TEACHING YOUNG LEARNERS 

Creative tools for

creative minds
Laura Besley has a plan
to help children produce
a ‘super’ piece of creative
writing.
W
hen I first started
teaching creative
writing to children, I
found it hard to know
where to begin. How do you get them
to come up with ideas? How do you
get them to expand on those ideas?
How does this turn into a good piece
of creative writing? I have since come
up with a six-step plan.
Step 1:
Create a word map
Whenever you ask someone to create
something, you need to check that they
have the necessary tools to do so.
Carpenters need tools and wood.
Writers (in this case our students) need
tools, too. Their tools are words and
structure, and these can most easily be
provided by means of a word map.
Begin by giving the students a topic:
a ghost story, for example. I divide the
word-mapping process into parts.
Firstly, I ask for all the vocabulary
they can think of related to ghosts. This
can either be done as a class activity, or
the students can be put into pairs and
they can put their ideas on mini-
whiteboards or pieces of paper.
Remember to set a time limit (two to
five minutes, depending on age and
level) and keep reminding them of this.
You could even make it a game and see
which pair can come up with the most
words within the time limit. At this
stage, spelling is not important.
Get all the vocabulary onto the
board and divide it into nouns, verbs,
adjectives and adverbs. Even if the
students are too young to grasp the
difference, over time it will become
clear. You can separate the words by
using a table, different spidergrams or
different coloured pens. Later on, if you
need to refer to specific types of
words, you can refer to the different
columns or to the ‘purple words’, for
example.
After I have completed the
collection of the basic vocabulary, I
draw the students’ attention to the kind
of vocabulary I am looking for. I ask
them which words are ‘normal’ and
which are more ‘exciting’. Exciting
words I call ‘super’ words. For example:
Normal Super
happy thrilled, excited, jubilant ...
walk creep, tiptoe, sneak ...
said whispered, shouted, yelled ...
Secondly, you need to brainstorm ideas
for where the story will take place.
Again, encourage the students to use
‘super’ words, either while
brainstorming or while putting the
ideas onto the board. For example:
Teacher: Can I have an idea for where
the story will take place?
Student: A cave.
Teacher: Is your cave bright or dark?
Student: Dark.
Teacher: Is your cave warm or cold and
damp?
Student: Cold and damp.
Teacher: So, we have a cold, dark and
damp cave.

22 • Issue 79 March 2012 • ENGLISH TEACHING professional • www.etprofessional.com •

 TEACHING YOUNG LEARNERS 
say
scream, shout, yell, adjectives
adverbs whisper, murmur scared —> frightened, terrified
to walk quietly
spooky, scary
to say happily softly old —> ancient, dilapidated,
very —> extremely, totally, haunted
absolutely, incredibly, ghost good —> great, wonderful,
completely, mega story fantastic, amazing
bad —> terrible, awful, evil
nouns dark —> gloomy
haunted house
verbs
house —> old, ancient, dilapidated
run —> dash, race
ghost witch
hide, scare, frighten
ugly evil
pearly walk —> amble, waddle, saunter
white
super-scary wrinkly creep, tiptoe, sneak

When I give the students two I use the following six-stage plan once they have learnt how to ‘plan’, it
options, I hold out my two hands, like a with my students: will become ingrained.
set of scales, to indicate that they can
For example:
have one option, or another. 1 Title
Thirdly, you have to work out who 1 Title The Haunted House
will be in the story. The students need 2 Beginning
to decide who their main character is. 2 Beginning My friend Gill and I
3 Action 1
Often at a young age it will be find a ghost.
themselves. Ideally, you’d like them to 4 Action 2
have another character so that there 3 Action 1 The ghost attacks us.
can be dialogue and interaction. With 5 Action 3
young students this can be an animal, a 4 Action 2 We throw water
sibling or a friend. They might even 6 Ending onto the ghost.
choose you!
Now you have the vocabulary, the Each student needs to think of 5 Action 3 The ghost laughs.
setting and the characters, the students something different, but it’s important
are ready to plan their story. to do the planning stage-by-stage as a 6 Ending Gill and I become
class. Thinking of a title can be the friends with the
Step 2: most difficult part, so allow them ghost.
Make a plan enough time. Once each student has a
I have made the mistake before of title, tell them that they need to think
simply saying to my students ‘write a of a beginning. Stress that this is not Step 3:
story’. This works fine for some the writing task, they just need to jot Set the rules
students – and spells complete disaster down a couple of words. Each stage Each student should be aware of what
for others! Sometimes there is no should only require a couple of words, is expected of them. How many words
content, sometimes the story doesn’t and you will need to monitor the do you want them to write? Do you
make sense, and at other times they students closely to make sure they are want it to include dialogue? How many
write on a topic completely unrelated not writing the full story. This process characters do you want the piece of
to what you are doing in class. will take a little time to consolidate, but writing to include?

