VIII - Getting children to write stories

Children can write their own stories but just as there are few natural authors among a group of adults only a tiny handful of children can be expected to come up with readable stories the first time they try, though they should always be encouraged to do so. But most intelligent children can write a health story if they are given help.

Here are a few ideas on the same subject, road safety.

Start with a picture or pictures, e.g. showing a busy road with bad drivers and overloaded trucks and lots of hurrying people and a group of school children

Start with discussion. Possibly start with a larger group and discuss the need to write about a particular subjects (e.g. road safety), and some of the points that need to be emphasised (e.g. look both ways, watch little ones who can’t estimate the speed of traffic etc.). Then divide into small groups and give them points to consider (e.g. Where will the story be set? Who will be your characters? How can we make it really interesting?)

Start the beginning of the story e.g. “Mother mongoose was in tears. She had lost yet another child last night killed by the bright eyed monsters on that terrible road. Only two were left out of five. She remembered how the others had died.

Give the end of the story and work back. E.g. “Miguel I told you to look after your little sister on the road … now look what has happened. She is in hospital, and we are just happy she is going to live. What happened? What did you do? “

Give the bare bones of the story and let the children fill it in.
E.g : tell the story about a very dangerous place on the road and how several children got killed or injured there and why. Then the children got together and made a plan to make the place safer They managed to convince some adults, then more until the whole community was up in arms and action was taken, particularly against those groups who did not want to do anything ‘because it will cost us money’.