The start of the new year is an exciting but stressful time. New classes, new classrooms, endless possibilities and endless to-do lists! With so many things to organise and skills to teach, it’s important to also create space for creativity and enjoyment in the writing classroom. Let’s bring the fun back into writing in 2021!…
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Step by Step Blog
How to turn reluctant writers into passionate storytellers
Let’s start by saying that writing can be hard! Writing an entire piece can be an almighty task. There’s so much thinking involved and students often don’t know where to start. It’s no wonder you have so many reluctant writers. But improving your students’ writing and their confidence can be just as daunting. What does…
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How to create independent writers
No matter their year level, your students will need support as they transition from focusing on one technique at a time to using all of the Seven Steps in their writing. It’s easy for students to revert to old habits when faced with writing a complete text. But with support, they can bring together everything…
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3 Quick Tips to Encourage Student Collaboration
Students often struggle when writing becomes a silent, solo task. Coming up with ideas alone is hard, even for adults, and you need so many ideas to create a great piece of writing. Are your students talking enough in your writing classroom? Working in groups helps students overcome this issue. By discussing and sharing ideas…
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Simple ways to help students write unique stories
Same old, same old. Does student writing all seem the same? It can be frustrating – not to mention boring! – to read 20 student stories that are pretty much identical. It can trigger real disappointment when you know there’s the potential for unique writing from each student. “Argh! Not again … I swear I’ve…
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2020 Narrative Writing Competition Winners
Let’s start by saying a huge thank you to all the students who participated in our 2020 Narrative Writing Competition – the quality of writing was exceptional! And thank you to all of the teachers for organising their students’ entries. We were amazed at how many entries we received – over 1900!So, you can imagine…
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Writing activities for Book Week 2020: Curious Creatures, Wild Minds
The Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA) Book Week will look a bit different this year, but as always it is a celebration of great writing. In a year of lockdowns, remote learning and cancelled plans, we’ve probably all turned into slightly curious creatures, or let our minds run a little wild (well, at least…
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Let’s Dive into National Science Week
It’s time to celebrate science and technology with your students! We’re so lucky to have programs like National Science Week (15 – 23 August). It’s a great platform to encourage innovation – and to hone your students’ informative writing skills! The theme for the 2020 National Science Week is Deep Blue: innovations for the future…
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