Teaching Writing, Part I: Story Making

Dr. Coreen Anderson

EDUC 5271

University of The People

March 9, 2022
Story Making

Writing strategies can be used to support the learning and development in the classroom.

They can be used to support the students in the structure of their writing but also in extending their

skills and knowledge required in the writing process. Bowkett (2010) highlights four strategies that

can support writing and they include; getting started, building a narrative, enriching the story and a

story grid.

Coming up with an idea for a story can be a challenge to many students, as their thinking

can often revert to their own experiences, rather than thinking creatively and writing about a subject

that is inspiring to them. To help the students get started with their writing, Bowkett (2010)

proposes using a brainstorming and association webs, to support their thinking. The following steps

are important in helping students to develop their ideas.

1. Provocation: this could be anything to inspire the students, a previous story, an object, or

perhaps a picture or video.

2. Idea splurge: the students would write down any words, phrases or perhaps memories and ideas

that come to their mind about the provocation.

3. Connections: the student links similar ideas together with lines and additional vocabulary.

4.Share: the students share their ideas and thoughts with one another, to give each other further

inspiration.

In the classroom, provocations are effective tools to inspire. They can be done very simply

such as having a box with a light shining on it, in a darkened room. Or perhaps an obscure object

that the students may not be able to identify. By provoking the students, they become engaged and

they start to use their imagination to fill in the gaps about the unknown. This imagination can then

be used to bring creativity to the story. By having an idea splurge, the learners have an opportunity
to write down and record their thoughts, without having to worry about the other aspects of story

writing. They are then able to refer back to this during the writing process. It also allows the

students to begin to plan the story, due to the connections and associations they have made between

in the writing process. Finally the sharing of ideas allows the children to consider other perspectives

and ideas. This can be done at any stage of getting started or throughout the writing process, as it

promotes reflections and a breakthrough of ideas

Planning and building a narrative can be a very daunting task but essential in creating a

coherent story. The planning stage is essential to provide structure and support when it comes to the

writing of the story. The overall story also needs to be manageable and attainable for the students so

combining writing techniques may be suitable, for example, combining graphic novels style and

traditional story technique may be successful.

1. Story mapping: use a story map to pan out the story, ensure that all elements of the story are

included.

2. Features: Identify the features of a graphic novel and discuss how they tell a story. 3. Identify:

using the story map, students identify the parts of the story they want to write and the other part of

the story they want to create using a graphic novel format.

4. Create: students follow the story map to create their story

Using a graphic novel and traditional story writing method, takes the pressure off the students

when they are creating their story. It allows the students to have enough time to tell the entire story

without the need for rushing certain aspects of the story. This is particularly effective for slower

writers as they are able to use more images to tell the story but also share their writing skills, and

thus be successful at communicating their story (Tomlinson, 2003). Heacox (2002) concurs and

emphasizes that it is important to allow all the students to experience success, no matter the level
that they start off with. Therefore by combining graphic novels with traditional story writing

differentiation can occur and all students have the opportunity to be successful in writing their story.

Enriching the writing in stories is important in order to engage the reader, move the story

on, and make it exciting for the reader. Often time is dedicated to the beginning of the story and

the students are motivated to write but this can be lacking towards the end. Thus, using the

cliffhanger technique as discussed by Bowkett (2000) can have a positive impact on the writing.

1. Reading: identify stories with cliffhangers and read up to that point.

2. Justification: Identify and justify what makes that part of the story a cliff hanger.

3. Research: identify and analyze cliffhangers in other stories.

4. Collaborate: students work together to develop their own cliffhangers for their stories.

5. Review: review their cliff hangers with other students and improve upon it.

Providing models for students is a very effective way to supply the students with structure and

support with their writing. The learners are able to identify the features and use it as a model to

come up with their own ideas. Collaborating and supporting one another, allows the students to

share creative ideas in their writing, and takes the pressure off from having to have all the ideas. By

taking the time to work on cliffhangers, I will actively encourage the students to use that story

writing strategy in their own work, making it more engaging and improving their overall writing

(Bowkett, 2000).

The provocation may have involved a field trip or exploration of an environment. This may

have led the students to be in contact with objects that they can use to inspire their story. Bowkett

(2000) highlights that story strings are particularly effective at helping small groups of students with

their ideas. The objects that the students collect may provide meaning and connect them to ideas

and memories that can inspire their writing.

2. Collection: pick up objects such as leaves and pebbles that seem significant or or hold a

particular memory and attach them to a string.

3. Recall: as the story is being planned refer to the story strip to help inspire creative ideas and

draw upon memories.

The objects can be used in different ways, they may be used to identify different parts of the story,

such as the beginning, middle and end. Alternatively they may be used to help describe themes in

the story. Such as the colors and feelings in a setting or the metaphor of a leaf might represent a

forest. This can prompt creative thinking and help the learners to extend themselves in the story

writing process.

Using different story writing strategies helps to break up the writing into more manageable

and attainable chunks. This allows an opportunity for all learners, regardless of their skills and

abilities to be successful. Thus, ensuring that the learners are engaged and motivated by the

writing process and are more likely to be successful (Kyriacou, 1997). Therefore as a teacher it is

important to consider how they can provide structure and support for the students to help them

develop their skills and become effective writers. This will lead to more positive and engaging

learning experiences that will be beneficial to all.

Bowkett, S. (2010). Developing literacy and creative writing through storymaking: story strands for

7-12-year-olds. eBook Central

Heacox, D. (2002). Differentiating instruction in the regular classroom: How to reach and teach all

learners, grades 3– 12. Minneapolis, MN: Free Spirit Publishing.

Kyriacou, C (1997) Effective Teaching in Schools: Theory and practice. Cheltenham: Nelson

Thornes Ltd

Tomlinson, C. A. (2003). Fulfilling the promise of the differentiated classroom: Strategies and tools

for responsive teaching. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum

Development.