FeedUsing Children’s Magazine Stories, Poems, and Articles
May 16, 2011 in Elementary Educators, High School Teachers, Middle School Teachers, Preschool to 1st grade teachers Tags: WOW! classes, writing for children's magazines
Just like using children’s and YA books with kids and teens, you can also use short stories, poems, and articles from the many popular children’s magazines, such as Cricket, Highlights for Kids, or Girls Life. Each new issue provides tons of lesson opportunities whether you are a classroom teacher, librarian, home school parent, or grandparent. You can read and discuss the magazine contents, write a short story or poem like one in the magazine, or even do further research on an article that catches a child’s interest.
How have I used children’s magazine pieces with kids?
- Tutoring: Children’s magazine pieces are perfect for tutoring students, especially reluctant readers. If you can find a magazine with a topic a kid loves, the stories and articles are just about the right length for one tutoring session. Sometimes, an entire book can seem overwhelming for a struggling reader, and so using a magazine story can help take away that stress.
- Holidays: Magazine pieces are perfect for bringing into the classroom or a home school lesson that special poem or story, which is holiday-themed. For example, need a cute poem for the afternoon of St. Patrick’s Day? Find it in a March magazine. How about a Halloween story that’s not too scary? You get the point! Find it in a magazine.
- Poetry lessons: Adults make poetry scary for kids, and I’m not sure why. But some of the best kids’ poetry is found in children’s magazines. Use these poems in your classroom. Use these with your kids at home. Talk about the illustrations and how they add to the poem! Poetry is fun.
Some of you may also be interested in writing for children’s magazines! I am starting my writing for children’s magazine online class through WOW! Women On Writing on Tuesday, May 24. It goes for 7 weeks; and at the end you have a short story, query letter for an article, and a filler to send out. We also navigate through the magazine market. For more info, go here.
May 16th, 2011 at 4:10 pm
It’s nice to see your feature on these popular magazines for children, Margo. They do pack a lot in each issue and they are wonderful markets to write for. Your WOW! class sounds terrific!
May 17th, 2011 at 3:07 pm
I love this! I read it as a kid and love it then, too. :O)
May 18th, 2011 at 1:01 pm
Thanks, Clara and Pam!