RPI - Reflection on Great Beginnings

 Reading to Write and Writing to Read

I love this concept. As a person who has dabbled with writing, I love reading novels and seeing how they have constructed their ideas. How authors have used similies, personification and onomatopoeia along with other literacy features we teach in the class. Now students can start their narrative with the problem rather than build up to it.

I have used writing frames before and it is great to know I can come up with my own, using what others have written. 

The timing for this task was wonderful as we were about to revisit narratives. I also like how you can use this particular frame to pose questions to bring suspense and the issue to the forefront of the story.

I introduced the story with one group from the class but used the frame with the whole class. Next time I will introduce the story to other groups and use that frame with the entire class. This way they can all see how the process works.

We have in fact just received our Duffy Books and I was looking at one called Last Chance, it starts with asking the reading 5 things that can not stand.

My example using this writing Frame:

The mountain was silent from up here even though it was early afternoon.  The only sound was the faint whirring of the helicopter blades in the distance. The ravine loomed before us fresh snow hung in the air as my closest friend chomped at the bit. Will we make it?

My Challenge now is to create more writing frames - We have been looking at Report Writing, and I realise I could have created one for students to write the general statement and possibly the first paragraph.

The final thought I am sharing with my class is how they too can be magpies and use stuff others have written and change it to make it their own. Text is often woven from other sources, taking words, phrases from text, and people and using them as part of their creation.

The idea of adding these ideas, words, phrases to a Magpie Wall so all can see and use them later is a wonderful of sharing.

Did you know Writers are robbers?

Am I returning to class on air days? Here is how I introduced suspense during reading and took it into writing.

I look forward to creating the poster for Great Beginnings with my Year 7/8 students after the discussion where they were sharing parts of books where they could recognise the suspense.

1. They have great ideas that other students can be inspired by and through
2. Students will understand the chart's purpose and how to use it with clarity.