Writing

Our focus this term is to continue to deepen student authorship, by developing new techniques and writing strategies to create meaningful narratives and memoirs. During narrative writing their creativity will deepen through the use of different writing techniques, including a focus on emotive language and clear structure to powerfully convey their message and engage their reader. They will continue to plant seeds considering moments and memories they hold dear, through the planning stage of their writing and use these to build clarity and richness in their narratives. When writing memoirs, the learners will be required to think about a memory or moment in their lives that has shaped their identity and expand this moment in their writing. They will build depth in their writing through using their five senses, figurative language and other strategies, which will be transferred through reading sessions. The students will plan, draft, edit and publish their learning pieces, with and without the use of digital technologies. 

Here are a variety of ways to support your child at home: 

• Ask your child what their favourite themes or genres are when writing stories and why? (horror, comedy, fairy-tales, etc)   
• Discuss ways authors help their readers visualise an image in their minds by their word choice. For example using the phrase ‘he was deeply horrified’; what does the author want the reader to feel when they use this?
• Help brainstorm ideas about their favourite moment or memory they have had, focusing on why it was so pivotal to them. Ensure it is something recent, so they can remember and feel the emotions they had during that time. 
• Discuss what the five senses are as a continuation from in class, and how they can use them in their writing pieces (feel, see, hear, smell and taste).