign up on the home page for my periodic newsletters. May you all have a great and lovely journey in helping children and teens with nonfiction animal writing, with a Christian perspective, Heidi Vertrees Author/Educator Victor Survives Being a Kid! newSongpress.net As Christian parents, teachers, or grandparents, we know the importance of a Christian worldview, and part of this is helping children and teens understand how to write as Christians. As children grow in their skills of writing, we hope for them to love Jesus. Blog posts on newSongpress.net give tips and advice to further young authors and writers in their writing, so that they can also grow in their abilities to write as Christians. When teaching children and teens writing, please honor prewriting. Too often children and teens are rushed to the “high board” by over-eager, short-on-time, teachers and parents, and expected to jump into a writing assignment with little preparation for the topic. Letting students doodle briefly before writing, while you pray they are staying on topic, is not enough. 1. Enrich with Personal Experiences Recently, I was involved in a town history day where children created sand paintings based on historical photos from the heyday when trollies zipped through our towns and hilly countryside. I can’t say the results of their artwork would have been much improved if their parents first took them to the nearby trolley museum or popped them on a restored trolley for a jolly ride. However, certainly the project would have taken on a great deal more meaning for the children if they first were enriched by personal experiences with the project theme. Let’s Hear Their Voices When it comes to writing, we are much more likely to hear the yearned for young writers’ voices, if they have a “dog in the fight.” We want our writers to be engaged and care about their writing topics. Let’s give them lots of opportunity to become empowered before they write. Don’t we all write better when we know a great deal about our subject? What Does This Look Like? We all know we live in an age of TMI--too much information. Young writers can also get overwhelmed if they are given too much information as they learn about a topic. An adage to authors is--write about what you know. 2. Begin prewriting with introducing the topic and then let the students think about what they understand and know about the topic. Encourage them to make a chart or list of keywords and memorable experiences they recall about the topic. They could draw a web outline, with the main topic as the center circle and connecting smaller ovals with keywords. Sometimes this is called mapping. 3. Let them talk about the topic. Here might be a great time for you, as the teacher, to note students’ working vocabulary for this topic and make some fun and creative side lessons to expand students’ vocabulary for this writing unit. How about having several new words of the day and cheering for students when they apply them in their conversations? If you are in a group setting, this can become a team competition. Create acrostics and crossword puzzles with the new words. Give them extra credit points or rewards for correctly using these words in their journal writing. (Click here for more ideas on word games to help young writers build their vocabulary.) Learning how to write as Christians includes learning Bible related words. For instance, I have seen teachers ask children if they have any prayer requests, and then get puzzled looks by unchurched children who then ask, What is a prayer request? Even with our own children, we should check they have a kid-friendly understanding of Christian related words. 4. Brainstorm Next, challenge them to talk about and write questions they have regarding the topic. Then, brainstorm ways they can learn more in the areas that interest them. Interview a neighbor? Watch some YouTube videos? Here’s a great opportunity to read both fiction and nonfiction articles and books that enrich their understanding of the topic. It may include family read alouds and audiobooks, too. 5. Keep Research Journals Encourage young writers to keep a daily record of their findings and questions. A spiral notebook is sufficient, but digital apps such as Notes on a cell phone can work well too. Prewriting is such an important stage of writing and as teachers, including homeschool teachers, interact with your students about their entries. Use this as a springboard to create more dialogue, because the more the topic is verbalized, chances are the easier it will be for children to write the desired assignment. 6. Bump It Up Heavenward Imagine rushing to a water fountain when your whole insides shout for water. As soon as you drink the cold water you feel refreshed. Here’s the challenge. If your goal is also to help youth write with the importance of a Christian worldview, how can you help them have a thirst for Jesus, who is the Living Water, at least as keenly as they have for cold, refreshing water from a water fountain? To top it off, how can they take this fervent faith into the topic which they are preparing to write about? As they share with you the information and stories they are discovering in their research, find the poignant moments to ask questions such as--What does the Bible teach us about this? Do you remember a time in (specific Bible lesson) that (for example, King David) experienced this? What do you think Jesus would