At El Carmelo Elementary, the Crayon is Mightier Than the Sword

In 2005, author Sondra Hall became disheartened that her elementary schoolchildren were not being taught creative writing in the classroom. Grammar and spelling mechanics, yes, but not the act of spiritedly scribbling down verses on paper.

So she founded Take My Word for It, an after-school writing program for second- through fifth-graders. It started in San Francisco and the East Bay and recently migrated to the Peninsula, including to El Carmelo Elementary in Palo Alto.

“The longer I do this, the more I feel we’re not teaching, but opening a door,” said Hall. “We see ourselves as a word incubator, a place where kids feel safe and supported.”

In every session, the focus is not on sentence structure, but rather self-expression and sharing ideas among their peers. At the end of the course, the instructors work with the children to polish their best work and publish it on a blog, which includes a page spotlighting the work of El Carmelo students.

“Of course, for the kids, [the lack of grammar focus] is ‘Yahoo!’” said Hall. “It allows them to fully express their imaginations.”

Hall taught every course herself for the first five years of the program until adding 15 teachers in 2010. Now classes range from six to 26 kids and are taught by locals who either have their Master of Fine Arts in creative writing or are pursuing one. When a class exceeds 12 students, Hall adds an assistant.

"We want to make sure that every child who wants to take the class can take the class," she said.

The hour-long courses are often arranged around a theme, such as Peanut Butter and the Pen: Food Writing for Kids, where children describe the cheese, fruits and sweets they sample during the session.

On the recommendation of a friend, El Carmelo parent Jeanette Chencer reached out to Take My Word For It, helping bring the class to the school last spring. In two weeks, it will begin its second session for fourth- and fifth-graders.

“For kids who may not be as eager [to write], this puts them in a supportive, creative environment,” said Chencer, whose fifth-grade daughter is enrolling in the class for a second time. "It's also a very social thing—a fun, collaborative class."

The 13-week session at El Carmelo runs Thursday through Dec. 15 (with no class Nov. 24) and costs around $200. It meets for one hour a week. Parents can enroll their children on the program's website.