A pioneering project in Dundee has been helping primary pupils’ literacy skills. Devised by the council’s writer in residence, Nick Hesketh, Writer’s Craft encourages children to broaden their reading and writing horizons by putting themselves in the storyteller’s chair.
Children who rely on DVDs or computer games for their imaginative input are taken on a journey into the art of writing, using scenarios they recognise from the world of entertainment. Pirates, dragons and magic provide the themes, but children put the stories together by completing a series of levels to improve their word power. By the end of each section, they are rewarded with stars for writing tales that show they have mastered the lessons.
Writer’s Craft is available in every Dundee primary. It has been produced on a CD-Rom, but can be accessed online.