do? What do you imagine His disciples might think? What do you think God is wanting you to learn from your research? Give students a chance to reflect on these questions and verbalize their thoughts. Then encourage them to add their ideas into their journals, to save them for working into their writing assignments. Remember what I said about writer’s voice? We need to be so careful here that children and teens know they can write about their faith in a genuine way, and not fall in the trap of writing because it sounds good and religious. The last thing we want to do is encourage them in phony faith growth. Recently, I was talking with a small group of kindergartners about God knowing our hearts. One little girl piped up, “Of course He does. Jesus is in my heart.” Now that’s the joyous voice fresh from a young person’s perspective! 7. Make Scribble Pads Handy As to notebooks, your students may each love having a pocket-size notebook, in addition to a larger one, perhaps even ones they make, but certainly ones in which they can personalize the covers. If you write, even emails or texts, then you know that there are special moments when we get inspirations, some with Holy breath, and it’s so important to jot down some key ideas right then and there. So, it can also be true for children and teens. You might try keeping a handy, small notebook for yourself and share parts with your students, so they see this practice being modeled. You can also tell them how those special moments occurred. For me, I can just be standing and all of a sudden many ideas rush into my head. Like a special delivery. 8. Pray Which leads me to another important prewriting aspect, and that is to regularly pray before writing. I hope you can start each writing session this way. We all need to get at least a sip every day from the Great Fountain, before we begin a project, and some of us need to gulp. Most importantly, pray for God’s guidance in how He wants the project to develop. Pray for the people for whom you are writing. May our writing be for His Glory. One Final Prewriting Tip... 9. Use Touchstone Texts Ralph Fletcher is a renowned author of many books to help children learn to write, such as How Writers Work: Finding a Process That Works for You; Live Writing: Breathing Life into Your Words; A Writer’s Notebook: Unlocking the Writer Within You; Boy Writers: Reclaiming Their Voices, and Writing Workshop, the Essential Guide. (Click here for his books on Amazon.) One of the points Ralph Fletcher encourages are mentor texts. In my teaching experience, we also called these touchstone texts. Depending upon the writing focus, a teacher would begin each writing workshop reading aloud an excerpt from an article or book--to enhance students’ exposure to good literature and the writing focus being addressed. Students can use the mentor text to whatever degree it fits for their own writing. When we take home a stone from a hike and touch it while we are back home, it reminds us of our hike. Similarly, the touchstone text is one you and your children can come back to, to remember a lesson or idea you have introduced to them for their own writing. In another blog post, I will write about prewriting with a focus on fiction and poetry writing, to help you guide your students in creating better story characters, plots, and verse. Helping them learn how to write as a Christian will be included. You are welcome to contact me at newSongpress.net with any questions or ideas you may have about prewriting for children and teens with a Christian worldview. Important Reminders...Are you and your young budding authors interested in a writing contest? Please see details at the end of the newSongPress.net last November blog. It was called Two Fun Ways to Enhance Children and Teen's How-to Writing. Click HERE. Deadline is fast approaching--March 1, 2023. We welcome your submissions. 😊 Would you like to get my periodic newsletter that has extra tips and reminds you of new blog posts? You are invited to sign up by clicking www.newsongpress.net/HERE. Just scroll down the homepage. Your privacy is always protected. May God bless you all in your endeavors,
Heidi Vertrees Author/Educator Victor Survives Being a Kid (An uplifting book for middle graders) Click here for Amazon's paperback or Kindle version. newSongpress.net This blog post has three great ways to help your children and teens write during the Christmas season and in preparation for the new year. May you be blessed by all three key ideas. Many of you are teachers in classrooms or in your own homes, or you are parents of school-age children, or perhaps you are reading this to encourage others who teach children and teens. Thank you for your passion in blessing children and teens. I pray you find much peace in this, especially during this holy Christmas season and as you prepare for the new year. I pray my words are inspirational in your personal situations. Have you ever written a Christmas letter or received one and read it with eager anticipation to know how a dear friend far away has been over the last year? It seems fewer people are doing these, and I largely think it’s because technology has made it possible to correspond in so many more ways than a letter. However, I have found when writing a Christmas letter and trying to make it interesting and meaningful to my readers, I have also experienced a nice way to reflect over the past year. I suggest you