INTERNATIONALREADING

ASSOCIATIONATLANTA, 2008

Learn from the Masters: How Creating a Fictional Character Enhances Reading Instruction

CAROL BALDWIN

MAUPIN HOUSE BOOTH # 845

READING MATTERSBOOTH # 2221

http://www.carolbaldwinblog.blogspot.com

WHERE WE’RE GOING TODAY:

Learn from Literature Target Skills: clues for inference, word choice,

specificity

Create a Character Target Skills: brainstorming, descriptive writing,

word choice, originality

What’s Next? Build-a-Plot The Difference is in the Details: Genre Stories Classroom Applications

What Do These Mentor Texts have in Common?

Simon & Schuster 2006 Boyd’s Mill

Press, 2006

Random House Children’s Books 1999

We see the characters FAST

F – FeelingsA – ActionsS - SpeechT- Thoughts

“Fear is a stranger to me!” declared Peter, hands on hips. “Two strangers met in one day, then, Peter Pan,” said the circus-master. “Fear and Myself.” Peter was startled. “You know my name?”…… “Naturally I know you, Peter Pan. Who has not heard of the Marvellous Boy? The Boy from Treetops? The Wonder of Neverwood!....” The League of Pan gave a rousing cheer, except for Wendy, who thought so many compliments might go to Peter’s head. Sure enough, Peter gave a shrill crow of pleasure: “Cock-a doodle-doo!”

Peter Pan in Scarlet p.66-67

When Daddy declared war on the wisteria, I was afraid he would kill it all off. But he said he couldn’t kill it if he tried. “Ann Fay, “ he said, “that vine is just like you. It’s mighty pretty, but it’s also determined. It would take a powerful strong enemy to destroy either one of you.” I wanted to believe him. But now that Daddy was off to fight a real war, I felt destroyed already.

Bluep. 18

“Once, when he didn’t think he could stand being at home any longer, in the middle of the night he had taken the blanket off his bed and gone into the backyard and lain on the ground. It was almost more than he could bear to be in a room without an open window. He had to feel the air on his skin, to feel a part of the outside. That night he had lain trying to see up to the sky, to the starts. There was too much city light to see much but he tried, just as he tried to pretend the air in the yard was the same as the air in the woods.”

Brian’s Return p. 44

No CARs Allowed in School!No CARs Allowed in School!

COPYINGADDING-ONRETELLING

Let’s Brainstorm a Character

BRAINSTORM NOW!

• Brainstorm together.

• Be descriptive.

• Be original.

And write FAST!And write FAST!

Don’t

forget:

What’s Next?

• Build-a-Plot• The Difference is in the Details: Genre Stories

• Classroom Applications

Build-a-Plot

The Difference is in the Details

What if Peter Pan in Scarlet took place 100 years into the future rather than 100 years ago? What changes would the author have had to make?

What if Ann Fay lived during the Civil War rather than WWII?

What if Bryan was a football player, rather than the guy who didn’t play sports?

If you want to write, Read!

#1

Classroom

Application:

“The act of writing improved the reading habits of these young authors...Being treated like real writers and having opportunities to actively engage in the process, students developed reading skills with high levels of motivation and authenticity, often seeking out texts likely to serve their needs as authors.”

Real writers as aware readers: Writing creatively as a means to develop reading skills

Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 9/07

A Word from Wendy Glenn, PhDDepartment of Curriculum Instruction, University of Connecticut

Develops student’s voice:

Figurative language Style

Word choiceSyntax

Students practice writing

conventions in a fun way.

FICTION

WRITING

Produces outside of the box

thinking!

MAUPIN HOUSE BOOTH # 8451:30-2:30

READING MATTERSBOOTH #22212:30-3:30

Free Technolo

gy Handout

s!

www.carolbaldwinblog.blogspot.com

RESOURCES

Glenn,Wendy. (2007) Real writers as aware readers: Writing creatively as a means to develop reading skills. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 51, (1) p.10-20.

Hostetter, Joyce. (2006) Blue. Honesdale: Boyds Mill Press. (Winner of the IRA Intermediate Children’s Book Award, 2007)

McCaughrean, Geraldine. (2006) Peter Pan in Scarlet, New York, Simon & Schuster.

Paulsen, Gary. (1999) New York: Random House Children’s Books.