An education blog from Aidan Severs Consulting (www.aidansevers.com)
If you would like Aidan to work with you on developing pedagogy at your school, please visit his website at https://www.aidansevers.com/services and get in touch via the contact details that can be found there.
https://www.tes.com/news/primary-secondary-school-year-6-5-ways-make-year-6-transition-easier-year
If you would like Aidan to work with you on developing your transition offer either at your primary school or your secondary school, please visit his website at https://www.aidansevers.com/services and get in touch via the contact details that can be found there.
I've been a bit behind on this one as it has been around since June last year. In fact, I've had a copy sitting on my shelf for a while and my daughter had already read it and enjoyed it. Oh, and everyone else on Twitter had been raving about it and Elle McNicoll only went and won the 2021 Blue Peter award for best story with this amazing little book. It tells the story of Addie, an autistic girl who decides to campaign to have a memorial to women who were tried and executed as witches in her Scottish village. In the so-called witches she finds a kinship - perhaps they were just different and were persecuted for it? With lots of eye-opening moments, Elle McNicoll portrays what life can be like for several different neurodiverse children and young adults (one of Addie's big sisters is autistic too), celebrating what Addie is capable of because of how deeply she cares. On a personal note, I found Addie's parents to be inspirational - something for me to aspire to!
A Kind of Spark by Elle McNicoll can be found on my Read By My LKS2 Daughter book list on Bookshop.org: https://uk.bookshop.org/lists/read-by-my-lks2-daughter
I wasn't sure what to expect with this one as on the surface it looks like a story for very young children (KS1) - and it is, but it has depth and beauty that will have something to say to readers of all ages. It reminded me a lot of My Dad's A Birdman by David Almond - which is a very good thing in my books. Olive's mum, an adult reader will surmise from the outset, has passed away, and her dad is grieving. In fact, he is grieving so much that his grief is the size of an elephant - an elephant that Olive sees following her dad around everywhere he goes. Olive decides that she can and must help her dad to become happier again - a huge undertaking for a child - and thankfully her granddad steps in to help her to achieve this, pointing out that she can't manage the task alone. Together, they work to bring some moments of happiness in to her dad's life. No spoilers, but the ending is lovely and very satisfying as an adult who was concerned for Olive's wellbeing throughout the story.
The Elephant by Carnavas can be found on my Children's Fiction - Reading For Empathy book list on Bookshop.org: https://uk.bookshop.org/lists/children-s-fiction-reading-for-empathy
I battled against myself with this one - with a publishing date of September I felt that I shouldn't read it until nearer the time. But, being a massive Philip Reeve fan, I couldn't leave it sitting on the shelf any longer. Was I disappointed? Why would I be? This is Philip Reeve and he is a master storyteller! Utterly Dark and the Face of the Deep is very different to his previous series of books (Mortal Engines, Fever Crumb, Railhead etc) as it isn't futuristic/post-apocalyptic sci-fi - this time its folksy fantasy set possibly in Edwardian times, but on a remote island in a fictional archipelago of the United Kingdom. There are too, in this story, some aspects of horror, slightly reminiscent of some of H.P. Lovecraft's creations - not the racist bits but the mysterious submerged kingdoms, the strange beings that frequent the shores of the island, and the eerie sense of disquiet that surrounds so much of the action. Having said that, there is a great warmth to this story which is essentially an exploration of what it means to belong to a family as Reeve weaves his cast of richly developed characters into the plot. Given that Philip said himself that things have changed since the proof copy and that the final thing will include a map and chapter header illustrations, I might just have to read it again when everyone else can get their hands on it too.
Utterly Dark and the Face of the Deep by Philip Reeve can be found on my Children's Fiction 2021 book list on Bookshop.org: https://uk.bookshop.org/lists/children-s-fiction-2021
Can You Whistle, Johanna? was chosen as a short read whilst in between books, not wanting to commit myself to anything longer, and I'm really glad I did. Apparently, this book is a bit of a hit in Sweden where a televised version is shown every year, and I think I can see why. Despite the deception (a boy is persuaded by his friend to find himself a grandfather at a local retirement home) this is such a heartwarming story of intergenerational friendship. Berra meets Old Ned and, along with Ulf, they become great friends, sharing experiences and memories, and essentially enriching one another's lives. With a refreshing openness and honesty, this book tackles aging and death alongside its message that fun, fulfilling life is for people of all ages but that we must enable one another to achieve it.