• www.etprofessional.com • ENGLISH TEACHING professional • Issue 79 March 2012 • 23

 TEACHING YOUNG LEARNERS
Creative tools for
creative minds



Before they start writing, I put the
rules up on the board. There needs to
be consideration for stronger and
weaker students, so I usually provide a
range, or a minimum.
 Word count: 100–150 words, or a
minimum of 100 words.
 ‘Super’ words: 10–15, or a minimum
of 10.
 ‘Super said’ words: 3–5 (if you are
including dialogue as a requirement).
Step 4:
Create the first draft
The first draft stage is for the students
to get their ideas onto paper. At this
stage, grammar, spelling and ‘super’
words are less important as there is an
editing stage later.
Tell the students that they need to
write their story and follow their plan. I
have known students to write a plan
and then write a completely different
story. Again, this is a process that needs
to be taught but, once done, it is
extremely useful. If necessary, ask them
to write in sections first.
Step 5:
Edit the draft
This is a useful stage as, over time, it
teaches the students to be more
critical of their own work. Can they
find their own mistakes? Can they
distinguish between ‘normal’ words and
‘super’ words?
Before they can start editing, they
need to check that they have the
minimum word count. If not, they need
to revise/add more before they can
start editing. Once they have fulfilled
this criterion, they receive a checklist
for their story (the checklists are a
replica of the ‘rules’ on the board,
which are modified according to the
class, level and, sometimes, student). A
checklist promotes student autonomy
and it enables the teacher to give more
support to those students who are
24 • Issue 79 March 2012 • ENGLISH TEACHING professional • www.etprofessional.com •

Draft 2
The Haunted House
On a dark and gloomy night Gill and I are ambling through the deep
forest. We see a dilapidated house. I shout to Gill, “Look at that
house!” Gill whispers to me, “Let’s go check it out!”
We creep up the wooden stairs and push open the rusty door.
There is no-one inside. Suddenly we hear a noise. I scream, “What’s
that noise?” Gill and I tiptoe up the stairs and we see a pearly
white ghost. We are extremely scared. The ghost comes towards
us and we dash downstairs. We are in the kitchen and Gill throws
freezing cold water onto the ghost. The ghost chuckles. And then
we laugh. “Can we be friends?” I ask the ghost.
“Of course we can, replies the ghost. “I am
very lonely and want some friends.” Gill and
I tell the ghost we will be friends forever,
falling behind (whilst the speedy ones Step 6:
race ahead with their checklist). Produce a second
To help them find all the criteria on
their checklist, I give each student a
draft
highlighter pen. First, I ask them to Once the students have ticked everything
highlight the different words for said. If on their checklists, they can rewrite the
they have the required amount of ‘super piece on a clean sheet of paper or type it
said’ words, they can tick this on the up on the computer. If you like, you can
list. If not, they need to circle the get them to re-highlight all the ‘super
words for said and change them to said’ words and ‘super’ words to show
‘super said’ words. Once they have their parents that they are expanding
ticked off the ‘super said’ words, I give their vocabulary and to allow the
them a different colour and ask them students themselves to see the ‘exciting’
to highlight their other ‘super’ words. If work they have produced. ETp
they don’t have the required amount, Laura Besley taught
they can circle some ‘normal’ words and business English in
Germany for two years
change them into ‘super’ words, then and has also taught in
highlight them and tick them off the list the UK. She is currently
teaching at the British
once they have the correct amount. Council in Hong Kong.
This is when it is helpful for the
students to know the difference
between a verb and an adjective. They
can be prompted to use the vocabulary
from the word-mapping stage. besley.laura@gmail.com