Imitation and Learning … how do those go together?

To talk or write effectively, a child need to be very familiar with language by using it and hearing it often, so children who read or are read to are often better writers.  They have more exposure to stories, story language, story elements, and vocabulary.  By being exposed to models of good language, students have better banks of knowledge to draw from to imitate.  Imitation is an important part of learning.

I try to provide effective story models for my students to imitate.  I like to use examples from published stories and books to effectively get the point across and make it memorable for students.    For example, one way to begin a story is to use a sound effect to capture the reader’s attention.  In class students search through books I have provided to find beginnings that use sound effects and then attempt to write a beginning imitating that feature.

Another way to start a story is to immediately put the reader in the middle of the action.  The beginning of Because of Winn-Dixie (chasing the dog through the grocery store) is a very effective model of this story element.  After discussing this with students, I will challenge them to look at the beginning of the stories they write to see if it is full of action like that one.

The thoughts reflecting back on the story at the end of Charlotte’s Web and The Mouse and the Motorcycle can be used to demonstrate effective ways to end stories. I encourage my students to imitate or follow the models of good authors when they write.

There are lots books on Big Universe that can be used as good models of writing. Can children find some that have good beginnings to imitate? Can children find some that have fun sound effects to use as models for their own stories?

Can children find some characters that they like in stories on Big Universe and write more about them? What if you have children write a “what comes next” story after you finish reading a book on Big Universe?

There are lots of great ways to connect reading and writing!

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