Can You Whistle, Johanna? by Ulf Stark can be found on my Children's Fiction 2021 book list on Bookshop.org: https://uk.bookshop.org/lists/children-s-fiction-2021
Obviously a book that's been around some time, and one I've read, or had read to me, before. This year it was republished by Faber, only this time chock-full of Chris Mould's lively illustrations. Is it a children's book? Apparently so, and of course it can be read entirely without any political interpretations, however, as an adult I certainly enjoyed it on a new level, trying to match events to my scant knowledge of the Russian Revolution but also pondering the UK's current political landscape too. Chris Mould's illustrations certainly bring this much closer to being a book that today's children might pick up and enjoy, particularly those who are familiar with his illustrations of, say, Matt Haig's books or his version of Ted Hughes' The Iron Man. Energetic in style, the images do a brilliant job of mirroring the descent of the farm's utopian veneer, with Mould particularly nailing the facial expressions and body language of the animal subjects. I'm really glad I re-read this this year, and I'm really thankful for the new version - Chris really makes this new version a visual treat.
I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to read this one before publishing this blog post - my reading of late has been taken up more with books about how to better parent an autistic child. However, a lovely rainy Saturday during which my children were miraculously entertained by magnetic balls and screens meant that I got the chance to read the second half of this in one go. And I have to say I was absolutely bowled over by this book. Cora, the main character, is autistic, and this fact is absolutely integral to the plot, this is not just a book about an autistic person. It's actually a sophisticated sci-fi, unnervingly oh-so-slightly dystopian story during which the reader will gain a whole load of insight into what being neurodiverse might be like. Not only is Cora autistic, but Adrien, her best friend, has ADHD. Show Us Who You Are is almost completely different to A Kind Of Spark (although there are some similarities, the main one being the MC's desire and ability to stand up for what is right), marking Elle McNicoll out as a superbly skilled writer, and if she wasn't already, one to watch as she continues to write and publish. In this book she achieves deeper depths and higher heights, smashing the mould of the growing trend for diverse, representative books which focus mostly on highlighting the plight of a marginalised group. Here we have a book that truly shows that diverse characters can and should be seen in any role in any genre and that actually the story is all the better for it. I actually can't praise this book enough.
Show Us Who You Are by Elle McNicoll can be found on my Children's Fiction - Reading For Empathy book list on Bookshop.org: https://uk.bookshop.org/lists/children-s-fiction-reading-for-empathy
Pete, Krish and Nancy appear once more in another short but action-packed adventure from Dan Smith. This was another book I picked up knowing I had I would be able to take in the whole story in a short time. School residential stories have an evergreen appeal and they are ripe for a bit of spookiness. Very quickly Dan Smith evokes the necessary aura for a midnight exploration to go badly wrong. With nods this time to comic book capers (I'm thinking Captain America and The Incredible Hulk), The Beast of Harwood Forest taps into some WW2 vibes whilst ensuring that those Stranger Things vibes continue to resonate throughout. Without wanting to give too much away, this high interest/low level reader has a super-satisfying ending - it really is a marvel that a story can be told so well over so few pages. Helping with this are Chris King’s perfect illustrations which, as you can see from the cover, are spot on for the comic book vibes. Inside the pictures are greyscale and Chris works with tone so well that they suit the spooky content to a tee - I am so glad the publishers choose to have these books illustrated. Barrington Stoke books are a must-have for every library, and its books like these that showcase perfectly what they set out to achieve (which you can read more about here).
The Beast of Harwood Forest by Dan Smith can be found on my Children's Fiction - Supernatural & Spooky Tales book list on Bookshop.org: https://uk.bookshop.org/lists/children-s-fiction-supernatural-spooky-tales
If you would like Aidan to work with you on developing reading at your school, please visit his website at https://www.aidansevers.com/services and get in touch via the contact details that can be found there.
https://www.tes.com/news/5-ideas-low-stakes-assessment-primary
A common question, but countless potential solutions. I explore how to use time effectively when a student has finished their work earlier than anticipated.