encourage children and teens to write a letter… Maybe to share it with grandparents, or just to write it to themselves… So, they also can look over their own accomplishments, hopes, challenges, and struggles during the past year. This reflection time can be valuable for young people and help them set their sights on goals they desire for the coming year. As a family or small group, you may want the writers to look over photos of events they have participated in for this year. Maybe there is a calendar that can be helpful, or cards they have received over the year to help jog their memories and heartfelt thoughts about their lives during the year and get them thinking about what goals and accomplishments they are seeking for the coming year. ![]() Two... During the advent season and the beginning of the new year is also a good time for children and teens to write cards. (I bet they also enjoy writing their Christmas wish lists!) Maybe they can tuck in small notes in the cards you send to loved ones. Maybe they want to send special cards of Christmas cheer and thank you notes…such as to Christian radio stations or podcast hosts they enjoy, their teachers, pastors, Sunday school teachers, and coaches. One year, not too long ago, I sent a Christmas card to Queen Elizabeth. I have so admired her, and her broadcasted Christmas talks over the years. You can imagine my sweet surprise one day early in the new year when I went to my small-town, post office mailbox and took out an envelope that had a regal look to it. Sure enough, I got a reply! Such a blessing! ![]() Maybe your children will get a reply when they write to someone. Receiving special mail can be so exciting for both young and adults. Maybe they want to send a special note along to a group that you support with charity. Maybe they want to write to someone who is a shut-in or is in the hospital or a recovery center. Certainly, they can write thank you notes to those who have given them Christmas presents. ![]() Three... What goals and accomplishments do they want for the coming year? Writing down our goals and hopes for the new year can be powerful. People report that we are more likely to accomplish our goals if we have put them in writing. You can guide young writers in your life to think about their goals and hopes for the coming year, and organize them to be spread on a calendar, so they have a good idea of when to start working toward each goal and how long it might take to work on it. They can begin to write down steps they need to take to reach these goals. Here are some suggested categories for writing annual goals-- 1. Pray for God’s guidance before writing. John 15:5 “I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.” (KJV) 2. Reread any previous annual plans for 2022 or the year-end letter I have suggested. 3. Plan achievements for hobbies/sports/clubs. 4. Build ideas for stronger relationships with family/friends. 5. Faith growth…Establish daily/weekly routines for prayer, church, Bible reading, memorizing Bible verses, and Christian youth groups. (Biblebee.org has great programs for youth to memorize Bible verses. Click here for details.) 6. List books to read. (Reading helps make better writers.) 7. List skills to learn…such as swimming, playing a musical instrument, fishing, model building, furniture restoring, baby-sitting, gardening. (Click here for a blog post I wrote for how to start gardening.) 8. List outdoor aspirations…such as camping, hiking, and cycling. 9. List places and people to visit. I suggest you build in weekly and monthly intentional review times to see how they are progressing. This should be written into the 2023-year plan. I want to encourage that these review times be ones with prayer, and perhaps your young writers can keep a prayer journal as they share with God their progress, and try to listen to His guiding as to how they should continue and maybe even modify some steps and aspirations. Psalms 32:8 “I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye.” (KJV) I hope these suggestions bring all of you joy in your lives, and the lives of the children and teens you know. At this time last year when I wrote my goals for 2022, I included two personal goals—to travel to Colorado and visit my family there (Covid-19 issues had blocked that dream for three years), and to arrange my time and technology to listen to more audiobooks. (Thank you to my friend, Crystal Daye, dayelightpublishers.com, for providing her annual planner.) I truly think that by penning these aspirations, I made sure to fulfill them. I am so glad that I did. As you wrap up your year and look to the next, I hope you also find some special dreams and hopes that become a sweet reality in your lives in 2023. You may want to write them down. 😊 Merry Christmas, Heidi Vertrees Author/Educator Victor Survives Being a Kid newSongpress.net If you would like to receive more of these blog posts, to inspire you with your teaching children, please click HERE. Thank you for being a part of this journey, with the love of Jesus. Please see last month’s blog post about a special writing contest being offered for children and teens. Deadline for entries is March 1, 2023. Click HERE for details. Are you looking for a Christmas gift for a boy or girl ages 8-12? Victor Survives Being a Kid is a heartwarming adventure book sure to please. Available on Amazon at a special holiday price. Click here to order a copy.
