How do the courses from Common Room help improve my child’s writing skills?

Common Room offers fun and engaging creative writing courses for children of ages 7-15. The short term courses explore specific genres of writing- fantasy fiction, for instance- in great detail, while the long term courses delve into a wider range of topics, from writing a paragraph to writing essays and blogs. 

The writing tasks are presented through a set of highly interactive, discussion- driven activities. Each lesson is thematic, and gives the children a strong purpose, along with a theme- based vocabulary list, to encourage them to complete the day’s writing task. Their writing samples are discussed in class and they receive feedback by the trainer and the peers alike. 

Each lesson also comes with an at-home, optional practice worksheet. If the children complete and share the worksheet task, they receive a personalised email feedback from the trainer. Due to the nature of the lessons that promote learner autonomy, the children continue to develop their writing skills, beyond the classroom too.

Are the classes conducted online?

Yes, the classes are conducted live and online via Zoom for Education.

What materials would my child need to bring to class?

Since Common Room offers creative writing courses, the children should bring a notebook and a pen or pencil to class. Alternatively, if they prefer typing out their assignments, they can use a Word document.

Can my child access the courses from a tablet or an iPad?

Yes, the classes can be accessed from a tablet, iPad or mobile device.

What is included in a creative writing course from Common Room?

When you purchase a creative writing course from Common Room, you get access to live online sessions delivered by the trainer, along with a set of offline support materials. If the children submit the at-home practice tasks mentioned in the offline support materials, they will also receive personalised email feedback from the trainer.

How does my child get feedback on his/her work?

Feedback is given verbally during class time, for the children’s written work that they complete during class hours. Additionally, if the children submit their optional at- home practice tasks, they receive personalised email feedback from the trainer.

My child is 6 years old. Do you have a creative writing course for him?

Unfortunately, no. The minimum age for children to join a creative writing course from Common Room is 7 years.

My child does not like writing. Will a creative writing course from Common Room help my child?

In short, yes indeed. Creative writing courses from Common Room has been prove over and over to inspire even the most reluctant writers to develop a love for writing.Trust us, your child will love it too!

What is the minimum number of class hours required for my child to show noticeable improvements?

From our experience, the minimum number of guided learning hours required for children to show noticeable improvement in their writing style is 40 hours. However, they do benefit from shorter courses as well, as they gain familiarity with new structures, engage in discussion with like- minded peers, explore good and bad examples of writing, and are made aware of the strengths and weaknesses of their own writing styles.

Does a child really benefit from an hour-long creative writing workshop?

An hour-long creative writing workshop is not sufficient for children to show noticeable improvement in their writing style. However, we do recommend attending our Saturday workshops as they give the parents and children a chance to get an idea of what our courses are like, and pick up a few things along the way. From our experience, many reluctant writers decide to give a longer program a try, due to the fun, engaging and thematic nature of the workshop.

Are the creative writing courses from Common Room appropriate for children with special needs?

Yes. All our courses are fully flexible and adaptable to every child’s learning needs. Due to the very small nature of our classes, there is enough room for the trainer to personalise the lessons according to learner needs and offer individual attention. 

Do you offer Speaking and Grammar courses as well?

Currently, we do not offer Speaking and Grammar courses. However, there are several self- study resources for young learners and adults alike, in the Common Room Shop.

Do you offer year- long after school courses?

We do not have a year- long program as of now. The duration of our longest program is 40 hours. However, many parents enrol their children for subsequent short courses round the year!

Do you offer school subscriptions? How do I get a quote?

We do offer school subscriptions. Please reach out to us at admin@commonroom.in for more information.

What are the payment methods for Common Room?

We accept net banking, UPI transactions as well as credit card payments.