Ready To Write

About The Author

Bonnie

I have been working as a freelance writer since 1998, and have been writing and editing professionally full time since 1995. I originally began writing and editing professionally, but only part-time, in 1984 (yes, I started in high school!). I continued writing and editing in college and graduate school, where I also worked as a research assistant from 1990 to 1992. When writing for kids, my philosophy is to treat kids as capable readers who can draw their own conclusions and figure things out, even things that are not explicitly made clear to them. Kids are much smarter than textbook editors or teachers ever give them credit for. Their plastic little brains are forming connections much faster than we adults can even imagine! Trust me, they are smarter than we are. They just don't have as much life experience. Obviously, therefore, I don't believe in dumbing down the curriculum -- I believe in smartening it up. Give kids a wealth of information and context, and stop beating them over the heads with the same sparse details again and again until they are sick to death of school and everything to do with it. Kids hate school because school feels like jail. Give them real information and tools that they can use in real life, and school won't be a jail anymore -- it will be a support and a resource that increases kids' freedom by increasing their ability to handle the real world. Kids universally love it if you give them the chance to actually learn something. Textbook editors and publishers, you would do well to take note of this simple fact!!