All About English Creative Writing

[TheWriter]

That doesn’t sound like a very good teacher. You would only be memorising "creative" phrases and idioms to apply in writing when they have been doing very badly and waited until one week before PSLE to start learning English in earnest.


I hope that’s not the case you’re having, which means your child should focus on learning and applying techniques of good writing, which takes time but is well worth the effort.

TheWriter

[bb_ mom]

My son can't be bothered to memorise anything nor is he able to, even if he tries. His compos have very little content. For the past months, I just got him to write compos and then re-write again after I've asked him some questions, hoping to spark some ideas. Then I realized he doesn't bother to plan his compo. :stompfeet: He just writes whatever comes to mind and in the shortest possible time. So now, I'm working on planning with him. I have to prompt him with questions as we go along. But it's difficult to get him to use words he's seen in his books or compre passages. I figured it would be safer for him to stick to words he knows how to spell.


How else to have him plan his compo?

[sharonkhoo]

bb_ mom:

My son can't be bothered to memorise anything nor is he able to, even if he tries. His compos have very little content. For the past months, I just got him to write compos and then re-write again after I've asked him some questions, hoping to spark some ideas. Then I realized he doesn't bother to plan his compo. :stompfeet: He just writes whatever comes to mind and in the shortest possible time. So now, I'm working on planning with him. I have to prompt him with questions as we go along. But it's difficult to get him to use words he's seen in his books or compre passages. I figured it would be safer for him to stick to words he knows how to spell.


How else to have him plan his compo?

Planning and choosing vocab should be separate things? WHen my kids started writing compos, I taught them the 'witch's hat' plan - intro (low), increasing excitement to the peak, then a descent to the conclusion. There are many variations possible, but that's a good basic plan. They would make short notes on the 'hat', then start writing. Choice of words would depend on the story, and I would let them write then suggest improvements or alternatives to give them an idea of how they could do it next time. Does this help?

[sembgal]

I suggest to introduce the hamburger writing technique or hamburger organizer to the children. Google them and choose one template most comfortable to your style.

[quixation]

Musicstar:

The school teacher gave my dd remark to write more vocabulary and phrases. In my opinion, if did not memorise the phrases how to remember what to write. Is reading story book help in writing?

slmkhoo:

The tutor told me cannot memorise phrases to apply on writing? Any opinion? She said can give my girl idioms to memorise only.

depends on what the tutor wants. My kids tutor prefers to correct their sentence structures. She believed that the kids should be instill with proper writing skills, not memorising other people's work.

Memorising will make the writing sound forced. If you have time (not just before exams), get the child to read more and internalise the vocab, expressions, grammar etc. The writing will sound more natural.

I realise that memorising is used a lot for Chinese writing, but that is because Chinese formal writing actually requires much more use of standard phrases and expressions, and that is considered good style. It's different for English.

i think reading helps in everything to do with the language. The more you read, the more phrases, new vocab, idioms and proverbs as well as sentence structures you are exposed to. The sentence will come out very naturally later on..

Memorizing sentences are just helping a child ace an exam without being a thinker. This may help them now but not later in life.. Is that what we want for our kids? personally, i think we just guide them, let their imagination run wild and write what they want during practices in school, through corrections, they learn too. At the same time, they learn through failures.. always remind my DD, dont fear corrections during practices, Corrections means to correct . If you dont do corrections, how do you know what is correct?

I dont want my DD to just use templates from tuition centers / tutors or other model compositions, its brainwashing.

read model composition and oral guide books because she doesnt read fiction books that talks about local topics like playground, festivals. She reads a lot of mythical fiction hence reading model compositions will help her in some ways. Besides, she reads them just like any story book but its more localized context.

So i think we need to help our kids to be thinkers in future not just to ace the immediate exams. they may feel helpless later if there are no more templates or guidebooks to follow...

just my 2 cents worth...so far its working for my child.. no memorizing..sometimes we even let our imagination run wild and make up funny stories & laugh. Her school stressed on usage of language a lot but i told her \"Always remember you are writing for someone to read, just make sure the reader understands what you are writing.\"

there is a book called THINKING WRITERS' HANDBOOK. That should be easy for most kids. However, they have to read story books to help their basic grammar, synthesis and transformation, etc. My DD wasnt so worried abt 4 picture descriptive writing after I help her understand the concept from this book. Now she is more eager to start & even started creating sentences and storylines. (which i think will also helps in her oral assessment tests)

btw, she is in P1.. so i think by P3, it will be less stressful for us...

