Ideas to help your child improve in composition writing

Ideas on how to improve in composition writing

Ideas on how to improve in composition writing:
1. Buy a model composition book. (If you want to challenge your child to write even better, buy a P5 or P6 model composition book.)
2. Get your child to read the first 5 and ask him/her to select the best one. Ask your child to state his/her reasons why that particular composition was the best.
3. Ask your child to write a similar story. Help your child to edit after the composition is written.
4. After 2 or 3 days, get your child to think of 3 different ways to write the story e.g. different endings, plot, introduction etc and discuss their ideas with you or the tutor. They can decide on the best idea and rewrite the story. (If the composition was written on the computer, the child can save the 2nd one as version 2.)
5. Your child can now proceed to read the next 5 compositions and carry out the thinking and writing process all over again.

Benefits:
Pupils learn to identify what makes a good composition.
Pupils develop creative thinking when they come up with ideas of different ways to rewrite their stories.
Pupils get to read good compositions.
Pupils will hone their composition writing skills.

Below are 2 very good compositions written by P4 pupils in 2011, SA1. Perhaps your child could read them and carry out the process stated above for one or both compositions:

Late For School

        “Ring!” The alarm clock rang incessantly as I tossed and turned in my bed. I reached out my hand lazily to thump that annoying sound button. Out of the blue, I heard someone shout, “Wake up! You’re late!”

“What?” I answered hastily. I jumped out of bed immediately and fumbled around for my school uniform. I had a quick breakfast, then rushed through the door.

        To my dismay, the school bus had arrived earlier and was speeding away from me. I was like a cat on hot bricks while running after the bus and flailing my hands about wildly at the same time. As the school bus arrived at the next stop, I managed to run frantically and finally caught up with it. I silently entered the bus and heaved a sigh of relief. “Phew!” Suddenly, all the pupils in the bus were laughing at me. I cast them an angry look but they seemed to ignore it. Wondering what the commotion was about, I lowered my eyes and in a split second, my face was as red as a tomato. I was wearing my pink bunny slippers! I groaned as I trudged out of the bus and ran home to wear my school shoes.

By the time I reached school, my form teacher, Mrs Lee, had already started her boring Mathematics lesson. I headed for my seat and was about to hand in my homework when I discovered that I had brought my sister’s bag to school. Laughter filled the bright airy room as I pulled out a rag doll from the bottom of her bag. Speechless, I glanced innocently at Mrs Lee. She glared at me angrily and said, “Tomorrow!” Abruptly, the class broke into loud guffaws and soon, it was recess time. The students dashed out to the canteen. When I felt my pocket, it was empty!

“Silly me! What would I eat now?” I cursed and spluttered, knowing that I was the one to blame.

Soon, recess ended. Beads of perspiration rolled down my forehead as I continued my lessons, anticipating the end of school. I was left with an empty stomach and when I got home, I was very hungry. After wolfing down every morsel and scrap of food, I told myself not to be late for school anymore! I had learnt a lesson and would never be so forgetful and careless! After all, it was clearly my fault and it was truly an unlucky day!

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A Good Deed

As Ravi looked proudly at his ‘Good Deed Medal’ displayed in the glass cabinet, he puffed up his chest, grinning from ear to ear. He recalled the day when he received his medal…

It was a beautiful morning. The birds sat high up on the trees chirping merrily as the sun cast a lovely, rosy glow on the flowers. Ravi was on the way to school. When the traffic-lights turned green, he saw an old man with a walking stick, struggling his way to cross the road.

       

Ravi had a kind heart. He walked towards the old man and asked if he needed any help. The old man gave him a toothless smile as Ravi led the way. After crossing the road, the old man peeked at Ravi’s school uniform to know which school he came from. The old man thanked Ravi as he continued his journey.

While Ravi was having his lunch at the school canteen, he noticed a lady with a polka dotted skirt pointing at him as she spoke to the principal. Ravi had never seen her before. Ravi tried to recall who that lady was when he spotted the same old man that he had helped that morning. He wondered what the lady was talking about and why the old man was beside her.

Suddenly, the principal started walking towards Ravi. Ravi was so shocked that his heart almost skipped a beat. The principal smiled at Ravi and said, “Good job, Ravi! I shall meet you at the hall during assembly tomorrow!” Ravi wondered what that was all about.

The next day, when Ravi was in the hall, the principal announced, “One of our pupils, Ravi, has done a good deed by helping an old man cross the road. Let us give him a round of applause!” The principal smiled as he gave Ravi the ‘Good Deed Medal’. The principal whispered into Ravi’s ear and said, “The lady is the old man’s oldest daughter. He wants to thank you for the good deed you did.”

Suddenly, Ravi snapped back to reality. Looking at the medal once more, he knew that the good deed he had done had brought him happiness.