Posts Tagged Story

Basic Things to Keep in Mind While Writing

April 19, 2009 at 9:21 pm · Filed under Writing Tips ·Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , ,

According to Edina School’s OWL (online writing lab), the following are the six main traits of writing. I thought that the questions following each trait could be useful to all writers.

1. Idea and Content – This includes the purpose for writing. Every paper should convey a message and be easy to follow. Ask these questions:

  • What is my message and is it focused and clear?
  • Did I include important details relevant to my topic?
  • Did the reader learn something new?
  • Is my paper interesting and easy to understand?

2. Organization – It is essential to keep writing organized so that readers can move through the piece in a meaningful way. Organization includes using proper headings and transitions and making sure the piece is written in a logical order. Ask these questions:

  • Does my beginning hook my reader?
  • Is my paper easy to follow? Did I choose the best way to organize my story?
  • Do my ideas link to a main message?
  • Do I have a strong conclusion that wraps up the story?

3. Voice – Voice is the personal flare put in a piece of writing by the author. It stylizes the piece and helps keep readers interested. Different genres and purposes for writing requires different voices (e.g. formal vs. informal). Ask these questions:

  • Can you tell I am enthusiastic about my topic?
  • Does this writing sound like me?
  • How do I want my readers to feel?
  • Will my story hold readers’ attention? Will they want to hear more?

4. Sentence Fluency – It is important that writer’s words flow and are easy to read allowed. Sentence structure should vary so that the piece does not sound monotone or robotic. Ask these questions:

  • Is my story easy to read?
  • Do my sentences begin in different ways?
  • Did I use some long and some short sentences?
  • Does my paper sound smooth as I read it aloud?

5. Word Choice – Use specific words to create images, capture attention of readers and make writing memorable. Ask these questions:

  • Have I used some strong verbs or colorful phrases that grab my reader?
  • Have I chosen the most precise word?
  • Have I used any unique words?
  • Did I repeat common words too many times?

6. Conventions – After writing the first draft of a paper, edit it and make sure that all of the conventions of writing are used properly. These include punctuation, spelling, capitalization, grammar and paragraphing. Ask these questions:

  • Did I leave spaces between words and sentences?
  • Did I use a title?
  • Did I use correct punctuation?
  • Did I use capital letters in the right places?
  • Have I proofread for correct spelling and grammar?

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Creative Writing Exercises for the Elementary Classroom

April 18, 2009 at 9:05 pm · Filed under Teaching Writing ·Tagged , , , , , , , , , ,

Frustrated Student taken from Google Images

Frustrated Student taken from Google Images

There are a myriad of students in the modern education system that dislike and try to avoid writing. According to Regina G. Richards in her article Why Students Avoid Writing, reasons for children’s disdain for writing include that it is tedious and takes too long, they struggle with the grammar and mechanics of writing, they have difficulty expressing their ideas in words, they struggle with a learning disorder, or they are simply never happy with their writing products.

Fun and interesting activities can be incorporated into the classroom to spark students’ interest in writing. The following are some examples compiled using Busy Teacher’s Cafe and Traci’s Creative Writing Activities.

Picture Prompt – Distribute pictures to the students from a coloring book with no words. Have them color the page, and write a story about them. Laminate the students’ work to create a class picture book.

Story Lists Create word lists that correspond with a topic. Allow students to pick a topic and have them use the word list to create a story.

Paragraph Order Take a paragraph, cut it into sentence strips and put the strips in an envelope. Instruct students to put the strips in an order that makes sense.

Show and Tell Instead of bringing an object to class and telling about it, students write a detailed paper describing their item and why it is significant to them.

Jumble Story Provide a list of characters, settings, and situations and have students pick one from each list and create a story using those elements.

Scavenger Hunt Host a scavenger hunt over the course of a week in which students are provided with a list of things and instead of bringing them in, they must describe how they found the items in writing.

Embellish and Ad Take an advertisement from the classified ads and ask students to write a story about the person who placed the ad, the object that they are selling, and why they are selling it.

Confess a Secret Have students invent a character who possesses a secret and roleplay as that character by writing a series of journal entries.

Memoir Have students recall a significant place or event from their childhood and describe it in writing.

Found Treasures Take a bunch of odds and ends and place them into brown paper lunch bags and distribute them to students. The students must pretend this is random treasure they found and write about the person who collected the objects, how he found them, and why they are important.

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