You all recognise the scene: a line of children stretching from your desk to the classroom door and then doubling back on itself, snaking its way between desks and chairs, children waiting patiently (alright, not always patiently) to have their work seen and to receive their next instruction. To be honest, many of you will have solved the problem of the eternal queue, but the question remains:
What should I do if a child has finished their work?
Read on here: https://hwrkmagazine.co.uk/what-should-i-do-if-a-child-has-finished-their-work/
If you would like Aidan to work with you on developing pedagogy at your school, please visit his website at https://www.aidansevers.com/services and get in touch via the contact details that can be found there.
This article is now available at https://www.aidansevers.com/post/true-transition-begins-in-september
If you would like Aidan to work with you on transition at your school, academy, trust or local authority please visit his website at https://www.aidansevers.com/services and get in touch via the contact details that can be found there.
The third in the series, and I was ready for everything this one had to give. Hal and Uncle Nat once again meet a cast of colourful characters (some of whom you might feel like you know already) in this (dare I say it) enjoyable whodunnit for children. I think it is a fairly brave move to have a murder in a children's book, and the events of the story should rightly raise some discussion points. The book, although an intriguing mystery in an exciting setting (complete with all the animals you'd want from a safari through Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Zambia), is a good starting point for discussing good and bad, right and wrong as well as how different people might respond to death. Leonard and Sedgman have really nailed the format in a child-friendly form and those who've kept up with the series will be beginning to be adept at picking up on the clues needed to be sleuthing as they read.
'Murder on the Safari Star' is available now and features on my Children's Fiction 2021 list at bookshop.org: https://uk.bookshop.org/lists/children-s-fiction-2021
A book about life and the things that matter, all rolled up in a story about a boy who discovers he is part-alien. The last book I read by Edge was The Longest Night of Charlie Noon which I felt was aimed at a slightly older age group than Space Oddity - this new one could easily be managed by 8 or 9-year-olds. Apart from being a twist on the classic abducted-by-aliens narrative from the old days of Sci-fi this book is actually a sweet ode to human creativity. Whilst acknowledging that people have done a lot of damage to our planet, it also celebrates the beautiful things that we have created. Of David Bowie's 'Space Oddity' Jake's alien dad says: "...songs... tell us what it means to be alive. This was the most beautiful song I'd ever heard. And a human being had made it. I thought if they were capable of this, then maybe they weren't as primitive as we though they were." Every child who has ever felt embarrassment at how weird their parents can be will relate to this brilliantly-told story.
'Space Oddity' is available now and features on my Children's Fiction 2021 list at bookshop.org: https://uk.bookshop.org/lists/children-s-fiction-2021
'Melt' will be published on 29th April 2021 and features on my Children's Fiction 2021 list at bookshop.org: https://uk.bookshop.org/lists/children-s-fiction-2021
Sci-fi again, but set in what I assume to be a post-apocalyptic world, ruined by human wastefulness. So far have humans gone with their refusal to reduce, reuse and recyle, that they have taken to flinging their trash into space. However, the poor of the earth are resourceful, and there's plenty they can do with the rubbish, so long as the Junkers can get it down to them. We meet Railey and Atti, her bio-robotic gecko in Boxville, where they are star drone racers. What they don't know is that they have been training for years - training to save the world from the revenge of those who hate the way of life in the Glass City. Fowler's creations are a treat for the imagination and although Karl James Mountford's cover is absolutely stunning I'd also love to see some artistic representations of the world we are shown in 'City of Rust'. In an original adventure, perfect for fans of Philip Reeve's Mortal Engines and Railhead books, Gemma Fowler spins a tale of loyalty, ingenuity and derring-do whilst making an important statement about the potential consequences of materialism.
'City of Rust' is available now and features on my Children's Fiction 2021 list at bookshop.org: https://uk.bookshop.org/lists/children-s-fiction-2021
Historical fiction - probably my favourite genre. Even more so when it is medieval historical fiction. This, set in Norway, the Hebrides and the Orkney Islands in the 12th century, is a Norse tale after Henry Treece's Viking books for children. 'The Chessmen Thief', an imagined origin story for the famous Lewis Chessmen, paints much of the culture in a positive light, including the influence of Christianity. Henderson paints a vivid picture of life for slave boy Kylan as he pines for his mother whilst plotting and scheming to make his escape. The descriptions of people, place and actions great and small are so evocative of times gone by and it is easy to feel that one is there, among the people, able to smell the sea air and feel the excitement brought about by the creation of these innovative and exquisite pieces of craftsmanship. This book is a fantastic addition to the growing number of titles focused on the Viking age, this one made more rare by not focusing on activity post-1066.
