EDUC5271 Week 6 Written Assignment Unit 6

Department of Education, University of the People
EDUC 5271 - Advanced Practices for Teaching Elementary and Middle School Literacy
Dr. Amanda Nugent
Oct 10, 2022
1
Introduction
“Children need explicit scaffolding, constructed within expertly delivered instructional
conversations that address the language, knowledge, and strategies required for problem solving
in writing.” (Gibson, 2022). It is imperative that as teachers we understand how to engage
students through the writing process so that they will be motivated to write as well as develop the
art of writing creatively. I will analyze four different strategies and their benefits that can be used
to teach writing. The strategies are inspired by Bowkett (2010): Getting Started: Sentence
Building, Building Narratives: Prediction Strips, Enriching the Story: Story Card, and Story
Grids
Getting Started: Sentence Building
Description of Activity: This is an activity to help studences use sentence building to start their
stories. After cutting out the images that are in the Grids of the Appendix (Bowkett, 2010,
p.103), place them in a line with space between them big enough to write a sentence. Allow
students to write sentences in the spaces that are on either sides of the images.
Learning Benefits: The images are similar to stepping-stones and gives students confidence
and an avenue to begin creating their story. They will be able to build “increasingly complex
sentences, paragraphs and scenes” (Bowkett, 2010, p.17) by breaking the task up into smaller
and more manageable steps. Children can have discussions about what they see before they
begin writing on the paper. This alleviates stress and provide them with the opportunity to
choose and organize their words carefully.
Practical Tips: Images can be photocopied on card and then laminated. Teachers can also
create their own. Teachers can start with three to four images depending on the developmental
2
level of students. More images can be added for older children and younger children could
benefit by telling their sentences and teacher recording them.
A Step Further: Teachers can create themes and sets of their own. It's a great way to introduce
new vocabulary for older students. Teacher can create tiles with words on such as 'delicious,
splendid, gigantic, etc., these may also help generate ideas as well as to expand vocabulary. A
mystery bag can also be created where children can draw images randomly out of a bag.
Building Narratives: Prediction Strips
Description of Activity: This activity will help students build narratives using prediction strips.
This activity can be done in small groups. Each rroup will be given different pictures, a mini
paper, and one envelop. They will have to follow instructions carefully in order to complete the
task.
● Group 1 will cut the images of their choice of genre and arrange them in a line as a
simple story is being made up.
● Group 2 will discuss and write a summary on the mini paper.
● The images and summary will be placed into the envelope and the genre written on the
outside.
● Group B will take the envelop and follow the same procedure with the same genre.
● The process will be repeated until all the group members have received their first
envelope.
3
Learning Benefits: This activity will assist students to collaborate with each other and create
complex stories from given stories. It will also assist them with extension of the story bymaking
predictions about what will happen next in the story.
A Step further: When students have used up all the images or do not want reuse images, they
can use picture cards to fit in the story.
Enriching the Story - Story Card
Description of the Activity: This is a technique for teaching students how to immerse
themselves in a tale. To begin their stories, students will place a picture at the top left corner of a
file. When writing in the second person 'you' voice, visual, auditory, and tactile, learners will get
higher outcomes if they use the third-person singular, active voice, and multimodal allusions.
This task requires a little writing but a lot of thinking (Bowkett, 2010).
Practical Tips: Students can be provided with colored images.they can be laminated for future
use. It can be simplified by using short tales of 50–60 words. (Bowkett, 2010).
Learning Benefits: Students will become more mindful of how they use the person and tense in
their work which can improve their creative writing skills. It provides an opportunity to practice
writing "stressful" story openings. (Bowkett, 2010).
A Step Further: A narrative card can be placed in the center of a huge piece of paper, and
allow students to brainstorm ideas for their writing. They can use of the Big Six inquiry terms
and
coin flips. After brainstorming, they can create their own narrative cards. This may result in a
scenario. The sequence can be used by a group to finish the tale. Teachers can adapt second-
4
person story cards into third- or first-person tales in order to assist children to learn how to
write,. They can also make one or more story cards using a narrative that has already been
written. Students who are unfamiliar with the source material are more likely to create
intriguingly unique tales. (Bowkett, 2010).
Story Grids: Zig Zag Story Game
Description of Activity: Bowkett (2010), uses a variety of story grids based on different genres
to help with the literacy and creative writing strategies. Each grid comprises of 36 different
images in a 6x6 format. The Zig Zag Story Game involves students rolling a dice a number of
times in order to build a story. Starting at the top left corner image, the first roll travels along the
top row. The story will begin where the students lands. The next roll will take the child down to
the second row and the image that they land on will tell them about the next part of their
story,and so on. Teachers can decide on the number of rolls depending on students’ ability and
using the phrase 'This image will tell you something about the next step in your story' which will
enable students to retain some level of creative independence.
Learning Benefits: Students will acquire the experience of working within a straightforward
linear plot development framework. This game is suitable for all students who have an advance
storytelling skills.
Practical Tips: If they choose, students can start by using the Zig Zag pattern but should go up
or down similar to snakes and ladders.
A Step Further: Older children can draw a word from a mystery word bag to add an
unexpected element of surprise, or even another image or character of their choice.
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Conclusion
In conclusion, if teachers use the different strategies as outlined above then students will be
engaged and motivated in the creative writing process. They will aslo master the art of creative
writing using activities that they can manage at their different levels of development.
References
American Psychological Association. ACT Program (n.d). Cognitive and Social Skills to Expect
from 6 to10 Years. Mental Skills https://www.apa.org/act/resources/factsheets/development-10-
years
Bowkett, S. (2010). Developing Literacy and Creative Writing Through Storymaking: Story
Strands for 7-12-year-olds.McGraw Hill Education.

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Department of Education, University of the People

Dr. Amanda Nugent

Oct 10, 2022

“Children need explicit scaffolding, constructed within expertly delivered instructional

in writing.” (Gibson, 2022). It is imperative that as teachers we understand how to engage

Getting Started: Sentence Building

choose and organize their words carefully.

benefit by telling their sentences and teacher recording them.

Building Narratives: Prediction Strips

simple story is being made up.

● Group 2 will discuss and write a summary on the mini paper.

predictions about what will happen next in the story.

can use picture cards to fit in the story.

Enriching the Story - Story Card

writing "stressful" story openings. (Bowkett, 2010).

intriguingly unique tales. (Bowkett, 2010).

Story Grids: Zig Zag Story Game

enable students to retain some level of creative independence.

or down similar to snakes and ladders.

unexpected element of surprise, or even another image or character of their choice.

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