Fun Ideas to Teach Writing

Different environments can inspire writing.

It is important to teach students how to write in variety of genres and styles. They need to be able to tackle both fiction and nonfiction writing.You can make the teaching and learning of writing more interesting and fun for you and your students by incorporating lots of different activities. Inspire students and stoke their enthusiasm by providing a variety of subjects and a variety of writing environments, both inside and outside the classroom.

Story Starters and Writing Prompts

Inspire your students by using writing prompts and story starters. Students often find it difficult to write because they do not know where to begin. Use a piece of music or a dramatic picture to start the writing process. Have students brainstorm their responses to the prompt; help by asking them open questions and allowing them to discuss their ideas with their peers. A writing prompt can be the starting point for a poem, a descriptive piece or an exciting story. Also, try putting story starters on the board for your students. Or write some story starters onto cards and give them out to students at random. Have your class write their own story starters for classmates.

Class Newspaper

Some students may find it difficult to write fiction but find non-fiction writing more interesting. Allow for your students' preferences by providing opportunities for your class to write non-fiction. One way to do this is to have a class newspaper. Have students write reports about events in your school, students' achievements and activities out of school, and news about individual students and staff. By producing a newspaper, students will learn how to research, how to identify important information and how to write in an informative, interesting way. Let students take on roles, such as editor, copy editor, reporter, even photographer. Allowing everyone to be involved increases the ability to work in teams and enhances collaborative learning skills.

Write Your Own Chapter

Students write the next chapter of a story.

Share an exciting and interesting, longer story with your class, one that is several chapters long. Read a chapter to them every day. When you have read the first three or four chapters, tell your class that they are taking over the story. Discuss the characters and events in the story so far and also highlight the style of writing and the kind of language the author uses. Then have your students write the next chapter. They need to include the characters that have already been introduced and need to keep to the style of the story so far. This helps to teach different genres of writing as, depending on the choice of book you share, students will need to write part of an adventure or a mystery or even a horror story. Share students' chapters with the class, then continue with the story and see who was closest, and furthest, from the original.

Creature Report

Students need to learn how to write reports. They must be able to present information in a clear and interesting way. However, you can develop imaginations and report-writing skills with the same activity, making report writing a lot more fun. Have students make up a creature. They should decide what the creature eats, where it lives, how it is suited to its habitat. Then have them research different habitats to find a suitable place for their creature to live where it can find plenty of the food. Students then write an information leaflet about their creature, using relevant factual information. They can include drawings and diagrams of their creature.

The World Outside

Students can be inspired by the outside world.

Students can improve their writing by thinking about all five of their senses. Encourage them to do this by taking them outside the classroom. Have each student find a spot by themselves and then jot down what they can see, hear, smell, taste and touch. Remind students that taste isn't just to do with food; they can taste snowflakes or cold air, for example, or may get a certain taste in their mouths when nervous or excited. Back in the classroom, share responses and use students' ideas as a prompt for free creative writing.

References

• "Creativity and Writing"; Teresa Grainger et al.; 2005
• "The Power of Fantasy in Early Learning," Jenny Tyrell; 2002