A child is a human being who has not yet reached adulthood. A person who is a child is dependent on others for his or her physical and emotional well-being. A child is also an innocent human being who loves everyone, regardless of social status.
A Christian definition of children includes those who are gifted to parents to care for and nurture (Romans 1:28). God has made children part of His creative plan and has given them a unique identity, talents, and abilities that are developed through personal interaction with family members and their communities. The Christian Church believes that parents and their families, churches, schools, and other community organizations are essential to the development of children and their character.
Writing for children is challenging because it requires writers to put aside any preconceived notions about what kids are like and focus on giving them an informative article with engaging material. It’s also important to understand that the world has changed since you were a kid, and kids want articles that are relevant to their lifestyles and interests. For example, while small-town kids may still go to the swimming hole during the summer, suburban and urban children are more likely to play youth soccer or skateboard on the streets.
If you’re a newcomer to writing for children, start with some research about what the topic is and find out what the average age of your intended audience is. Then, make sure you write to that level and keep the content simple enough that your audience can follow your story. One helpful tool for this is the Flesch-Kincaid grade level scale, which evaluates a writer’s writing based on syllable count and word length.
When writing fiction for children, Marilyn says that it’s important to make the characters as real as possible so that readers can identify with them. She recommends that writers think about interesting events and situations that happened in their own childhoods or in the lives of family and friends. A memorable event can serve as the seed for an excellent story.
When writing about global issues, try to highlight local communities and businesses that are involved in the situation so that readers feel connected with the information. Also, make sure to include information about where to get more information if the reader is concerned or upset by what they read. These kinds of tips can help readers to better understand and process difficult news stories about the environment, poverty, war, or natural disasters. These are often topics that have the potential to upset children, so it’s important to be sensitive and provide resources if they need them. It’s also crucial to remind children that they are not alone in their feelings. This will help them to feel less powerless in the face of an uncontrollable situation. In fact, many children are more emotionally tuned in to current affairs than people assume. This was demonstrated by the success of the weekly current-affairs magazine The Week Junior during the pandemic of 2009. In addition to providing information, it also offered a place for readers to express their concerns and show empathy with others who were affected by the crisis.