When Reading and Writing Collide

The fortnightly trip to the school library seemed unexciting to some as normally they could pick just from the blue stickered picture books.  

The session started by sitting on the mat going over the expectation of the library. Tabitha asked “do we just pick from the blue stickers”. The grand tour of the library began. By exploring the non fiction section and learning about the dewey system, students were able to find books on personal interests like motorbikes, animals, countries, people and planets. 

“This is the chapter section, these are books where authors have to use their words wisely to create pictures in your head because there are no pictures”. Browsing through the chapter book section opened up a whole new world for the students. For Kyran, Jasmyrah, Tristan, and Harvey, it was their first time selecting longer texts with no pictures. 

Simron reminded me that the year before we had read about David Walliams, the author who created the stories The World’s Worst Children, Pets and Monsters. David Walliam is infamous for using language features like hyperbole, metaphors and onomatopoeia

Annaliese and McKenzie pulled one of Walliams' books off the shelves and spotted all of the onomatopoeia like the examples used in class.

As the range of reading material expanded, so did the creativity within the writing. Inspired by Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Riley focused on using descriptive details to set the scene in her camping writing. She described the sound of sizzling sausages, the rustling of swaying trees, and the warmth of a snuggly tent, making her story more engaging and immersive.

With a new understanding of how authors use purposeful detail and language to add excitement and detail, Demi and Annaliese experimented with their own writing. Annaliese started with simple sentences and gradually built them up with powerful adjectives and sensory details. 

“David Walliams’ books are funny. He uses a lot of onomatopoeia and describes animals in really interesting ways, bringing the characters to life. His writing has helped me describe the characters in my own chapter book about Daphne the ballerina”.

Through the series Wings of Fire by Tui T. Sutherland, Duncan and Harvey developed a deeper appreciation for how authors use description to create distinct characters. Duncan was particularly captivated by how each dragon in the book had unique features, inspiring him to apply the same technique in his own story about a dragon who became his friend in his writing.

Duncan moved from writing “The dragon was scary” to “The enormous, slobbering dragon had yellow teeth, and  it’s deep growl sent shivers down my spine.”

The visits to the library continue to spark curiosity, and a desire to explore more complex stories in the chapter book section. With each book  read, students are learning to craft more engaging narratives, becoming authors of their own imaginative worlds.