All About English Creative Writing

[The Alternative Story]

ccgoh:

Hi TAS,

Ok thanks, we are interested in the East branch but as we go to
east coast on sunday mornings, we might not be able to make it at that timeslot-sunday morning. I read that for your possible P1 class, it might be on Sunday, do you have any other possible timeslots. We are
really looking forward to joining your class.

Hi ccgoh,

We have another timeslot available for P1s. You can go to this link
to take a look:
http://www.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/forum/viewtopic.php?p=257934#257934

By the way, just to clarify, you are asking for P1 or for K1? You
mentioned before that you were asking about K1.

TAS

[The Alternative Story]

sunshinelove:

Hi TAS,

Got it, will update my colleague. Thanks!

No problem

[hermes173]

Learning Partners:

hermes173:

Hi fellow parents,


Can anyone help with this question?

There were so many people that we were ______into the bus like sardines.
1) lodged
2) wedged
3) embedded
4) sandwiched

Which should be the correct answer? Thanks in advance.

Hi hermes173,

1) lodged means 'made or became firmly fixed in a place'

2) wedged means 'forced into a narrow space'

3) embedded means 'fixed or became fixed firmly and deeply in the surrounding mass'

4) sandwiched means 'inserted between two things or people'

(1) is not suitable because the people are not firmly fixed in a place. They can still move albeit with some difficulty.

Likewise (3) is not right because the people have not become firmly and deeply fixed in the crowd.

Many children might get confused between (2) and (4) but (4) is wrong because to be 'sandwiched' means to be stuck between two things or people which is not the case in the bus where a person is jammed amongst many.

Hence the best answer for this question would be (2) wedged.

Hope this helps.

Learning Partners

Thanks, Learning Partners! This certainly clears up my confusion because I was indeed hesitating between (2) and (4).

[jasmineong]

Hi TAS,


Can you provide more examples on using extracts from storybooks to
help write like you did before…tks!

[Hellokitty2]

Hi TAS,


Could I make a request that you do a grammar workshop for us parents, I did ask one of your teachers about it during the other workshop and she said it might not happen this year, but could you seriously consider it, I find myself getting lost in some of the finer points of grammar and am at a lost as to how to explain the rules.

Your creative writing workshop was really good, detailed, and also it gave a very comprehensive overview as to how to go about teaching writing to my kids. I learnt so much in just those 2 lessons. I know the grammar workshop would also be very good. And if possible, could my child join in as well?

[The Alternative Story]

jasmineong:

Hi TAS,


Can you provide more examples on using extracts from storybooks to
help write like you did before...tks!

Hi Jasmine,

Sure, we can do so.

Extract:

The streetdoor was still open, just a little, where the knife and the man
who held it, had slipped in, and wisps of nighttime mists slithered and
twined itself into the house through the open door.

- The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

Application:

I ran through the alley, it was dark and forbidding. Wisps of
night mist slithered and twined itself into the lonely alley.
Dark shadows lurked in the hidden corners of the alley,
opening traps for me to fall into. Stumbling on a stone, I fell
to my knees.

Extract:

The grass was the colour of honey and the hawthorn trees were heavy
with crimson berries. Mathonwy rested on a fallen tree but the king
stood looking through the bare branches. The sky had turned a burning
red but, in a high band of the deepest blue, the first star showed.

- Charlie Bone and the hidden king (book 5) by Jenny Nimmo

Application:

After setting up camp, we took our pails to the riverside to take
some water. Laughing and running, we rushed to the water, happy
that we were free at last- our examinations were finally over.

The grass was the colour of honey and the trees
were heavy with frangipani flowers, the air was filled with
their sweet perfume.

I rested on a fallen tree while James started to fill the
pails with water. Looking through the bare branches,
I saw that the sky had turned a burning red, the sun was
setting, but in a high band of the deepest blue, the first star
showed.


Extract:

I threw myself back into the freezing water and forced the burning
muscles in my leg to kick, swimming diagonally through the current,
trying to stop it from dragging me downstream. As I got closer,
I became convinced it was Gabbi. The outline became more and more
familiar with each frantic second. The current was set on stopping me
from reaching her.

