Sometimes when students approach creative writing, they’re so anxious about the process that they forget to analyse the prompt carefully. It’s not that a prompt is a trick question designed for misinterpretation, but many children get excited about certain parts of a prompt and totally miss other parts.
Let me give an example. I gave the following narrative prompt to a couple of students – “Write a story which includes the line: Playing “Among Us” with my friends online is a lot of fun, but being quarantined is no fun at all.” I was totally pleased with myself that I was hip with current events and knew the games the children are currently obsessed with. However, they all focused on the game itself and completely ignored the bit about being quarantined. What I got were stories about what happened in the game. If I had marked them on their responses, I would have to give low marks simply because they did not address all the issues mentioned in the prompt.
So, even excellent stories wouldn’t score well. Analysing report prompts help students know what type of report they’re writing, whether it’s a competition, event, activity, incident, or accident. That information influences what goes into the report, particularly the conclusion.
Prompts are there to guide the response. Some give a general direction while others give specific details that should be included. All prompts set basic parameters for the writing they’re meant to generate. Pay attention to phrases like, “what happened next” and “report on the experience.” Additionally, be careful with using words from the prompt. Remember, the prompt is just a guide to direct students on what to write. Words from the prompt should only be used if the prompt directs students to do so. Otherwise, use them only as inspiration to prepare a response.
As you work with your child to analyse prompts, look at keywords. Discuss your child’s understanding of the prompt and how they would approach it. Show them how to idenfity things that are stated plainly and things that are implied. Guide them in planning responses. That will help them keep on track with their writing, and position them for better marks.
