Some ideas for 'hands-on' writing activities in the classroom to teach sentence construction, giving reasons and writing simple narratives for upper level primary school (UPSR/KBSR). For more information, visit: http://cindyjbj79.blogspot.com/

1. TEACHING WRITING
SOME IDEAS FOR ‘HANDS-ON’ACTIVITIES
CYNTHIA C. JAMES (SKK2)

2. SENTENCE CONSTRUCTION
SCAFFOLDING ACTIVITIES TO HELP
WEAKER LEARNERS

3. LABELING ACTIVITY
• To help students remember vocabulary and key phrases
• Teacher provides the words and phrases for ‘subject’,
‘verb’ and ‘object / complement’
• Students label picture and construct sentences based on
the picture

7. MATCHING ACTIVITY
• In pairs or small groups
• Good students help their friends
• Students match words and phrases based on what they
can see in the picture
• Students work together to construct sentences

10. ARRANGING WORDS
• Turn the activity into a group competition to make it
more interesting
• Students get into small groups
• Distribute envelopes containing words needed to
construct sentences for the picture
• Students work together in their groups to arrange the
words and form the correct sentences for the picture
• Give one point for each correct sentence
• Group with the most points win

13. ‘Mini Whiteboard’
• Laminate a few pieces of white A4-sized papers and use
these as 'mini whiteboards' for the students to write their
sentences on, using non-permanent / dry-erase markers
• Students write their sentences on the 'mini whiteboard‘
• The non-permanent / dry-erase markers on the laminated
piece of paper can be easily erased using tissue paper or a
piece of crumpled paper
• The students hold the 'mini whiteboard' up to show the
sentence that they've written. The pair / group with the
correct sentence will get a point

17. ‘Sentence Panel’
• To revise the sentence structure
• Assign students into small groups and give each group
one ‘sentence panel’
• Students work together to form sentences
• Students may write on the panel using dry-erase markers
or post-its

20. Singing ‘the structure’
• To revise the basic sentence structure
• Melody is used to aid memorisation
• Two basic structures:
• Subject – Verb – Object
• There is / There are

21. How many – Subject – Be
– Verbing –
What/Where/Who

22. There – be – how many –
nouns - place

23. WRITING REASONS
IDEAS AND ACTIVITIES

24. GRAPHIC ORGANISER /
MIND MAP
• Help students to organise thoughts and ideas
• Revise vocabulary and aid memorisations

27. FACTS - REASONS
• Help students distinguish between facts and reasons
• Help students to organise thoughts and ideas

32. VOCABULARY WORK
• Hands-on activities to revise important vocabulary and
key-words
• Aids memorisations

37. Using songs
• Introduce students to logical connectors to help make
their paragraph more interesting
• Help students to revise and remember some key
sentences and vocabulary

39. ‘The Reasons’ ;-)

40. NARRATIVE WRITING
SOME IDEAS FOR NOTE EXPANSION

41. Writing ‘in reverse’

42. Scaffolded Writing

43. ‘Operate’ the sentences

44. Use simple stories

48. • For more tips and ideas on ‘hands-on’ activities for
writing and the scaffolded writing strategy, visit:
‘Beyond Chalk & Talk’
http://cindyjbj79.blogspot.com