'The Chessmen Thief' will be published on 29th April 2021 and features on my Children's Fiction 2021 list at bookshop.org: https://uk.bookshop.org/lists/children-s-fiction-2021
If M. Night Shyamalan wrote middle grade fiction, then he'd write something like 'The Life and Time of Lonny Quicke'. Kirsty Applebaum has already mastered the art of making a reader feel unsettled for the whole duration of a book, and in this one she does it again. Bringing folk tale aesthetics to the modern world, Applebaum spins a supernatural story of life and death. What makes this stand out from some other children's books that might be categorised similarly, is that very little suspension of disbelief is necessary: only does the reader need to allow themselves to accept that Lifelings, people who can prevent others from dying by giving up some of their own life, are indeed real. This brilliantly-spun yarn provokes many moral questions and is a great device to really get children thinking about self-sacrifice and serving others. And once they've read it, get them to think about how clever the title is.
'The Life and Time of Lonny Quicke' will be published on 6th May 2021
If you would like Aidan to work with you on developing reading at your school, please visit his website at https://www.aidansevers.com/services and get in touch via the contact details that can be found there.
https://open.spotify.com/episode/
If you would like Aidan to work with you at your school, please visit his website at https://www.aidansevers.com/services and get in touch via the contact details that can be found there.
This blog post can now be read at: https://www.aidansevers.com/post/making-secondary-schools-primary-ready
If you would like Aidan to work with you on developing your transition offer either at your primary school or your secondary school, please visit his website at https://www.aidansevers.com/services and get in touch via the contact details that can be found there.
Further reading:
Often, when wellbeing is spoken of, it is referred to implicitly as some kind of antithesis to working: you can either be doing something which constitutes work (whether that be your day job, life admin, being a parent etc) or something which constitutes wellbeing (insert your own personal example here).
But, as always, the dichotomy is false and unhelpful. If I were to draw Venn diagram to represent work and wellbeing, there should be an intersection: a place where the two meet in the middle.
And this should be true for adults and children alike.
Theory from Deci and Ryan suggests that threeinnate needs must be met in order for humans to achieve a sense of wellbeing: competence, autonomy and relatedness.
All of these needs can be met in the work or school environment.
The need to feel competent
When an adult feels like they have a purpose, that they are useful and that they are doing something worthwhile, this need has a better chance of being met. Work is one such environment where it is possible to feel these things. Of course, work isn’t the only place – lots of people undertake other projects and pursuits which can meet this need as well.
When a child’s work is correctly pitched, and when they know they are learning new things and getting better at things they could already do, this need to feel competent will be met.
The need to feel autonomous
Work has the potential to provide adults with a sense of autonomy
– not in all jobs admittedly, but certainly for many teachers there is the
chance to plan and teach lessons the way you want them, for example. Again,
many of an adult’s other pursuits can also provide the feeling of autonomy.
One of the important aspects of learning is that children are
brought to a point where they can practise what they are learning independently.
Many schools’ pedagogy takes into consideration the idea that children can have
an element of choice in their learning, particularly in the earlier years.
The need to feel relatedness
Being at work provides so many opportunities for relatedness – of course,
it does depend on how well you get on with your colleagues. Often in schools
there are plenty of opportunities for collaborative work which relies heavily on
relationships so it isn’t just the fact that we see people at work, but that we
work with people at work, too.
Whether children work collaboratively in school or not, being at
school, as with the adults, provides great social opportunities. Even the fact
that children are together in a classroom, learning the same things, can
engender a feeling of relatedness through the shared experience they are
having.
Hopefully, just those brief examples are a reminder that, in the
same way that quality first teaching is part of a school’s safeguarding offer, work
and school work is part of a school’s wellbeing offer to the staff and
children.
When considering the return of all staff and children into
physical school buildings on the 8th of March we are right to think
about their wellbeing. However, we must not forget that part of what will
engender wellbeing in staff and children is the work that they do.