If your children or students are bored with writing a clear-cut “How-to” assignment, here’s a twist—let them write it in story or visual format with their personal commentaries. In keeping with the mission of the newSongpress.net, young authors also are encouraged to write with a Christian perspective. This blog post will present information to help young writers with writing how-to expository writing, with one example from learning an athletic skill and the other from hands-on furniture restoration. Plus, through March 1, 2023, there will be a contest. See the end of this blog post for details. First-- Many children and teens like to write stories Here’s a way to give their stories some structure… Jesus often taught in parables. Throughout time, people have loved to hear stories, and it can be another great way to teach readers how to do things well. Plus, your children or students may want to add inspiring or inquiring words to share their faith in their stories. Here’s an example you can share in teaching this approach-- The sound of the whistle pierced the air. Olivia shot from the platform and into the pool. Dan dove in the lane next to Olivia's and whipped out dolphin kicks. The other racers joined in their own lanes, all face down. In seconds they worked the flutter kick, like machines in constant motion. Toes pointed. Legs straight. Power came from hips wobbling back and forth and legs rising and lowering fast. Power came from their arms, too, as they pulled them back through the water, one at a time. Quick side breaths were caught, in rhythm with the arms, for most, on the right arm reach. Next, each swimmer blew bubbles into the water, chin tucked, and reached forward with the other arm, thumb angled slightly downward, till the hand sliced the water. An extra stretch of the leading arm rolled the shoulder, keeping the swimmer streamlined, like a fish. Each time Olivia pulled her arm back under the water, she scooped water with her hand, fast, fast, to get it out of her way. Then she rammed her bent elbow up out into the air, cleared her arm from the drag of the water and reached forward again for another watery slice. No time to look at others. No time to pause, but in her brain, Olivia pleaded with God to give her strength. Words from Isaiah 12:2 lit her mind…the LORD is my strength and my song… The shouts from the crowd on the side bleachers reverberated against the walls. Tick, tick, tick. Dan flip turned first when he reached the far end of the pool. Before any bubbles could pop, Olivia flip turned. Her feet shoved off the wall. Think skills. Think skills. Everyone splashed and glided through the refreshing water to claim the 50-yard finish line. Olivia and Dan led the pack. Then they both stretched an arm to touch the other end of the pool at the same second. Astonished, they laughed and slapped a high five. Olivia squeezed her eyes for a quick prayer of thanks. To get started… Your children/students can make a list of things they enjoy doing and know very well. For instance, walking a dog, setting up a tent, cooking, or riding a bicycle. In my story, I captured the steps for swimming the front crawl, as some call it, freestyle. My challenge to your writers is to first think, picture, and then write the steps of how to do something and then turn it into a story. Did you notice that the story format caught your attention, but when I switched into expository writing to explain, the action was gone! Maybe you even noticed a slowdown in your interest? Jesus knew people LOVE stories. He taught with many parables, which are short stories that teach a lesson or religious principle, such as the story of the Good Samaritan. Jesus used this story to help us learn about God’s awesome love for all of us. Through the powerful messages in this story, we also learn how to care for and help each other. Parents and teachers, you can tell the young people in your lives, they don’t have to write a story every time to explain how to do something, but they can try it to see how their readers really pay attention to what they are teaching. Plus, they might have fun! They can even add in some humor, like-- My sheepdog stepped in the gooey, white glue I forgot to close and move out of the way. That may sound more interesting than just writing-- When you are done with the glue, make sure to close it and keep it safe. In my swim story, if a cut away from the action was desired, a funny antic by someone on the bleachers could be added. Your writers can also add in more details than I did, such as what their characters look like and say to each other. At the end of their how-to stories, writers can recap and list the important steps. Like a recipe format, list all the needed supplies. Then list the steps in the correct order for making their creations or completing their skills. (If your young writers are writing about their cooking projects, there are several kid-friendly recipes in Dig Deeper: a Discussion and Activity Guide for Victor Survives Being a Kid. It’s a free download and the recipes can show children and teens a format for writing their recipes. Click here if you want access to the free download. Also, at the end of this post I will refer to one of the recipes, from an earlier blog post.) My friend, Silvia Ferrara, had an excellent idea, especially for young children with big imaginations. Write how unicorns brush their teeth. Sounds like a fun picture book to me! Then, I recommend young writers list the steps they use for brushing their own teeth. One could even turn this into a compare and contrast with how a unicorn vs. the writers brush their teeth. Children do need to learn how to write compare and contrasts! 😊 Now perhaps your young writers want to turn their how-to assignments into something preposterous first, have some fun, and then add on a more serious version that pertains to their personal experience. Another story format is a personal anecdote, where the writer gives details of personal experience while creating a project or skill set. We often see this in videos on YouTube. Because we are seeking for our children/students to develop their writing skills, here is a personal anecdote approach for a how-to- on furniture restoration. It was created by Amber Hale, a multi-passionate entrepreneur who writes on her two blogs, is a health coach, a social media manager for businesses, and also enjoys thrifting vintage items for resale. This project may interest older youth and inspire them with their own creativity. They may also be motivated to sell their products or give them as gifts. May God bless your writing times with your children or students. May God’s love shine brightly on all your teaching, and may your young writers have much joy in sharing their How-to writing projects with family, friends, or classmates. This style of writing lends nicely for students to practice public speaking by presenting their own area of expertise with lots of hands-on items to show while they present. Who knows, maybe they will present their work on YouTube or another social media audience!
