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Getting Unstuck with Creative Writing Janice, a teacher at Ridgeway Primary School near Sheffield explains to readers of Context - The magazine for family therapy and systemic practice how Alan's approach to narrative helped her class, and one pupil in particular, to produce spectacular results. Improving Literacy: Creative Approaches Improving Story Writing at Key Stages 1 and 2 by Alan Peat (Nash Pollock Publishing 2004) - £12.99 As a Year 6 teacher with SATs to think about and coming under increasing pressure
to improve standards of writing, I was delighted to discover a practical and
easily workable systemic technique of encouraging children to write stories. I was a little unsure how my class would take to it but was thrilled with their response. The method uses key words to keep writers on task and gives them a structure or frame to follow. The key words are:
By following this pattern, writers of any age will find that a story evolves without all the usual fog that can occur when you get into writing and are not sure where to go with it next. As a method of teaching creative writing, I find this magical and the faces of my pupils now light up instead of glazing over when creative writing is mentioned. The following example was written at home by a pupil who had previously been unenthusiastic about writing. Whilst having great ideas, he would get lost in the structure and, therefore, rarely get beyond the first couple of paragraphs. The quality of his word is marvellous in itself, but it was the
fact that he was inspired enough to take this on in his free time which
prompted me to write this article. Perhaps Josh's story will inspire you too? Chronicles of Patchalis The creaking of timbers and splashing of oars heralded the arrival of Patchaclis,
son of Hector. Armour clanked as he jumped lightly onto the jetty. The
solid oak planks groaned underfoot, as the crew of the Redflight lumbered across
it; there were over one hundred crew members. A wave of shouts, congratulations, praise and admiration almost bowled them over. Hands rained in on them, relations ruffled their hair, kind words from others and young ones playing out the parts that they had played on the rolling sea. Hector pulled Patchaclis to one side and said: "We are being evicted, so we are moving to the new land, Turkey." So, without further ado, they began to repack for the long journey ahead. The peasants piled aboard. Then, finally, the King, clad in a purple cloak and with a crown sat neatly atop his head. The crown in question had one red jewel set into its centre. This ruby had been mined from the hillside which stood behind him. The waves lapped the shore as the crew pushed off from the jetty. Some
young ones ran about on the deck, whilst others took to splashing in the pools
of water formed by the rolling waves. The adults, however, were serious
and distressed and most were worried about leaving the home that they had been
raised in. The only one who seemed relaxed was Patchaclis, but inwardly
he was as watchful as a hawk, scanning the horizon for danger. It was freezing cold and the watchman had dozed off when a sudden jolt shook
the entire ship. Then an ominous cracking of timbers woke the whole crew. Patchaclis
ran to the prow of the ship, almost deafened by the hysterical shouts, and
peered over the edge. He could just see, under the surface, a great reef. He
turned back and rapped out orders smartly. "Every able bodied man down
below. Get the children out and start bailing." Every man
charged down to help. Moments later, a soaking man breathlessly wheezed, "Sir,
we are taking on too much water." Patchaclis had only one choice. "Abandon
ship and swim for shore!" The swim was tough and gruelling. They
all made it, apart from one child. |