Literacy

Let's Read Together

With Book Week approaching (20th -27th August) let's spend some time becoming immersed in books. 

 What makes storytelling so effective for learning? For starters, storytelling forges connections among people, and between people and ideas. Stories convey the culture, history, and values that unite people.

Good stories do more than create a sense of connection. They build familiarity and trust, and allow the listener to enter the story where they are. Good stories can contain multiple meanings so they convey complex ideas in graspable ways.

Enjoy some of the stories from the CBCA short listed books for 2021.

Let's Write Together

Good creative writing exercises are short, quick and easy to complete. Don't think too much about your style of writing or how imaginative your notes are. Just write anything that comes to mind.

1. Set a timer for 60 seconds. Now write down as many words or phrases that come to mind at that moment.

2. Pick any colour you like. Now start your sentence with this colour. For example, Orange, the colour of my favourite top.

3. Open a book or dictionary on a random page. Pick a random word. You can close your eyes and slowly move your finger across the page. Now, write a paragraph with this random word in it. 

4. Create your own alphabet picture book or list. It can be A to Z of animals, food, monsters or anything else you like!

5. Using only the sense of smell, describe where you are right now.

6. Take a snack break. While eating your snack write down the exact taste of that food. The goal of this creative writing exercise is to make your readers savour this food as well.

7. Pick a random object in your room and write a short paragraph from its point of view. For example, how does your pencil feel? What if your lamp had feelings?

8. Describe your dream house. Where would you live one day? Is it huge or tiny?

9. Pick two different TV shows, movies or books that you like. Now swap the main character. What if Supergirl was in Looney Tunes? What if SpongeBob SquarePants was in The Flash? Write a short scene using this character swap as inspiration.

10. What’s your favourite video game? Write at least 10 tips for playing this game.

Find more creative writing tips at https://www.imagineforest.com