An important focus of new Song Press is to inspire Christian parents, teachers, and pastors to guide youth to be young authors. If your children/students are interested in starting a blog, you can go to kidslearntoblog.com to read about different programs such as Edublog and Kidblog. Your young authors also might like to query other bloggers about being a guest blogger on their websites. They can ask the bloggers for a copy of the guidelines so they will know the topics that are of interest to the blogger, the preferred length for a blog post, and other details. Now to learn about our… CONTEST From now through March 1, 2023 First, second, and third place winners plus honorable mentions We look forward to publishing parts of winning submissions in an upcoming blog post, so children and teens can have the joyful experience of being young Christian authors who are published. Send your How-to entry via Contact on newSongpress.net. You may also send a brief summary and you will be sent an email with instructions on how to send the complete version. Please include child/teens’ name and age in each entry. Enjoy! If you are not already a regular reader of these blog posts, I invite you to sign up for my email newsletter, to receive periodic blog announcements to help guide children and teens in their writing. Click here to do so. For the promised recipe for Fried Ice Cream and Caramel Sauce, click here. Blessings, Heidi Vertrees Author/Educator newSongpress.net Today, I want to share with you seven ways you can help your children or students transition from their summer vacations to embrace school writing assignments, by honoring prewriting as a powerful tool for writing. Too often children and teens are rushed to the “high board” by over-eager, short-on-time teachers and parents, and expected to jump into a writing assignment with little preparation for the topic. Letting students doodle briefly before writing, while you pray they are staying on topic, is not enough. Your children or students probably have some happy and exciting memories from their adventures this summer. However, I do not think most students want to be required to grind out an essay of what they did over the summer. Still, I do think they often want to remember their fun memories. Through prewriting, they can be inspired to share them creatively.
2. If they think it’s fun, let them audio record what they share. 3. Take time to look at any “touchstones” (memorabilia) from their recalled experiences this summer…brochures, photos, emails, posts, journal writing (if they accomplished this). Maybe revisit the location by seeing more on the Internet. 4. Then, as they are recalling, help them jot down keywords that they share. These keywords can be as a list or written inside ovals across a page where they can add subtopics as stems from the ovals. (webbing) 5. Prewriting is a fantastic time for enrichment. Children can be gently encouraged to share what they learned from their experiences as well as what they are wondering about. As part of their faith walk, they can be asked what they think Jesus wants them to learn from all of this. This pondering can again be recorded in keywords, to help them with their writing assignment. 6. Prewriting certainly can allow for drawing, coloring, or painting. Many children process their verbal ideas this way. 7. Some children may do well with a caring soul interviewing them. I suggest first writing a dozen or so key questions such as--
Before the interview, show this list to each child or teen to think about before starting the interview. You can audio record the session, or involve a peer or older student to record the answers so they also experience authentic writing with a purpose. If you are working with a group, each student can write his answers and then share them in a group before they start writing. Or students can be partners, taking turns interviewing each other, while the interviewer writes down key thoughts. Parents, I applaud you for all the positive, memorable experiences you have blessed your children with this summer. Honestly, they might be writing and talking about some of these