Today BESA marks the first ever National Writing Day. Organised by the charity First Story, education companies are coming together to celebrate creative writing across the UK, via many events, games and competitions.
For example, our member Scribeasy is launching a challenge to write the most inventive stories, in exchange for a years’ free subscription for up to six winning schools, as well as for the families of the winning schools too.
National Writing Day is also the occasion for companies to share resources for teachers, including icebreakers, workshop plans and assembly exercises.
A range of BESA members, strongly dedicated to making writing accessible to children of all backgrounds and capabilities, are taking part in the celebrations.
Angela Byrne, UK Sales Manager at Prim-Ed Publishing Ltd, said:
“A celebration of writing! What more powerful way to promote a love of writing, and inspire the next generation of writers!
“As a platform for generating a community of young writers, a dedicated National Writing Day creates an impetus for children to write imaginatively for audiences within the classroom and beyond, and to develop and sustain this motivation. Through local, regional and national events, children are given the opportunity to work with writers, engage in workshops and be inspired by accompanying resources. These powerful energisers offer children the opportunity to find their own voice, to share the stories they write, to develop original ideas and explore possibilities through discussion, to use the power of their imagination and critically, instil a lifelong love of writing.”
She added: “As a publisher of teacher and pupil resources, it has been our privilege to contribute to children’s literacy learning across the UK and beyond. Prim-Ed Publishing resources are designed to inspire imaginative thought, and influence the quality of children’s writing. A love of writing is the single most powerful gift that a teacher can offer to pupils.”
Tonya Meers, Chief Storyteller from Little Creative Days Ltd, also noted the importance of celebrating writing for the power writings can have in people’s lives. She said:
“Writing can be used to convey information or as a means of relaxation. The pleasure you get from getting lost in a good book should not be underestimated. We would all be a lot poorer as a nation if we didn’t have those great authors and their stories. Whether it’s a classic, romance or psychological thriller the ability of those authors to tell a good story helps to enrich our lives.”
She added: “Being able to help inspire children to want to read and write, especially those reluctant readers and writers, is so rewarding and such a privilege.
“We always get a wonderful warm glow when we see children loving getting involved in our stories and seeing their excitement when we walk into a classroom with Pojo.”
For Amanda Duncan, Founder of Scribeasy, writing is a critical ability for children’s wellbeing. She said:
“Writing as a practice is vital for creative and holistic wellbeing. Words and how we use them affect almost every aspect of life.
“Being able to articulate thoughts and seeing them on the page – to read them, to hear them – helps. The mind can use words to imagine, re-imagine, frame and re-frame; make connections. Being articulate and having an awareness of the impact of word choices are skills for life, which enable long-term opportunities and possibilities.”
As for Jon Smith, CEO and co-founder of Pobble, he sees the need for writing skills as a way to ensure children find their place in society:
“Writing is a critical skill for everyone – it helps us to communicate, to define and refine our own thoughts, and to express ourselves to the outside world.
“By celebrating writing in early years, we ensure that children understand the importance of developing their own personal communication skill set. We help to stimulate their creativity and self-esteem, and ultimately contribute to improving their ability to function as productive members of our society.”
To encourage creativity and writing, supporters of National Writing Day are invited to post on social media the “View from my window”, a simple exercise to write what you see out there before taking a picture of it. If you want to participate, make sure to include #TellYourStory and #NationalWritingDay in your tweet, or tweet @writeday.
Various activities are also taking place on Facebook and Instagram.
Find out more on National Writing Day website.
