Wie sou kon raai?
Dit klink na dagdromery, maar skynbaar is dit moontlik.
Jongste moes gedurende grendeltyd (vlak 5) ‘n dagboekinskrywing skryf!
“Ek gaan dit nié doen nie! Ek haat skryf!” Jongste is rooi in die gesig. Hy klap die boek toe.
“Jy móét dit doen, Seuna.” My paaiery val op dowe ore. Skielik dink ek aan sy opgwondenheid oor die uile. Ons woon op ‘n hoewe en hier is ‘n gesin uile in een van die hoë bome. Tydens vlak 5 en 4 van grendeltyd het ek en die seuns die uile soggens vroeg bekruip om foto’s te neem.
“Jou juffrou ken nie uile nie, want sy het nie uile in haar tuin nie. Sy sal daarvan hou om meer van die uile te wete te kom. Kom ons skryf vir haar iets oor die uile.” Ek haal al my botterbek-truuks uit.
Voila
Jongste skryf drie verskillende dagboekinskrywings — alles oor die uile en dit wat ons waargeneem het. Ons plak selfs foto’s van die uile in sy boek. Ek hoop die onderwyser het sy uil-inskrywing gelees.
Toe kom die groot onderneming
“My gunstelingkarakter in my storie is dood. Wat moet ek nou kyk?” Jongste se kop hang.
“Hoekom skryf jy nie jou eie storie nie?
“Mamma, jy voel seker nie lekker nie?” Oudste lag en rol sy oë.
“Waaroor sal ek skryf? Niemand sal my storie wil lees nie, my handskrif is lelik en my spelling suck.” Jongste sug.
Spreek lewe, preek ek altyd vir die seuns. Ek wens net hulle wil dit onthou en toepas. “Ek sal jou help met die spelling en ons tik jou storie, dan hoef jy jou nie oor handskrif te bekommer nie.
“Oukei. Wat maak ons dan met die storie?”
“Kom ons skryf dit net eers klaar, dan besluit ons.”
“Ek sal vir julle illustrasies doen.” Oudste is mal oor teken, maar het nog nooit enige lesse/klasse gehad nie. Ek heg een van sy illustrasies aan (the Flash). Of dit goed of sleg is weet ek nie en ek gee ook nie om nie — vir my gaan dit oor jou kreatiwiteit uitleef.
Hoe ver trek ons?
Ons het die beplanning gedoen. Die twee seuns het op die karakters se name en persoonlikhede besluit. Ek het die plek voorgestel. Die seuns het met die plot vorendag gekom. Ek het notas gemaak.
Wat ek dink?
Ek is vreeslik opgewonde oor die karakters en die storie. Ek is opgewonde oor ons spanpoging, oor die idee.
Mag ek tog net noem: die feit dat die seuns bereid is om saam met my ‘n storie te skryf, is ‘n wonderwerk!
Is it possible to convince a child who doesn’t like reading or writing to write a story? Dreams only?
It might sound like daydreaming but it seemingly is possible.
Tween had to write a journal entry for school during level 5 of lockdown
“I refuse to do that! I hate writing!” Red-faced and fuming Tween closed the book and got up from the dining room table where the boys normally do homework.
“It is an instruction and not a request, my boy.” My attempt to calm him down seemed unsuccessful. Suddenly I remembered his passion for the owls. We live outside town and we have a family of owls roaming the tall trees. During lockdown (levels 5 & 4) the boys and I sneaked around the area early mornings to try to take pics of the owls.
“Your teacher doesn’t know owls as well as you do. She doesn’t have owls in her garden. She would love to know more, I’m sure. Write about the owls.” I printed the pics we had taken.
Voila
Tween wrote three different diary entries — all about the owls and what we had seen. We stuck the pics of the owls in his book. I honestly hope that the teacher read his journal entries!
The big adventure
“My favourite character in my favourite story died? What is left? There is nothing I want to watch.” Tween’s head was hanging. ‘Dippy lippy’, as a friend calls it.
“Why don’t you write your own story?”
“Mom, are you sure you’re OK?” Teen laughed and rolled his eyes.
“What will I write about? Nobody would want to read my story. My handwriting is terrible and I suck at spelling.” Tween’s lip dipped even farther.
Speak life and not death, I always tell the boys. I just wish they would apply and remember it. “I’ll help you with the spelling and if we type your story, nobody will see your handwriting.”
“OK. What are we going to do with the story?”
I almost fell off the bed.
“Let’s just get it on paper and then we decide. OK?”
Have we made any progress as yet?
We have done the planning. The boys decided on the characters’ names and personalities. I suggested the setting. The boys came up with the entire plot. I took notes of everything they had said.
The exam is starting in a few days, so we will have to attempt this during the school holiday.
My thoughts?
I’m very excited about the characters and plot, about the entire idea.
The mere fact that they are willing to attempt this with me, is a miracle.