Wellbeing isn’t only served by lovely experiences, mindful
colouring, off-timetable teaching and the like; wellbeing is more holistic than
that. And I know that you know that – my point is just to remind you that it is
OK to prioritise work for both staff and children, and that work in and of
itself isn’t always detrimental to a person’s wellbeing.
Work is good for us – we are built to work in one way or another –
and if we have a healthy relationship with work, it can actually serve to improve
our wellbeing.
And, if any of us, staff or children, are suffering as a result of
work, then the above three innate needs can be used to diagnose where changes
might be made to the work that we are doing. The answer isn’t simply no work or
less work; the answer really is better work – work which better helps to meet
our innate needs.
If you would like Aidan to work with you at your school, please visit his website at https://www.aidansevers.com/services and get in touch via the contact details that can be found there.
'Front Desk', a middle grade novel based partially on the author's own real life experiences as a child pairs the scariness of the immigrant experience with the optimism of a child. In parts the events are very bleak as systemic inequalities are exposed, albeit through the eyes of a young teenager who still has the power to hope for more. Indeed, Mia does more than just hope and this is a story of proactivity and camaraderie, one which celebrates the power and necessity of diversity.
Despite gut-punch moments - when Mia's parents receive the hospital bill after her mum is robbed and beaten, for example - 'Front Desk' is a joyful story, the reader always buoyed by Mia's resilience and fortitude. Her work ethic and ability to problem-solve are inspiring and, although tough to read, children will cheer Mia along through every adversity that she overcomes.
It is true, however, that some of Mia's solutions rely on dishonesty, and this should be discussed openly with young readers of the book. But, more important should be conversations around the harsh treatment of migrant workers, not only in the US but in the UK also. As well as an enjoyable read, this book could also serve as a call to action for children to find out more about the difficulties that people face when they move to a new country in search of employment. Mia and her family, as well as the 'weeklies' (the almost permanent residents of the motel), put a human face to the issue which will help children to understand and empathise with people in a similar position to that of Mia's family.
'Front Desk' is also a loud celebration of how working together, regardless of ethnicity, financial circumstances or age, should be, could be, the driving force behind society. In a world where so much of the media seems to be divisive and reductive in its messaging, it is a breath of fresh air to read something that gets it so right: with a little kindness, understanding and collaboration, things get done! And with a surprise ending that I didn't see coming, I'm all ready to read the next book 'Three Keys' which Knights Of have published simultaneously.
'Front Desk' is available on bookshop.org and is featured on my Stories From America booklist: https://uk.bookshop.org/lists/children-s-fiction-stories-from-america
Teacher and author friends!
— Aidan Severs (@thatboycanteach) February 11, 2021
What tips would you give to parents and teachers for how to promote and aid children with developing their creative writing at home?
I would like to collate your ideas for an article.
Please RT.
Hoping for a more positive response, I tweeted the above after seeing a journalist hunting for authors who were 'surprised/angered by what their children are learning about grammar, English etc during home schooling or how they are being taught to write?'. And positive response I got. By all means, click on the above tweet and explore all the answers at your leisure, or stay here and read a summary of the advice that was shared.
Before launching into the advice though, I think it would be wise to give a bit of context. During partial school closure during lockdown, teachers have been providing a remote learning experience for children who are at home. This remote learning provision, however good, cannot mimic exactly the normal ways of working in a classroom that teachers have developed; it has had to be an adapted provision. As such, it would appear that many teachers have felt that SPaG-based activities have been easier for children to complete at home; the teaching of the creative aspects of writing relying more on teacher interaction.
So, what this blog post sets out to do is provide you, a parent at home, with ways of working with your child that will help you to help your children with creative writing rather than SPaG-focused English learning. The ideas below should allow you to work with your child in a way that mirrors more closely the work that their teacher would normally do with them at school.
Reading
Many people pointed straight to reading as the first step in helping children to write. Books can inspire children and they provide a model of what a good piece looks like so they make a great starting point. The theme of reading will reoccur throughout the advice under other headings.
Reading aloud more to their kids just for fun. And occasionally casually talking about the way the writer writes and how it's different to another book you read aloud would help.
