My birthday is in January. I’m seven years old right now, but by the time you read this I’ll be eight!

I love going to school. Reading is my favorite subject in the whole world. In fact, one time I read 10 chapter books in one day!  I also really like writing and learning Spanish, but I don’t like math as much. I’m working hard to learn all my math facts so that math will be more fun!

My favorite chapter books are the Magic tree House series, by Mary Pope Osborne. She lives in New York City. I even wrote her a letter. I hope she writes me back!

(I hope we can be pen pals. My dad said maybe, but not to get my hopes up.)

My brother, Max, is five years old. He will turn six this June. He was born on Father’s Day. My mom said that it he was the best present she ever could have given him.

My favorite food is pork chops. And my favorite desserts are chocolate cake and ice cream. My favorite breakfast is Danish and my favorite sports are tennis and soccer. My favorite animals are dogs and cats.

When I grow up I want to be a teacher. If I have to have a second choice, I would choose to be a singer.

I’ve been writing on Children Write the Future for the last couple of months. My dad says that I have done a really good job and so now I can write for Writer Dad. I’ve written a lot of stuff, but my favorites are the post I wrote about how to be a good friend and the one about why I love Animal Crossing (that’s my favorite game!).

I hope you will read my posts when I write them! If you have any comments I will answer them when I’m done with my homework.  If you have any questions for me, you can leave them in the comment section and my daddy said he would do another interview soon.

Thank you so much for reading!

Mia

P.S. My dad wanted me to tell you that he didn’t make me add the links! (He did them all himself)

Children Write the Future.

It’s not yet a cliche, but I sincerely hope it will be. Those four words hold an elemental truth. Yet, as a culture, we are not doing near enough to ensure that their tomorrow is better than our today.

Communication is the key to unlocking the best possible future. Children should be given the tools they require at the earliest opportunity. Reading and writing are in many ways central to success. And though the bare minimum is maintained with reading, writing is the red headed step child of modern academia.

This is in some ways understandable, but it is by no means acceptable.

Teaching writing is difficult; far more subjective than the black and white, right or wrong rules which make up mathematics. Yes, there are the rules of grammar and syntax, and mechanics are important to clear, effective writing. But they are secondary to getting thoughts from the brain to the page – a process which is far more difficult to teach.

Many children hate to write. Their teachers are often not only on the other side of the desk, they are on the other side of that thought as well.

Yet children are capable of far more than they are generally given credit for. By endowing them with the toolbox early, then working to sharpen their skills year after year, we can provide our children with the essential skills that the inevitable tomorrow will certainly require.

For the first time in history, we are preparing our children for a future we can barely anticipate. The Internet has changed the game. Modern education is in many ways failing to keep pace. One thing is certain. The world will be ever more reliant on fluid communication, and it is those voices with the ability to communicate with clarity who will be the leaders and torchbearers of tomorrow.

This is a principle belief for both Cindy and myself; the foundation behind our mutual site, Children Write the Future, and the theory we heartily practice with our own two children.

Our daughter has been writing each Thursday at Children Write the Future. As I’ve mentioned before, though our little girl loves to write, she hates to edit. Having her write for one of our sister sites was one of the ways we were finally able to help her get over her discomfort with the process. I told her she could go to her room, close the door and fill her notebooks with stories.

She would never had to edit a word if she didn’t want to. However, if she wanted to publish her words online (she loves the word publish) and expected others to read them, she needed to make sure she was putting her best on display.

She has done this, and I’m exceedingly proud of the work she’s done so far.

To reward her effort, and to help her further grow as a writer, I will be sharing the Children Write the Future feature with her. Sometimes I will write, but I believe it will be mostly her. She has been fascinated at the attention I’ve given this site over the last year, and when I told her she was graduating, well, I think I probably could’ve gotten her to edit a manuscript or two.

I am excited to share this space with her, and her with you. It will mean the world to her. And really, isn’t that what being a writer dad is really all about?

You have seen my children through my eyes for a while now. I look forward to looking through my daughter’s eyes with you.

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