CREATIVE WRITING
What are the outcomes of this programme?
Expert writers go through a process to create a quality piece of writing. Firstly, they determine the purpose for the writing, next they plan the structure it should take, then they let their thoughts flow uninterrupted onto the page or the computer. Once their stream of thought has been recorded, they read over the piece, get some feedback and make any necessary revisions. Finally, the writing is edited to ensure it conforms to accepted conventions, and published.
Many students do not understand this process. Some students are so preoccupied with correctness, their creativity is impeded, resulting in repetitive and predictable products. Other students are innovative writers but they lack the planning, revising and editing skills to ensure conventional grammar, spelling, capitalisation and punctuation are in place. This programme teaches students all the steps they need to
become proficient and independent writers.
How is this programme different from others?
The research into the way children learn to write clearly indicates that those courses that simply assign writing tasks and correct them, teach students nothing about the processes involved in writing. In fact, if taught in this way, students continue to make the same mistakes. Unfortunately, these students consequently refrain from taking risks in creativity for fear of losing marks for incorrect spelling, punctuation or grammar.
The ICR Creative Writing Course teaches students to maintain ownership of, and responsibility for their writing pieces from start to finish. At every step of the writing process, students receive immediate feedback. Time is allotted for individual student conferences in which the student learns to self-edit. In this way students learn to evaluate the quality of their writing and ultimately become independent and creative writers.
Materials
- Students will be provided with a student workbook and a response journal.
- Students are required to bring lead pencils, eraser, ruler, coloured pencils/markers, an exercise book and an age-appropriate dictionary.
Homework
Students will continue to write a piece they began in class. The writing piece will take more than one session to complete. As a parent you may assist your child with their writing pieces at home, but the revising pen must stay in the child’s hand.
Please do not take a pen or pencil and correct it for them.
Please do not dictate what your child should write.
Remember, they are learning the processes needed to become proficient and independent writers.
STRANDS
- Lower Primary (Stage 1 Years 1 and 2)
- Middle Primary (Stage 2 Years 3 and 4)
- Upper Primary (Stage 3 Years 5 and 6)