memories for the rest of their lives. As their ideas bubble up, let them share. If they only want to write a poem or song this year, God may lead them to turn those memories into a play script another year. Whatever they choose to write about is special to them and can be kept sacred to their souls by letting them create their writing assignment format. The main thing is to embrace the experience, and then see how God wants to water that garden to grow. Last spring, I was involved in a town history day where children created sand paintings based on historical photos rallied up from the heyday when trollies zipped through our towns and hilly countryside. I can’t say the results of their artwork would have been much improved if their parents first took them to the nearby trolley museum or popped them on a restored trolley for a jolly ride, but certainly the project would take on a great deal more meaning for the children if they first were enriched by personal experiences with the project theme. Parents and teachers, thank you for all the “in the field” experiences you provide for children and teens in your lives. ![]() Here is a fun way to celebrate with your children or students after they complete their writing assignment about their memorable summer experiences. Since it is still actually summer in the northern hemisphere till late September, I invite you to make Fried Ice Cream, using a kid-friendly recipe I wrote in my Teacher’s Guide for my book, Victor Survives Being a Kid. The Teacher’s Guide is available as a free download. You can click here. newSongpress.net/Victor. Scroll down that page to see the option. But here is the excerpt with the recipe. You may duplicate it for teaching purposes. Fried Ice Cream and Caramel Sauce Here’s a delicious dessert that will require working with a grownup’s help, especially when frying. It’s so yummy, but also requires patience since the ice cream needs time to freeze and refreeze. Either prep it one day and fry it the next, or start it at least 6-7 hours before eating. Please note: Before cooking, always read a recipe through so you can anticipate what ingredients and supplies you will need and so you make sure you understand all the steps and timing needed. Reading a recipe is a type of functional reading…reading that helps us learn how to do things…a very important type of reading to practice. Have fun! Enjoy! (Recipe inspired by recipes from Darlene Brenden, Jeri Zieman, and Villa Cocina.) Ingredients: 1 quart vanilla ice cream 3 cups crushed cornflakes cereal or 2 cups each crushed cornflakes cereal and sweetened shredded coconut finely chopped 1 tsp. cinnamon 3 egg whites or 2-3 eggs or 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream 2 tsp. vanilla 2 cups canola oil or other preferred oil, enough for partial emerging and stirring 1-2 balls at a time Optional Toppings: whipped cream, slices of banana, strawberries, cherries, chocolate or caramel sauce, colored sprinkles For Caramel Sauce: 1 cup sugar ½ cup butter, cubed ½ cup evaporated milk Directions:
Read and follow these cautions before frying with hot oil: Work carefully with an adult. Have lid for fryer or heavy saucepan. Kitchen should have fire extinguisher. (Note: Never use water to put out a fire caused by cooking oil. Put lid on fryer or pot to reduce fire. Baking soda puts out oil fires too.) When the hot oil is not needed, cover the pot and put away from heat source.
For Caramel Sauce:
I recently led a Writing Workshop for students from F.I.S.H. Hagerstown, a Maryland Christian homeschool group. One parent said in regard to her son, "It was a game changer for his writing." Another parent wrote, "They loved the creative aspect, with learning how to incorporate Jesus and their faith into their stories...They were encouraged by seeing others engaged and interested in writing." Another mom wrote, "You helped my oldest break through his writing block and get excited about writing again." I love to encourage and support children in their writing. In this blog, I am thrilled to now introduce you to one of our budding authors and share the story she wrote during our five workshops...
