PBS WRITING CONTEST LETS KIDS TELL THEIR STORIES
THE WRITING CONTEST IS OPEN TO STUDENTS IN KINDERGARTEN THROUGH THIRD GRADE.
Emma Gotto, a fourth-grader at The Branch School, entered the Houston Public Media PBS KIDS Writers Contest for three years before ultimately taking home top honors.
In her winning entry at the thirdgrade level last year, Emma’s story views the world from the perspective of her baby sister, Mina.
“Where does Dad go when he’s on a “business trip?,” Emma imagines her sister thinking.
Mina also muses about the times her older sister goes to her bedroom to complete homework, wondering why she’s not allowed to interrupt her. Mina describes what she would do if she were big enough to reach the piano keys like her sister. Next to Emma’s hand-drawn family portrait, 1-year-old Mina explains the confusion that ensues when she calls each of her family members the same name, Ba Ba Ba.
“It’s really awesome what these kids can do,” says Connie Hill, director of interactive education for Houston Public Media. Of the quality of stories that are selected as finalists, Hill says, “You would be pleased to get it in a school curriculum or even in a store.”
The contest is open to students in kindergarten, first, second and third grade.
Putting pen to paper
Now in its 24th year, the writing contest’s entry period is longer than it has been in the past. Stories are due in January, but the entry forms became available this fall. Hill says the additional months will allow applicants more time to produce their original stories, which must include five original illustrations in order to be considered.
Most entries come in the simple form of paperclipped pages. However, some kids go so far as to produce a bound book, complete with a front and back cover, dedication page and author bio.
The contest allows kids “to express what’s in their head but
also learn structure on how to organize, how to to put in on paper,” says Hill, adding that they’ll also gain confidence and improve reading skills through the process of writing.
An applicant can spell at his or her ability and will not be penalized
for improper spelling. Children who cannot yet write can dictate their story to an adult. Stories can be fiction, nonfiction, prose or poetry. In past years, entries have included a collection of poems, a pop-up book and a graphic novel.
Every child who enters gets a certificate with his or her name in the mail.
The page turners
A group of educators, librarians and authors whittles down the entries to a total of 30 finalists across the four grade levels. The finalists and their families are invited to a celebration in the spring, which has historically taken place at the Children’s Museum of Houston.
A local author serves as the guest speaker, sharing his or her work and offering a motivational message to fellow writers, addressing the students as colleagues.
The top winner in each grade reads his or her story on stage, and the illustrated pages appear on a screen behind them.
“What I’m always inspired by is just the pride I see when the families come in,” Hill says. The finalists “have made something from start to finish. … It gives them the confidence and inspiration to go on to something else.”
Kate Piña, who taught Emma the year she was named as the firstplace winner, says classes at The Branch School participate in the contest every year.
By the time kids have reached third grade, she says, they’re more competitive. They “take a certain pride in not just their writing but their illustrations,” she says, and they work diligently “on this idea of creating something worthy of publication.”
“The caliber of writing when they’re entering the competition is a step above even when they turn in assignments for me,” she says.