Engaging the Reluctant Reader and Reluctant Writer

By Debbie Elicksen www.freelancepublishing.net/wp

A teaching resource

FEAR

Where is your delivery comfort?

• Audio

• Video

• Words

• Photography

• Painting

CONQUERING FEAR

• Break down into sub-categories

• Find a reason

• Face the challenge and do it anyway

• Take small steps to build stamina

• Mix it up

WHERE TO START

• Follow along when

someone else reads.

• Watch a video of the

same work (Pride and

Prejudice) as a book

and find parallels and

references; read the

first part and show the

first part of the film.

•

• Blend things like poetry

and songs: pick a song

you like, Google the

lyrics, re-write the

words.

• Rewrite an article—how

would you write it

differently? Offer

choices on how to

approach it.

• Read a novel (if not on

the school’s

recommended list, get

a note from parents

that it is okay to read it)

and present your

understanding of it.

• Play a video on mute and

describe it in detail so

that a blind person can

understand the storyline.

WRITING

• Practice writing.

• The first draft will have

errors and flaws.

• Your work is more than

likely great, it just

needs polishing.

• What are things you

are passionate about

that you can write

about?

•

• Write a paragraph from a

favorite novel and

redo it.

• There is no right or

wrong way—it’s about

developing the story the

best way you can.

• Write about a person.

• Write a piece of fiction

from a picture.

• Get it down first—then

edit.

• Share it with a friend, if

comfortable (the

purpose is not to

change or correct, but

fill in the gaps, look for

holes or sense, and

give credit for what

looks good).

• Make a story about what

you see in your

environment: a flock of

pigeons—from the

pigeon’s perspective.

• Stories do not have to be

in written format; can be

pictures, audio, video,

comic book.

• Take ideas from other

writers.

•

• If you read specific

types of books, write

that style.

• Use tools from books

and magazines that

provide exercises to

combat writer’s block.

• Show, don’t tell.

• Use all five senses.

• Write about what you

know.

• Give your eyes a break

after a long stretch of

writing.

• Write an outline to give

you structure before

embarking on your

piece.

• You don’t have to write in

sequence.

• Write a list of elements

you want in your story

then research it.

•

BREAK IT DOWN INTO TOPICS

EDITING

SPELL CHECK IS A TOOL ONLY

• It starts as a slab of stone.

• Look for errors in grammar,

punctuation, spelling.

• Look for poor construction,

flow, redundancy.

• Use a style guide,

dictionary, and thesaurus.

“Ode to the Spell Checker!“

Eye halve a spelling

chequer

It came with my pea sea

It plainly marques four my

revue

Miss steaks eye kin knot

sea.

As soon as a mist ache is

maid

It nose bee fore two long

And eye can put the error

rite

Its rare lea ever wrong.

WHERE TO FIND YOUR VOICE

• Blogs

• Journal

• Ezines

• Newsletters

• Social networks

• YouTube

• iTunes

• Flickr

• Scribd

• Blogtalkradio

• CNN iReport

• SlideShare

• Facebook notes

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An adaptation of a PowerPoint Presentation from

joint workshop with Debbie Elicksen and

Kim Greyson at the

Palliser Teacher’s Convention

2011