SHIRLEEN TAN

FOUNDER & TUTOR

11 Feb 2023

One of the challenges that many students face is a need for ideas to write. Besides reading newspapers for content, one may consider turning to the tube (informal meaning : the television) for help. Although I frown upon screen time, if one utilizes it wisely, your child can be on his way to scoring better grades for his composition. 

Read on to find out how.

Let us take a look at one of my P6 compo questions. From my previous blog, I wrote about writing my ‘Story Plot Flow’, and from there, I am able to tell if a student is able to write aptly. I do not sugar coat my words, and from the beginning, I explained my expecatations and if their plots are boring and predictable, I would reject and make them think again.


From the suggested title – A Memorable Experience, and the three pictures given, what is your story plot?


I like to challenge students to think out of the box, and I recalled watching a baking reality show, using the iron to bake/cooking! Very interesting, right? My students were baffled and did not think it was possible, hence, I showed them the ‘evidence’. After all, ‘a picture paints a thousand words’.


From the images, you can see that the challenge for that day was to use household appliances to cook a dish within a time limit.


Pause now, and think how can one adapt the reality show into writing? Using two pictures, above, here is a suggested story plot flow (adpated from a few of my students. They are getting better in plotting!)


1: Mum instructed me to keep and iron the clothes. (1st pic)

2: I recalled baking show about using iron to cook.

3: I was curious to try (parents not at home).

4: Took out bacon/ham/hotdogs/luncheon meat.

5: Took out the ironing board and iron (2nd pic).

6: Followed the steps to cook.

7: Could not control the heating mode in the iron.

8: Burnt/overcooked the meat

9: Realised it was not easy to do.

10: Smoke escaped the iron after a while

11: Panicked, cried, accidentally scarred my hand.

12: Parents came back in the nick of time

13: After reprimanding, they taught me how to do it properly

14: Dinner was prepared using the iron and served on the ironing board

15: A memorable experience indeed! 


There you go! A little plot twist at the end. The usual ending would be the character getting scolded, and something learned. Why not think more and end off with something better? 


Writing is a process, and it takes time to build. Slowly start reading to build up your confidence, and practice writing for the exposure.


For more practice, grab a copy of my Writing AL1 PSLE Compositions at this link: https://sowingseedz.com/resources/


For my PSLE AL1 Compo workshop in March, click: https://sowingseedz.com/prog/psle-al1-compo/