Submitted by Fiona Beal
Have you ever wondered how to get the reluctant writers in your class enthusiastic about writing? Nowadays with all the wonderful free applications available on the web a teacher doesn’t have to stress about this any more. (Please note that there is a link to a follow up post with more story starter sites under point 11 below.)
1. Wallwisher
This is an idea I tried last year. Open a wallwisher page (http://wallwisher.com) and ask the class to think of a good start to story. There are always those students who rise to the occasion and add their bit. Of course there are those who just sit and think during the whole exercise. Then, when everyone has added their ideas, let everyone choose one of the ideas and start writing! This usually works well.
2. The Story Starter Junior (http://www.thestorystarter.com/jr.htm)
This site provides 729 story starters for kids and won an award in 2008. Every time you click on the story starter button a new idea appears.
3. The Story Starter (http://www.thestorystarter.com/)
Here is it’s companion site which is for older students and adults. This one has over a milllion story starters.
4. Creative Writing prompts (http://www.creativewritingprompts.com/)
This is another site that has won an award. All you do is point to one of the 346 numbers and a box appears with a prompt.
5. The Storyboard Generator (http://generator.acmi.net.au/storyboard/interactive)
This site allows you to generate a play script. You choose your avator and a script idea, and then…who knows! All sorts of possibilities emerge. Try it and see.
6. Fun Fairytale generator (http://www.sistersgrimm.com/newsite/game.html)
This is a fun fairy-tale generator site that will capture the imagine of the daring younger learners.
7. A character generator (http://bit.ly/dnHLt)
This site supports Key Stage 1. You choose the type of clothes, hair and skin colour that you want your character to have. Then you type on the notepad a sentence about your character. You can then click on the Print button at the top of the screen and your character and the sentence will be printed. The idea is to show it to the teacher and talk about who you have created.
8. Storyplant from the BBC
This will really appeal to the younger learner. A story guide takes one on a fascinating journey and helps the student to develop their story.
9. Boomwriters (http://www.boomwriter.com/home/Schools)
This seems to be a site that you join – free to schools – and it takes you on a writing journey. It could be worth investigating!
10. Inspiring ideas (http://www.ideastoinspire.co.uk/inspiringwriting.htm)
Just to finish off this looks worth exploring – 34 more ideas in a Google doc.
Click on the picture to be taken to the actual Google doc so that you can view all 34 ideas.
11. Even more...
This post is continued with another group of story starter sites. Visit More story starter sites to inspire your students to write
1. Wallwisher
This is an idea I tried last year. Open a wallwisher page (http://wallwisher.com) and ask the class to think of a good start to story. There are always those students who rise to the occasion and add their bit. Of course there are those who just sit and think during the whole exercise. Then, when everyone has added their ideas, let everyone choose one of the ideas and start writing! This usually works well.
2. The Story Starter Junior (http://www.thestorystarter.com/jr.htm)
This site provides 729 story starters for kids and won an award in 2008. Every time you click on the story starter button a new idea appears.
3. The Story Starter (http://www.thestorystarter.com/)
Here is it’s companion site which is for older students and adults. This one has over a milllion story starters.
4. Creative Writing prompts (http://www.creativewritingprompts.com/)
This is another site that has won an award. All you do is point to one of the 346 numbers and a box appears with a prompt.
5. The Storyboard Generator (http://generator.acmi.net.au/storyboard/interactive)
This site allows you to generate a play script. You choose your avator and a script idea, and then…who knows! All sorts of possibilities emerge. Try it and see.
6. Fun Fairytale generator (http://www.sistersgrimm.com/newsite/game.html)
This is a fun fairy-tale generator site that will capture the imagine of the daring younger learners.
7. A character generator (http://bit.ly/dnHLt)
This site supports Key Stage 1. You choose the type of clothes, hair and skin colour that you want your character to have. Then you type on the notepad a sentence about your character. You can then click on the Print button at the top of the screen and your character and the sentence will be printed. The idea is to show it to the teacher and talk about who you have created.
8. Storyplant from the BBC
This will really appeal to the younger learner. A story guide takes one on a fascinating journey and helps the student to develop their story.
9. Boomwriters (http://www.boomwriter.com/home/Schools)
This seems to be a site that you join – free to schools – and it takes you on a writing journey. It could be worth investigating!
10. Inspiring ideas (http://www.ideastoinspire.co.uk/inspiringwriting.htm)
Just to finish off this looks worth exploring – 34 more ideas in a Google doc.
Click on the picture to be taken to the actual Google doc so that you can view all 34 ideas.
11. Even more...
This post is continued with another group of story starter sites. Visit More story starter sites to inspire your students to write
Lovely variety to choose from! I also found ths one - maybe you will like it too. http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/storystarters/storystarter1.htm
ReplyDeleteThanks so much Mrs G! I will definitley add that one to my next ten list.
ReplyDelete