Rights and Wrongs |
About Heidi Vertrees author/educator God has blessed me with many opportunities to teach hundreds of children, as a teacher in public and private schools, in churches, and as a mom, homeschool teacher, workshop and camp leader, Bible club leader, and swimming instructor. I am a licensed teacher, earned a BS in Journalism with Honors from the University of Colorado and a MPA from the University of Denver. I have written articles, short creative writing assignments, and curricula for multiple national and international publications. Victor Survives Being a Kid is my first novel. I wrote Victor Survives Being a Kid to help children experience God, good humor and courage, and the love of family even while going through major changes. It’s a high adventure novel particularly for boys and girls ages 9-12, is set in Colorado, and told through the eyes of Victor Ortega when he is in middle school, looking back over his fifth-grade year. Children delight in the Spanish (with translations) sprinkled in the story. A free, in-depth teacher’s guide is available (complete with Q&A, talking points, research and project ideas, and recipes) on newSongpress.net. |

I pray this article will bless you and the children and teens you teach by helping all of you discover more faith, hope, and love in ways to pray to our Creator God. Dear parents, teachers, and pastors, may your journey to bless and guide children, even in their developing writing skills, bear much fruit. I can hear my sweet mother saying the famous expression, “The pen is mightier than the sword.” How about, “The Word is mightier than the sword, especially since the Sword of the Spirit is the Word of God. Since God is Holy, Sovereign, Love, and our Creator, we do best to seek God in prayer and in His Holy Word before we start “attacking” all our problems and endeavors, including writing, right?
“Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you. Sing Hallelu, Hallelujah.” This beautiful song can empower you as you prepare to teach children.
So how do we teach a “seek God first” habit in our students and children?
Make sure they learn the secret of how to do their BEST writing, and that is to seek God first! Teach them their loving God cares about their writing and He can help them.
As for God, His way is perfect: The LORD’s word is flawless; He shields all who take refuge in Him. (Psalm 18:30 NIV)
So, what do you say to the young writers who say, “But I just want to write about my new puppy or my dream vacation!” Let them know God is “all about” their new puppy and dream vacation, and He can also help them with the best words and ways to tell others about them in their writing.
Children are much more likely to pray when they know some of the basic building blocks of prayer. Here are 3 steps to guide your child in prayer:
- First building block--Praise God. This is how we start our church services, so many children can connect with this.
- Second building block--Seek God’s forgiveness. God wants us to be humble, and in our weakness is His strength. Teach your children that God will cleanse them and prepare them to be better messengers of the Good News. Though your sins are like scarlet, I will make them as white as snow. (Isaiah 1:18, NLT) After we confess our sins to God, He cleanses us and because of His great love, He forgets about those sins. He wants us to be renewed and ready to run the race He sets before us.
- Third building block--Ask. God wants to hear our requests. If we turn to Him, He knows we trust Him. Since He is our loving, Creator God, that makes Him happy! Requests can include asking for His help in our writing. Your students might also want to include prayer requests for those who will read their writing and how it may bless them.
- Fourth building block--Thank Him with deep and heartfelt gratitude. Teach children to become aware of how God has and is continuing to help them and those whom they care about. God knows we will have more peace in our souls when we have grateful hearts. He loves us and wants us to know this peace.
As in the children’s praise song “Christ Redeemed Us” (from Child Evangelism Fellowship, we have so much to be thankful about--foremost God sending His Son to be our Redeemer. What a joyful promise He has given us!
Use these prayer blocks to guide prayer but be careful to keep prayers fresh and alive for children.
To help children and youth picture these building blocks for prayer, have them imagine going before a king with their requests. Wouldn’t they first want to show respect to the king and act humbly? After their requests were presented, wouldn’t they want to thank the king? Jesus is the King of all kings. Even the order of worship for many churches is modeled like these prayer blocks. We can think of an entire church service as one giant prayer. 😊
Choose joy!
Praying first thing in the morning, three times per day before meals, and just before going to sleep are important daily moments for children and teens to learn to do. Building a strong family or group is beautifully done by praying before each meal. God is our Provider, and we need to thank Him for all things good including our nourishment. Frequently praying to our heavenly Father can help our children learn much joy. Since God wants a loving relationship with us, prayer is a key way to build that relationship.
When at the beach, I love walking along the seashore and admiring creative sandcastles. To get the sand wet enough for molding, one needs to be daringly close to the waves which ultimately in high tide sweep over those glistening castles and wash them away. Scripture says to build our homes on the Rock. That’s Jesus and with Him we will have a firm foundation that doesn’t wash away. (Matthew 7:24-27)
Jesus taught that the two greatest commandments are--Love God with all our hearts, souls, and minds, and love our neighbors as ourselves. (Matthew 22:37-39)
When we write, we are writing to an audience. Even if it’s scribbling in a diary, God is there. As I write, I try to picture my readers and write words of thoughtful help.