— Melissa Jordan (@melissacreate15) February 11, 2021
ImaginingI used wordless picture books in the library. Often ones they hadn't seen & only giving them 1/2 images so they wouldn't have a clue what the story was actually about. Also used my own street photographs to generate discussion and ideas, with some prompt questions to start them off
— Barbara Band (@bcb567) February 11, 2021
I'd say daydreaming time as important as writing time. Visualise your landscape & make it real. It can be an incredible fantasy world but still needs to feel rooted in real experience. Put familiar objects in; think about weather, light, plants, sky..
— Nicola Penfold (@nicolapenfold) February 11, 2021
InspiringI play a game with my son: he has to describe a scene or place without naming it e.g. by writing about smells, sounds, textures, and I guess what it is. Make it extra hard by writing from a perspective of a blind person, a small child, or a spy who has to conceal certain details
— Svitlana (@SvitYarm) February 11, 2021
We keep a tin of Random Story-Starters in the library with opening lines to get them started. There are lots eg "Only the very oldest of them remembered a time when people could read ..."
— HVC Library (@HVCLRC) February 11, 2021
It can be difficult to get story ideas, so try writing stories based on books, films, tv shows, games. It's helpful to have a few parameters eg write an adventure story set in the jungle, a mystery set in a castle. No harm in imitating their favourites. Allow scope for enjoyment.
— Dan Smith (@DanSmithAuthor) February 11, 2021
Be positive & welcoming about all the tools & formats they want to use to make stories/songs/poems/characters, inc. comics, fan fiction, gaming, emoji, toys. They're all generative & valid.
— So Mayer (@Such_Mayer) February 11, 2021
Collect postcards and interesting pictures from mags/newspapers. Choose one that interests you - really look at it, maybe describe it. Think what’s going on in the pic, what happened just before, what might happen next. And off you go, with a story!
— Sue Purkiss (@sue_purkiss) February 11, 2021
Give alternative scenarios (and get them to come up with their own). What would have happened if... the slipper had fitted one of the ugly sisters; Harry Potter had been a ‘squib’; Hansel and Gretel didn’t find their way home...
— MrsR (@MrsR51710002) February 11, 2021
Keep a journal which includes copying lines from favorite songs, poems, and readings. Read different styles of authors. Listen to podcasts and old radio shows...
— Leticia Hallmark (@ushistorysage) February 11, 2021
Print out photos of unusual things or people and ask them to make up a story about what they can see. That's always a fun idea. Or a pick and mix where they pick one theme (ie space story) and three random words (ie banana, tree and cheese) and they must create a story from that.
— Author N J Simmonds (@NJSimmondsTPK) February 11, 2021
ExperiencingWriting 'fan fiction' - allowing children to get to writing and play with language with characters and worlds that have already been established. As a child my favourite things to write were my own stories based on the Zelda video games and A Series of Unfortunate Events books.
— Rob Laight (@ArticuLaight) February 11, 2021
Start young. .
— 🐾📚Mimi Thebo📚🌿 (@MimiThebo) February 11, 2021
Encourage making up stories and collect favourite words. Stop on walks to wonder what faeries would live there. Think out loud about how to describe the feeling of a puddle splash or the taste of cake.
Write these down.
Gradually relinquish the pen.
loads of reading and then getting outside / to amazing places and having experiences to write about.
— David Rogers (@davidErogers) February 11, 2021
TalkingGo outside. Start noticing everything. Use a camera to zoom in to tiny details and then back out. Do mindfulness to learn how to fully notice and experience life. Good writing comes from mindfully experiecing the world around us.
— Mrs P (@thinker_teacher) February 11, 2021
Read lots, discuss lots. Create together (orally & writing), play together, notice things that writers do/ be curious. Celebrate lovely things & funny things. Laugh together at things that don't quite work & wonder why. I think the words share, together & enjoy are important.
— Zoe Enser (@greeborunner) February 11, 2021
Read. Let them write about what they want, with what they want, where they want. Talk about imaginary things. Eg: If this was a magic leaf, where would you fly to? If you were 2cm tall, how would you get from the couch to the table? Encourage wondering.
— copycontentwriter (@copycontentw) February 11, 2021
ImitatingStory telling. When we sit at the table for dinner, we always do a 'how was your day?' I started telling completely wild tales about fighting dragons or ogres and it's now a bit of a tradition to tell a wild tale at dinner.
