Writing Camp in MD?

[Anonymous]

My 8-yr old son is an avid reader but loathes writing. It is agony trying to get him to write and I am hoping that a creative camp will help break the writers block. Any recommendations for writing programs?

[Anonymous]

I have no direct experience with this (yet) but I'd like to send my kids to Writopia Lab for a session.

[Anonymous]

I have an 8 year old like this too!
For him it is an executive function issue - he organized his thoughts/words excruciatingly slowly.
Bumping this thread.

[Anonymous]

Writopia seems geared towards kids who love to write. Any ideas for kids who are reluctant writers? Or correct me if I'm wrong re Writopia.

[Anonymous]

That is what I was worried about with Writopia. I am afraid if I stick him there for a week of writing, he will just clam up and be miserable. If I am wrong, that is great - but for ~$700/week, I want to be sure.

[Anonymous]

I am not sure I would send a kid who hates to write to writing camp in the summer.

I would have a tutor work with him writing. They can teach ways to structure writing that make it less painful.

http://www.asdec.org/Default.aspx?pageId=1597708

[Anonymous]

My child, who struggles with writing but has yet to be diagnosed with dysgraphia, loves writopia. We tried a few days in the summer before signing up for the after- school program just to be sure it would be a good fit.

[Anonymous]

Ok, as a professional writer, published author and poet, do NOT send your kid to writing camp. Writopia is expensive and not worth it, for the record too.

Just encourage his art and let him grow. He has ALL his life in college and beyond to be critiqued and edited. Then as a professional writer too. Childhood is the time to let them be absolutely free in their creativity. Writopia and writing camps are not teaching technical writing for academic classes etc. it's teaching fiction.

100% guarantee no nobel winner went to "Writopia"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ok, as a professional writer, published author and poet, do NOT send your kid to writing camp. Writopia is expensive and not worth it, for the record too.

Just encourage his art and let him grow. He has ALL his life in college and beyond to be critiqued and edited. Then as a professional writer too. Childhood is the time to let them be absolutely free in their creativity. Writopia and writing camps are not teaching technical writing for academic classes etc. it's teaching fiction.

100% guarantee no nobel winner went to "Writopia"

Simplistic much?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am not sure I would send a kid who hates to write to writing camp in the summer.

I would have a tutor work with him writing. They can teach ways to structure writing that make it less painful.

http://www.asdec.org/Default.aspx?pageId=1597708

I think a tutor's a good idea. Maybe Summer's Edge at McLean School?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ok, as a professional writer, published author and poet, do NOT send your kid to writing camp. Writopia is expensive and not worth it, for the record too.

Just encourage his art and let him grow. He has ALL his life in college and beyond to be critiqued and edited. Then as a professional writer too. Childhood is the time to let them be absolutely free in their creativity. Writopia and writing camps are not teaching technical writing for academic classes etc. it's teaching fiction.

100% guarantee no nobel winner went to "Writopia"

OP here. I hear you but I am not trying to create a nobel winner. I am trying to help him get over writers block and learn techniques for making the process easier.

I understand the risk of forcing him to write. It could make him hate it more. Conversely, I think letting him avoid writing just makes it worse.

I decided to go the tutor route but with a twist.

During one week this summer, I am taking a couple of days, my husband is taking one or two and my parents are taking one or two. We are each going to plan a "home school" day with writing, an outing and other activities. The thought is that a few hours of writing in a day coupled with fun and some family time will be beneficial. One of those days, my child is actually coming to work with me and will be set up with a computer in my office (got approval from my supervisors and my son is really excited to be coming to work). I have a few ideas and will come up with a schedule. We are not going to critique as much as try to get him to expand and use different descriptor words.

Depending on how well that one on one goes, I may look into a tutor for the school year or some kind of diary projects.

[Anonymous]

Ok I had to jump in here when I saw the professional writer saying that Writopia is not worth it because I am a parent whose DD has LOVED her experiences with this wonderful group. They are also a non profit organization with sliding scale tuition down to free - so you pay what you feel you can. Their instructors are great but I find that my DD is just as engaged with her peers, which is wonderful to see. Full disclosure, she is a child who loves to read and write and sometimes needs to be told to close the laptop and stop writing at night but I do know of several others in her group who started Writopia and didn't love to write and now they do. This is not about creating a professional writer any more than sending your child to another camp is designed to ensure that they will use it as a springboard into a future career. If your child likes to write but may not know how to start and wants to meet a very open minded and fun group of kids who also like to write, I say give it a try.

I also love that Writopia allows every student to read their work publicly at the end of a session if they want to (no pressure). They hold readings at Barns and Noble and the students stand at the mic and read their work and take questions from the audience. This has been great for my daughter to share her work and to enjoy speaking in front of a group.

Anyhow, I clearly love the program but it's because I have a child who was NOT willing to miss her weekly writing class all year because she enjoyed it so much. That says a lot to me as a parent.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ok, as a professional writer, published author and poet, do NOT send your kid to writing camp. Writopia is expensive and not worth it, for the record too.

Just encourage his art and let him grow. He has ALL his life in college and beyond to be critiqued and edited. Then as a professional writer too. Childhood is the time to let them be absolutely free in their creativity. Writopia and writing camps are not teaching technical writing for academic classes etc. it's teaching fiction.

100% guarantee no nobel winner went to "Writopia"

OP here. I hear you but I am not trying to create a nobel winner. I am trying to help him get over writers block and learn techniques for making the process easier.

I understand the risk of forcing him to write. It could make him hate it more. Conversely, I think letting him avoid writing just makes it worse.

I decided to go the tutor route but with a twist.

During one week this summer, I am taking a couple of days, my husband is taking one or two and my parents are taking one or two. We are each going to plan a "home school" day with writing, an outing and other activities. The thought is that a few hours of writing in a day coupled with fun and some family time will be beneficial. One of those days, my child is actually coming to work with me and will be set up with a computer in my office (got approval from my supervisors and my son is really excited to be coming to work). I have a few ideas and will come up with a schedule. We are not going to critique as much as try to get him to expand and use different descriptor words.

Depending on how well that one on one goes, I may look into a tutor for the school year or some kind of diary projects.

Would love to hear from the PP re how that summer plan went!

[Anonymous]

Does anyone have a suggestion other than Writopia? I have an 11 year old boy with the same type of issue. He loves reading but needs encouragement with writing.