If you’ve checked out or will check out New Product Genesis and New Product Genesis – Part 2, then you know or will know that the push-pull creative project on my horizon is to design a product that will encourage children to read and write and to assist adults who are trying to encourage children to read and write. More of the emphasis with this product will be on writing, but there will naturally be a strong reading component to it, as well.
Furthermore, if you’ve followed my goal-setting journey, you’re well aware of my intention to become more involved with my local community through volunteering. And, it just so happens that I would love to incorporate my product offerings into any activities and events I conduct or participate in within my community.
As a matter of fact, I see lots of opportunities to work with adults in personal and professional development areas, but I also see opportunities to work with children in the core subject matters of reading and writing. And, some of those opportunities would likely take place in settings, where reading and writing would be areas of focus, such as in in-school tutoring, stand-alone tutoring facilities, online tutoring and teaching, library summer reading programs, summer school, and literacy programs.
While a big emphasis will be placed on making my product(s) available locally, I also want to make the purchasing process available online to all who have a child in their lives who they want to encourage in reading and writing efforts. And, I’ve even come up with some specific spaces that I can see my product filling quite nicely, such as:
- prizes for meeting expectations or exceeding expectations and reaching certain benchmarks or academic goals (especially in reading and writing) in the elementary school classrooms.
- a product to be sold in the school store or during school book fairs.
- a product to be offered at back-to-school bashes and school carnivals.
- a product to be offered at craft shows, city-wide children’s events, and city-wide women’s events.
I’m also not limiting my product’s reach. While it will fit comfortably in any childhood educational setting (from brick-and-mortar schools, to homeschooling environments, to tutoring centers, to child daycare facilities, to after-school recreational programs), it will also play a pivotal role in getting children to read and write outside of educational settings. The purpose of this product is to cater to any child (pre-K through 5th grade, preferably), providing a tool that will help the child develop core skills that will benefit him or her in everyday life.
And, how about having a product that encourages reading and writing during the summer breaks, while school’s not in session? Don’t children’s minds need to be stimulated during long break periods as well? Yup, they do. I think that this learning tool will be great for keeping children mindful of the importance to read and write all year long, even during school breaks.
As adults, can’t we agree on the fact that reading and writing are a part of our everyday lives? There’s no escaping this fact. So, why not help children get acquainted with the beneficial roles reading and writing play in their young lives and how developing skills in these areas help to shape the successes they can experience in their futures? I say . . . the sooner they develop a love (I’ll even settle for a liking or even a semblance of respect) for these activities, the better.
So, the part that the adults will play will be very instrumental in encouraging childhood development in learning processes. As a matter of fact, I’m not limiting adult involvement with children’s learning processes to only parents and teachers. Other adult family members, mentors, counselors, and child advocates of any kind can definitely purchase and utilize these bundles for the special child in their lives. And, there’ll be information included in the bundle, that will address the adults and give instructions on how to assist children in their reading and writing efforts.
Ideally, I view this new product idea as a team activity that requires cooperation between child and adult in order to work in its fullest capacity. Sure, children will be able to enjoy the contents of the bundle without adult involvement. But, I think that a young child will always need assistance from those adults he or she looks up to for guidance, support, and positive reinforcement in any worthwhile endeavor that he or she chooses to take on.
What I want to get across with this product is the idea that educating oneself can be intermingled with fun-filled activities. Simply stated, writing and reading are work, but they can be fun work. Children are impressionable and they tend to pattern off of the adults that are closest to them or most involved in their daily lives. And, by adults cultivating an environment of exploration, imagination, and consolidation of fun into learning, a child can’t help but to become excited about all the possibilities that reading and writing hold. In turn, these two activities will become more of a delight than a dreaded occurrence and more of a privilege than an unwelcomed mandate.
Now, I want to give you a heads-up that I may be enlisting your help in the future by asking you some questions, from an adult’s perspective, on what you’d like to see in a child’s packet on reading and writing. CALLING ALL ADULTS! If you have children, work with children, or you’re a child at heart, I would love to hear your suggestions on how I can make this product/tool truly appeal to children and positively impact their perception of reading and writing.
Progress Made Last Week
The top 3 items I worked on this past week, regarding new product development, are as follows:
- Researched probably suppliers who will provide me with some of the items for my product bundle.
- Researched the best shipping options and shipping materials to use for sending out the product.
- Researched which site(s) I will be selling my product on.
I’ll make sure and keep you abreast of the latest developments as they occur.
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