— David Oates 🙋🏻♂️ (@Oates27) February 11, 2021
PractisingEncourage them to copy their favourite writers. They're comfortable trying out footballers' and singers' techniques and making them their own: it's the same with writing.
— Tom Palmer (@tompalmerauthor) February 11, 2021
Sentence starters! Often, the most difficult part of the writing process is just getting started - blank pages can be intimidating! (Talking from experience)
— Gwen Morris (@MGwenMorris) February 11, 2021
If you provide sentence starters, you might take some of that fear away and get their ideas flowing!
PlanningI do basic metaphor building activities that kids love. Eg make lists of abstract noun/gerund/body part and put them together in exciting ways (love was swimming in my toes, sadness was jumping in my spine, time was itching in my hands)
— Lewis Buxton (@LewisBuxton93) February 11, 2021
I have to draw my characters, the landscapes and create a storyboard before I even find the words.
— Gill Lewis (@gill__lewis) February 11, 2021
Ask them to think of a character first, then what that character WANTS - that is key to every story. Then they encounter a problem, must solve it, then they do/don’t get what they want. Boom. I have a story worksheet on my website here: https://t.co/5eQfRhzLZR
— Maz Evans (@MaryAliceEvans) February 11, 2021
RecordingDo a lot of thinking and talking (or mind map/scribble) around ideas. The first idea you think of will be the same as everyone else's (see twitter jokes), the 3rd will be better but what if you try and reach for the 6th, 7th, 8th idea? That's the one that'll be uniquely you.
— Siân Rowland (@Sian_Rowland) February 11, 2021
Keep a special book to note ideas, special words or phrases, experiences etc. and read, read, read...
— Helen Sampson (@helensampsonart) February 11, 2021
Also, write from the heart & let your imagination flow without getting bogged down in grammar. Get those imaginations on paper and the rest will follow. You can think about grammar when editing it afterwards.
— Author Kerry Gibb (@AuthorKerryGibb) February 11, 2021
2) separate the skills. At school he has to write neatly. This matters but not always. We focus on thinking of great ideas and writing them down, not handwritng. Practice hand writing, punctuation, spelling etc. separately. (2/?)
— Megaphone Write (@MegaphoneWrite) February 11, 2021
Keep a scrapbook - that's a project in itself - collect pix, stick 'em in - add bits of writing - poems - short descriptions - whatever comes to mind. This can then spark further ideas for longer pieces of writing. Make it FUN.
— Celia Rees (@CeliaRees) February 11, 2021
KEEP A DIARY! Fill it with stories, poems, film reviews, new words you discover etc! I kept a diary from 11-18 and still have them all!
— Ian Eagleton (@MrEagletonIan) February 11, 2021
Don't stop acting as a scribe once they start being able to write. Getting the handwriting and spellings right can feel laboriously slow for a child & really disrupt that feeling of a story flowing/bursting out of you. Get them to tell you a story & write it down for them 2/2
— Susannah Lloyd (@Susannah_Lloyd) February 11, 2021
ReviewingWrite freely, then record what you’ve written, listen back to it. Does it make sense, does it flow nicely, are you repeating yourself?
— Mr Owl Head* 💙 (@sullieship) February 11, 2021
Then edit the text and repeat that process.
I think listening to recordings of yourself can build confidence, while developing critic and voice
Celebrating..we spend a lot of time on the drafting, editing, cutting and trimming. We try and craft writing rather than spew it out and leave it. We are warm writers and cold editors; we don’t hold on to ideas, we are ruthless with jettisoning them😁
— Lucy 🏳️🌈 (@honeypisquared) February 11, 2021
I am very passionate about this ❤️
PublishingGet them to read their work aloud to you or read it back off the page out loud to them. Celebrate illustrations in books and by them of what they're writing. Storyboards can be great. So can mind maps. If it feels experimental and fun, they feel relaxed.
— Cath Howe (@cath_howe) February 11, 2021
My 8-year-old is writing a book in @Canva. She loves decorating the pages as she writes. Kids love using the tools we use so let them.
