writing_ideas

Literacy Volunteers of East Bay
an Affiliate of ProLiteracy America

Inservice: Writing activity ideas for ESL and ABE (March 2005)

Websites:
http://www.tengrrl.com/tens/017.shtml
“traci’s lists of ten” creative writing assignments:
1. show and tell in writing
2. jumble story using randomly assigned prompts
3. scavenger hunt (describe objects as you find them, then integrate them into a short story)
4. embellish an classified ad. Talk about who wrote it, their motivation, their life, etc.
5. choose a historial figure and write something starting like “the thing I regret most about my
life is…” or “the one thing I am proudest of is….”
6. make a diary for a fictional character
7. make a poem using random words chosen from a dictionary (choose ones you know only)
and tie them together with articles, conjunctions, preps, etc.
8. make a framework poem, using certain formulas.
9. childhood place: write a fictionalized account of someone going to a place or an event from
childhood. Feel free to embellish and use multiple memories together (it’s fiction). Only a good
memory!
10. found treasures: prepare a small bag of random things: fortune cookie, feather, photo,
poker chip, etc. This bag was “left behind by someone”. Student needs to write a short story
depicting the character who left the objects.

Journals: regular writing with prompts- responses to a story read in class. EX: the old lady who
swallowed a fly. What could you do to help her? Share ideas.
Provide a picture to provoke writing.

Have students write picture books after a model (“If you give a moose a muffin” becomes “if you
give a Chihuahua a pack of gum” or whatever you need it to be)

Have students write a letter from the perspective of the character from something you are
reading together, for homework or model reading.

http://www.stuartstories.com/activities.html
“Finish me” stories*, monster stories*, machine stories*.

http://www.ohiou.edu/esl/english/writing/activities.html
topics for writing (divided by level); electronic postcard, grammar and editing practice by level*

http://www.paragraphpunch.com
guided practice with writing paragraphs and essays*

Allow the writing process! Ask for a rough draft, give an edit, and write a final draft. Let the
student know when you are looking for grammar and spelling, and when it is irrelevant.

*demonstrated in inservice, highly suggested.

Literacy Volunteers of East Bay
an Affiliate of ProLiteracy America