[Champion]

quixation:

i think reading helps in everything to do with the language. The more you read, the more phrases, new vocab, idioms and proverbs as well as sentence structures you are exposed to. The sentence will come out very naturally later on..

Memorizing sentences are just helping a child ace an exam without being a thinker. This may help them now but not later in life.. Is that what we want for our kids? personally, i think we just guide them, let their imagination run wild and write what they want during practices in school, through corrections, they learn too. At the same time, they learn through failures.. always remind my DD, dont fear corrections during practices, Corrections means to correct . If you dont do corrections, how do you know what is correct?

I dont want my DD to just use templates from tuition centers / tutors or other model compositions, its brainwashing.

read model composition and oral guide books because she doesnt read fiction books that talks about local topics like playground, festivals. She reads a lot of mythical fiction hence reading model compositions will help her in some ways. Besides, she reads them just like any story book but its more localized context.

So i think we need to help our kids to be thinkers in future not just to ace the immediate exams. they may feel helpless later if there are no more templates or guidebooks to follow...

just my 2 cents worth...so far its working for my child.. no memorizing..sometimes we even let our imagination run wild and make up funny stories & laugh. Her school stressed on usage of language a lot but i told her \"Always remember you are writing for someone to read, just make sure the reader understands what you are writing.\"

there is a book called THINKING WRITERS' HANDBOOK. That should be easy for most kids. However, they have to read story books to help their basic grammar, synthesis and transformation, etc. My DD wasnt so worried abt 4 picture descriptive writing after I help her understand the concept from this book. Now she is more eager to start & even started creating sentences and storylines. (which i think will also helps in her oral assessment tests)

btw, she is in P1.. so i think by P3, it will be less stressful for us...

https://www.popular.com.sg/jsp/product/ ... d001=99438
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[schen]

Comparing the writers’ place and mind stretcher composition class, what do you all think? Which one is better?

[sembgal]

I bought this book "Write Your Way to an A* The Complete Beginner Composition Guide & Workbook Designed for P1 & P2 Students. I bought the new edition 2014 one. I’m too desperate to improve my DD’s Composition. Based on a single picture, she is expected to write 60 words. However, the model answer provided by her teacher was at least 120 words. To be able to write to that standard, it is certainly not P1 standard. P2 basic requirement is only 80 words. Since I’m so desperate, I have made my dd memorise English model composition. I gave her a few and went through memorization with her. I want her to have a feel of how to write standard composition.


Reading many books will not improve writing if one does not practice but I think memorizing composition will help a little. I also believe in exposing the child to read model composition will help. Memorizing is a desperate measure taken and I won’t encourage it for all children unless the child has the ability to memorise information very fast.

[schen]

sembgal:

I bought this book \"Write Your Way to an A* The Complete Beginner Composition Guide & Workbook Designed for P1 & P2 Students. I bought the new edition 2014 one. I'm too desperate to improve my DD's Composition. Based on a single picture, she is expected to write 60 words. However, the model answer provided by her teacher was at least 120 words. To be able to write to that standard, it is certainly not P1 standard. P2 basic requirement is only 80 words. Since I'm so desperate, I have made my dd memorise English model composition. I gave her a few and went through memorization with her. I want her to have a feel of how to write standard composition.


Reading many books will not improve writing if one does not practice but I think memorizing composition will help a little. I also believe in exposing the child to read model composition will help. Memorizing is a desperate measure taken and I won't encourage it for all children unless the child has the ability to memorise information very fast.

What I hav been doing with DS is for him to read a model compo first, then we will go thru n highlight the nice and important vocab, then I will ask him to rewrite. Practice does make him better!

[sembgal]

My P1 dd has been reading classic books like Charlotte’s Web recently. A child who reads well does not mean the child will write well. The best decision is to outsource it next year to the professional. Teaching own child is not easy.