— 👩🏻💻 Emma Page (@wordsbypage) February 11, 2021
Other ResourcesEncourage them to enter young writing comps once they have written a good short story like The little BIG Book Comp https://t.co/IzpCQGRGUx
— Abiola Bello (@ABelloWrites) February 11, 2021
Thankfully, this blog post isn't the only source of advice in this arena. Several excellent experts have produced resources to help parents help their children with writing at home:
Supporting Children Writing At Home: https://writing4pleasure.com/supporting-children-writing-at-home/
Three Steps To Writing from SF Said: http://www.sfsaid.com/2017/01/three-steps-to-writing.html
It’s A Kid’s Life – Lockdown by Kerry Gibb: http://kerrygibb.com/its-a-kids-life/kids-life-lockdown/
Writing Prompts from Beverly Writes: https://www.beverleywrites.com/blog
5 Ways to Engage Reluctant Writers with Creativity from Now>Press>Play: https://nowpressplay.co.uk/engage-reluctant-writers-with-creativity/
Homewriting Workshops from the Candlewick Press YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEqVZlLgos-WN7boUH8tsFWNihT745u9u
Michael Rosen's videos: https://www.michaelrosen.co.uk/videos/
If you would like Aidan to work with you on developing writing at your school, please visit his website at https://www.aidansevers.com/services and get in touch via the contact details that can be found there.
Whilst reading 'A Vanishing of Griffins' I was also reading 'Prisoners of Geography' by Tim Marshall and here's where there are further benefits of reading multiple books concurrently: Tim Marshall's book had caused my mind to think geopolitically, and so, when I picked up a children's magical fantasy book which is ostensibly rooted in a fairy tale, I saw things I wouldn't have otherwise seen.
Indeed, I noticed things about the whole fantasy genre which I'd not really stopped to consider before. Despite knowing, for example, that JRR Tolkien based much of his Middle Earth on Anglo-Saxon Britain (a time when geopolitics were surely everything, that and religiopolitics of course) I hadn't really considered how the wider genre might also represent other examples of geopolitical stories.
'A Vanishing of Griffins' is the second in the Songs of Magic series, the first being 'A Darkness of Dragons'. S.A. Patrick's latest book picks up where the story left off, and thankfully it features a recap of what has happened so far. Patch (a piper who can play magical songs), Barver (a dracogriff) and Wren (a girl cursed into the form of a rat) are in pursuit of the terrible Piper of Hamelyn who is bent on world domination, and will go to any lengths to get it. But the plot, unlike some stories aimed at the Middle Grade age group, is a little more complicated than that.
In fact, there are sub-plots a-plenty, ones which mainly revolve around mysteries that must be solved, people that must be helped and things that must be found in order for the Piper of Hamelyn to finally be found and vanquished. Reminiscent of classics of the genre - The Wizard of Earthsea, Eragon - this is an adventure quest where solutions do not come easily to the protagonists. In fact, they come up against bureaucracy and red tape as often as real-life peace-keeping missions probably do. As they travel through a world caught in the constant flux of war and peace, where power struggles are rife and political and military allegiances can change with the wind, their good vs. evil quest is a perilous and arduous one.
Whilst the backdrop may be political, the strongest theme is true friendship: the sacrifice, the willingness to go to great lengths to help loved ones, the kindness and commitment to anyone who finds themselves in need, particularly the oppressed. Wrapped up in a world of dragons, pirates and magic is an example to all children who, in reality, are growing up in a world just like the one portrayed in 'A Vanishing of Griffins'. Sure, they might not be able to call on magic to save the day, but they should be able to call on friendship.
If you are up for joining the gang on a journey that takes in being fed to a monster by a pirate king, discovering magical texts in a secret underground vault, rescuing the inhabitants of a town under fire, discovering lost relatives and fighting battles against dark forces, then this book is for you. Although, I would strongly recommend that you get hold of book 1 first to really benefit from the whole story (it can be found on my Children's Fiction - Fantasy & Magic list on bookshop.org: https://uk.bookshop.org/lists/children-s-fiction-fantasy-magic).
A Vanishing of Griffins by S.A. Patrick is available on bookshop.org and features on my MG Fiction Books January 2021 list: https://uk.bookshop.org/lists/mg-fiction-books-january-2021
If you would like Aidan to work with you on developing your transition offer either at your primary school or your secondary school, please visit his website at https://www.aidansevers.com/services and get in touch via the contact details that can be found there.