554 S. San Vicente Blvd. #204 Los Angeles, CA 90048
Moved to Write®
offering poetry workshops for k-12 students
Students of all ages often feel tremendous pressure when it comes to writing: the pressure to come up with ideas, the pressure to zero in on a topic, and the pressure to be perfect. Yet, writers thrive when they can simply play and have fun with their words!
The Moved to Write® method motivates young writers through poetry and movement, with a range of engaging activities to open the doorway to original thinking.
We teach the Moved to Write process in a program called the Poetry Studio. The studio atmosphere inspires the freedom to experiment, yet it is in no way a haphazard approach. Consider these benefits:
K – 12th grade students:
- strengthen their ability to focus
- embrace creative challenge
- develop and extend vocabulary, word choice and usage
- value classmates’ thinking, creativity
- plan, review and revise their work
- practice peer-review and editing
- develop creative intelligence
- gain self-confidence
- move beyond previous limitations or challenges
- enhance their presentation skills
The tools of movement can be instrumental in helping writers of any age face the blank page. The Moved to Write method facilitates creative expression through imagery, breath work, rhythm, and neuro-developmental movement activities from Brain Gym® and other disciplines.
The studio atmosphere unfolds as each poet brainstorms, drafts, shares, rewrites, and reflects on his or her writing. The student may produce one poem or a body of work, depending on schedule, budget and package.
Ultimately, the Poetry Studio program fosters enthusiastic and productive writers with confidence, competence, and self-awareness.
the feedback
"You are incredible. How do you ever get youngsters to write so convincingly, so from the heart? I am in awe of your abilities and dedication.” – Sylvia Rogers, Principal (retired), Canfield Elementary School
“It is enthralling to watch Deborah Studebaker elicit soulful emotions from our students through visualizations and movement. She then expertly guides them in the process of transforming their feelings into poetry.” – Sonya Neweissman, Educator
"Dear Mrs. Studebaker, Thank you for making me more confident in my writing. I used to be a cocoon, hiding my feelings inside of me. But now I'm a butterfly, expressing my feelings in my writing." - M., 5th grade student
“I love what you’ve brought to The Willows’ poetry program. Children begin in Kindergarten and quickly see themselves as poets. Each year, students further develop their voice. They hone their ability to express their feelings and observations about the world with increasing facility and swell with pride at what they have created.” - Terri Baird, Director of Teaching and Learning, The Willows Community School
"Thank you for letting us see who our children really are by giving them the tool to express themselves!” – Elizabeth Owens, parent