Why do some children seem to be gifted writers while others struggle and write way below their grade level, even though they have a good spoken vocabulary? The answer is suprisingly simple, easy to learn and teach.
Effective descriptive writers are able to create a full sensory picture; they are able to put the reader into the setting, so they feel they are in the story and not just reading it. The reader seems to experience the setting; the writer hasn't told them about it, but they have shown it to them. This is a gifted writer and what makes a piece of written work stand out from the crowd! So how can you teach this to your child? Well, the answer is very simple. It can also be taught to very young writers. Here's how:
Assignment 1. The Senses
Using the senses is an excellent strategy for descriptive writing.
What you need:
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A big bag of a variety of sweets, enough for one for each student (eg, fizzy sweets, chocolate etc)
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Senses Worksheet - see left column
Show your students your bag and pull out a sweet. Ask them to write down and complete the sentence on their worksheet.
"My teacher put their hand in a bag and pulled out ......".
Most will write down...."a sweet."
Point out the five senses on their worksheets: Sight, Sound, Smell, Touch, Taste.
Next:
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Each student is allowed to take one sweet from the bag.
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In each 'sense' box the student must write a word or sentence describing the sweet. For example, let's imagine we pulled out a 'fizzysour snake sweet': [the 'Taste Sense' must be completed last for obvious reasons!]
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Touch: 'What does the sweet feel like?' "The sweet feels like sandpaper."
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Sight: 'What does the sweet look like/how big is it/what shape is it etc' "It is long and thin like my little finger"
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Sound: 'What sound can you make with your sweet?' "When I drop the sweet on the table is sounds flat like a like bad note"
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Smell: 'What does it smell like?' "It smells like a strawberry"
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Taste: 'What does it taste like/texture of etc' "It is chewy like a lump of gristle, and sour like a lemon"
Next: Now ask them to finish this sentence:
"I put my hand in a bag and pulled out ......".
but this time get them to use some of the words they used above as a guide to make a paragraph about the sweet. It might end up something like this: (results will vary depending on the age/ability of students. You might want to share your own example to inspire them how they can use thier worksheet answers.)
"I put my hand in a bag and pulled out a long thin sweet. It was as long as my little finger. The sweet felt rough like sandpaper but smelt as sweet as a ripe strawberry. I dropped the sweet and it made a dull flat noise like a flat note on my guitar. I decided to eat the sweet. I chewed it slowly like I was chewing a lump of gristle. Wow! I screwed up my face....it tasted like I was eating lemons!"
Next: Spend some time sharing and listening to each others paragraphs. Which writing sounds better. The first sentence they wrote or the second paragraph? Why?
Next: Spend some time sharing the rest of the sweets!
You can of course put anything in the bags - you know your students best - how about vegetables!! So long as you make sure the contents are edible - not everything is good to taste! Once children have the idea of how to use their senses - which doesn't take long with the above example (!), they then can use this simple technique in their own descriptive writing.
Assignment 2 (suitable for older students. Use other examples for extension.)
Strive to use verbs that are descriptive, not just adjectives.
1. Sound - Describe the sound of water to a deaf person. (water could be: The sea, waves, waterfall, carbonated water...)
2. Sight - Describe the sky/landscape/moon to a blind man. Think about the time of day/length of shaddows etc
3. Smell - Describe the smell of a cooked breakfast to someone on the phone
4. Taste - Desribe the taste of an ice-cream to someone who is fed by tubes.
5. Touch - Describe the feel of your hair to a bald person! Describe the feel of grass to someone who lives in the Antartic!
Get the idea! Remember to use verbs that are descriptive and not just adjectives.
Remember that you have five senses to draw on and use them all to put the reader into the setting. Be careful, though, not to overload the reader with too much detail. Be selective, and choose the detail that will most effectively create the mood or feeling you want to achieve.