Writing with Your Child For Your Child

Saturdays April 5th - April 26th, 2025 (4 sessions)
10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Tuition: $104 Materials: $20
(One registration = pair)
 

This 4 week class (one two hour session per week)  was designed for parent and child or grandparent and child pairs. The intention is for each pair to write their own personalized children’s book.  There are no prerequisites or level of skill necessary although an ideal age range might be 6 to 10 years of age.  

The story line for your book will reflect values you identify as those your family hold dear. This allows your child to learn more about what is important in your family. The main characters will be identified/selected by your child because they are looked up to.  Children often choose superheroes or their own imaginative heroes.  The writing and illustrating will occur during class sessions and at home between classes.

A tangible outcome will be a 16 to 32 page illustrated children’s book.  The instructor will use one he has written, “Asking Willow”,  as a model for teaching, but individual creativity will be encouraged.  The original version of you and your child’s book (manuscript)  will make a great family keep sake.  A photocopy of the manuscript can be easily bound and made into a wonderfully personalized gift for someone important in your child’s life, such as a grandparent.  

The class follows the philosophy that by working in a group setting learning can occur well beyond what any of us can anticipate.  The experience takes us on a journey where we deepen our understanding about how to be there for each other.

In its implementation, specific information is presented and designed activities facilitated by the instructor.  Even so, you as a parent or grandparent are the expert on your child’s preferred modes of learning. Individualizing the methods to you and your child’s way of learning together is encouraged.  Participant pairs are also encouraged to help each other in ways that are positive and of the understanding that each family has their own way of seeing the world.  

During the first session, parents or grandparents receive a handout that serves as a reference to important points covered during the class and describes why various activities are selected.  Materials for writing and illustrating will also be handed out.  They are presented as a gift to your child for both of you to use. It is way to help your child understand just how much their involvement in the class is appreciated.  

The class blossomed out of an understanding that it is all about enjoyment.  With that as the foundation, we can explore the criteria for determining if the class was worthwhile.  Several questions we like to explore are:  Did you and your child enjoy the class?  Does your child know more about values your family hold dear?  Do you feel you and your child learned to create at a higher level?   Do your feel your child has had some seeds planted that will help in making good choices?  Did you and your child feel inspired and supported by the group?  

The contact information to find out more about the class is listed below.  Please feel free to reach out if you have questions you would like to discuss as you think about the class.  We can help you decide whether or not to sign up but there is no pressure to do so.

Discussion about the class can be directed to:

John Kopp, class instructor

701-805-5405

johnmedrock@gmail.com

About your instructor: John Kopp has had a 40 year career working with parents and children in developing positive ways to interact and replace behavioral challenges. After moving to Ely, MN almost five years ago, he became active in many groups. He is currently: a member of the area writers group, on the Friends of the Library Board, an instructor at the Ely Folk School, on the volunteer cleaning crew for the Folk School, a volunteer for taking water clarity readings on Fenske Lake, the loon monitor for Everett Lake, and is a member a local book club. His creative passion is to continue developing ways to teach parents to write with their children for their children. John’s children and grandchildren joke around about how envious they are of his getting to live here in Northern Minnesota, in the beauty of the trees and lakes. They love to come and visit. It would be John’s dream come true if they could relocate here at some point in their own family journeys.