Children and adults can learn much from the short video, “The Meaning of ‘Strength’ in Hebrew,” produced by pursueGod.org, on loving God with all our mind and strength. I highly recommend it.
In the words of St. Richard of Chichester, “…O most merciful Redeemer, Friend and Brother, may I know Thee more clearly, love Thee more dearly, and follow Thee more nearly, day by day.”
May the children and teens in your lives come to cherish faith, hope, and love through a richer prayer life,
Soli Deo Gloria,
Heidi Vertrees
Author/Educator
P.S. See below for a free activity guide for kids. Also, please go to CONTACT if you would like to receive these blog posts via email.
- When we go on a trip, we should start with a full tank of gas. Teach your children that likewise we should start each day with prayer, so we can “drive” well each day. Might call it “Joy Fuel,” to be joy-full!
- On a big trip we also usually stop midway in the day to check the car. Great time to pray, too! At midday review that morning’s events and gear up for what lies ahead for that day. Scripture says we should take one day at a time. Let’s teach this wise practice of focusing intently on God’s gift of the present.
- When we park our car at night, we should check it again. Nighttime “check-in” prayer with God is a great practice too. For children, this is an important time for parents to reassure them of a loving God in whom they can trust, as they prepare for sleep and rest.
Praying first thing in the morning, three times per day before meals, and just before going to sleep are important daily moments for children and teens to learn to do. Building a strong family or group is beautifully done by praying before each meal. God is our Provider, and we need to thank Him for all things good including our nourishment. Frequently praying to our heavenly Father can help our children learn much joy. Since God wants a loving relationship with us, prayer is a key way to build that relationship.
When at the beach, I love walking along the seashore and admiring creative sandcastles. To get the sand wet enough for molding, one needs to be daringly close to the waves which ultimately in high tide sweep over those glistening castles and wash them away. Scripture says to build our homes on the Rock. That’s Jesus and with Him we will have a firm foundation that doesn’t wash away. (Matthew 7:24-27)
Jesus taught that the two greatest commandments are--Love God with all our hearts, souls, and minds, and love our neighbors as ourselves. (Matthew 22:37-39)
When we write, we are writing to an audience. Even if it’s scribbling in a diary, God is there. As I write, I try to picture my readers and write words of thoughtful help.
- When teaching children and teens the two greatest commandments, help them see the core: LOVE. Children may ask, How? How do we learn to love God and those around us?
- Through prayers children can begin to see God’s wondrous love for them in their lives. They can learn to trust God and know Him better. This builds their love for God and empowers them to have a sense of purpose and self-worth which makes it possible for them to love others.
- As children and teens grow in this beauty of the LORD, they can more aptly shape their writing to be enriched by God’s love and power in their lives.
Children and adults can learn much from the short video, “The Meaning of ‘Strength’ in Hebrew,” produced by pursueGod.org, on loving God with all our mind and strength. I highly recommend it.
In the words of St. Richard of Chichester, “…O most merciful Redeemer, Friend and Brother, may I know Thee more clearly, love Thee more dearly, and follow Thee more nearly, day by day.”
May the children and teens in your lives come to cherish faith, hope, and love through a richer prayer life,
Soli Deo Gloria,
Heidi Vertrees
Author/Educator
P.S. See below for a free activity guide for kids. Also, please go to CONTACT if you would like to receive these blog posts via email.
About Heidi Vertrees author/educator God has blessed me with many opportunities to teach hundreds of children, as a teacher in public and private schools, in churches, and as a mom, homeschool teacher, workshop and camp leader, Bible club leader, and swimming instructor. I am a licensed teacher, earned a BS in Journalism with Honors from the University of Colorado and a MPA from the University of Denver. I have written articles, short creative writing assignments, and curricula for multiple national and international publications. Victor Survives Being a Kid is my first novel. I wrote Victor Survives Being a Kid to help children experience God, good humor and courage, and the love of family even while going through major changes. It’s a high adventure novel particularly for boys and girls ages 9-12, is set in Colorado, and told through the eyes of Victor Ortega when he is in middle school, looking back over his fifth-grade year. Children delight in the Spanish (with translations) sprinkled in the story. A free, in-depth teacher’s guide is available (complete with Q&A, talking points, research and project ideas, and recipes) on newSongpress.net. |