A was an apple pie B bit it. C cut it. D dealt it. … and so on The rhyme goes back at least to the eighteenth century and has always intrigued me -all those verbs, all those things to be done with an apple pie. Sandy Brownjohn suggests the alphabet as a manageable frame … Continue reading A was an Apple Pie
This little rhyming game is described in Sandy Brownjohn’s The Ability to Name Cats. It starts out as an oral game but can be transferred to individual writers. The game can be played with any number of players. Each person takes it in turn to supply a line using the pattern ‘I rather be … than … … Continue reading I’d Rather Be …
Take a moment to reflect on what you know about writing. Make a cup of tea, if you like, or pour something stronger into a glass. Sit (or stand) and freewrite for ten minutes. Keep going for longer, if you have the energy and the will. Start with the words “When I write … “ or … Continue reading When I write …
The spring break has crept up on me. Perhaps you have already finished school. Here is an idea, and a natty tool, that will be useful well beyond spring time. There is much to be gained from writing poems using an existing text. For many years I have used cut up poems. Children are given … Continue reading [in Just-]
In his book, Learning by Teaching, Donald Murray characterises the act of writing as a muttered conversation between two people at a workbench: The act of writing might be described as a conversation between two workmen muttering to each other at the workbench. The self speaks, the other self listens and responds. The self proposes, the other self … Continue reading ‘Two workmen muttering’
Playfulness: what appears at first glance to be ‘just a game’ can be the start of a new way of writing. We have been thinking about activities and games that can be a part of becoming a writer. I am fond of this activity because of its inventiveness and the likelihood of humour and surprise … Continue reading Q & A
Not all writing happens on paper or screen. We spend a lot of time dreaming, thinking, re-arranging, experimenting. When we are planning for writing with children we can think about ways in which we can experiment with language and try out ideas before we set pen to paper. Alibi is a game that is not … Continue reading Alibi
By popular demand, here’s another making writing project courtesy of the inventive and imaginative Paul Johnson. This one is inspired by his book, Pop-up Paper Engineering.It is a lovely project that can inspire nursery children and provide older children to create and write about a character. I have chosen Red Riding Hood for this demonstration, but … Continue reading Pop-up!
Here is how to make a box to hold your small folded origami books. Take a piece of A4 paper. Fold in half from top to bottom in portrait position. Keep the folded edge at the bottom.Fold the top half down to fold in half again.Fold the top corners down to meet the bottom edge … Continue reading A box for little books
We thought you might like to make a little box of folded books. You could give them as a gift, or you could store up a library full of poems or stories or memories. Here is how to make an origami or slit book: Take a rectangle of paper – A4 will do. A3 is … Continue reading A little folded book
Writing Box 