- Conspiracy 365- September by Gabrielle Lord

Application:

I threw myself into the murky waters of the canal and forced myself
to swim through the swirling muck. I swam diagonally through the
current, trying to stop it from dragging me downstream. I had to
get to the boy in the water, I had to. However, much as I swam with
all my strength, the current was set on stopping me from reaching him.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
You can use the creative writing phrases from our books to guide
your child in his or her writing and show them how to apply
the phrases in their own writing. They have to 'localize'
the phrases- meaning that if the phrases talk about trees
being heavy with cherries, they just have to change it to a local
fruit or flower. They also need to make the phrases
relevant to the context of their writing.

Where to get these books: We have all of them except of
Conspiracy 365 - September. Conspiracy 365 is a series and
we carry the earlier books.

This is the link for the books:
http://www.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/forum/viewtopic.php?t=7586&start=20

TAS

[The Alternative Story]

Hellokitty2:

Hi TAS,


Could I make a request that you do a grammar workshop for us parents, I did ask one of your teachers about it during the other workshop and she said it might not happen this year, but could you seriously consider it, I find myself getting lost in some of the finer points of grammar and am at a lost as to how to explain the rules.

Your creative writing workshop was really good, detailed, and also it gave a very comprehensive overview as to how to go about teaching writing to my kids. I learnt so much in just those 2 lessons. I know the grammar workshop would also be very good. And if possible, could my child join in as well?

Hi Hellokitty2,

Thank you for your feedback on the writing workshop. We
might not have the time to do a grammar workshop these few weeks,
we could be doing one in November at the earliest or early next year.
We will post up information on that once we do confirm the dates
(if we do have a grammar workshop)

TAS

[jasmineong]

The Alternative Story:

Hi Jasmine,

Sure, we can do so.

Extract:

The streetdoor was still open, just a little, where the knife and the man
who held it, had slipped in, and wisps of nighttime mists slithered and
twined itself into the house through the open door.

- The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

Application:

I ran through the alley, it was dark and forbidding. Wisps of
night mist slithered and twined itself into the lonely alley.
Dark shadows lurked in the hidden corners of the alley,
opening traps for me to fall into. Stumbling on a stone, I fell
to my knees.

Extract:

The grass was the colour of honey and the hawthorn trees were heavy
with crimson berries. Mathonwy rested on a fallen tree but the king
stood looking through the bare branches. The sky had turned a burning
red but, in a high band of the deepest blue, the first star showed.

- Charlie Bone and the hidden king (book 5) by Jenny Nimmo

Application:

After setting up camp, we took our pails to the riverside to take
some water. Laughing and running, we rushed to the water, happy
that we were free at last- our examinations were finally over.

The grass was the colour of honey and the trees
were heavy with frangipani flowers, the air was filled with
their sweet perfume.

I rested on a fallen tree while James started to fill the
pails with water. Looking through the bare branches,
I saw that the sky had turned a burning red, the sun was
setting, but in a high band of the deepest blue, the first star
showed.


Extract:

I threw myself back into the freezing water and forced the burning
muscles in my leg to kick, swimming diagonally through the current,
trying to stop it from dragging me downstream. As I got closer,
I became convinced it was Gabbi. The outline became more and more
familiar with each frantic second. The current was set on stopping me
from reaching her.

- Conspiracy 365- September by Gabrielle Lord

Application:

I threw myself into the murky waters of the canal and forced myself
to swim through the swirling muck. I swam diagonally through the
current, trying to stop it from dragging me downstream. I had to
get to the boy in the water, I had to. However, much as I swam with
all my strength, the current was set on stopping me from reaching him.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
You can use the creative writing phrases from our books to guide
your child in his or her writing and show them how to apply
the phrases in their own writing. They have to 'localize'
the phrases- meaning that if the phrases talk about trees
being heavy with cherries, they just have to change it to a local
fruit or flower. They also need to make the phrases
relevant to the context of their writing.

Where to get these books: We have all of them except of
Conspiracy 365 - September. Conspiracy 365 is a series and
we carry the earlier books.

This is the link for the books:
http://www.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/forum/viewtopic.php?t=7586&start=20

TAS

Hi TAS,

For Graveyard book-what age group is it suitable for? Is it about ghosts?

[BigDad]

Hi TAS,


I came across this statement in DS’s assessment book in a comprehension passage. Can you help to explain?

- I requested that he come for the party.

Why is it come and not comes. The word he is used so shouldnt it be comes?

[jeestan]

Hi TAS,


I remember if I am not wrong, someone mentioning about their child’s work
coming out in your writing book. Are you going to publish it and is it open for sale to outsiders? Or is it only for TAS parents and students?