P3 Composition planning & a school model on An Achievement

Planning a plot is an important part of any composition. At Thinking Factory, the Planning process for our compositions is an important start to writing good compositions. Even our Primary 2 students are taught to plan and write in paragraphs right from the start. At the planning stage, students begin the process of generating ideas for their stories, organising their ideas, and learning how to paragraph their ideas correctly. It also serves as a reminder for them to highlight the theme and end with a lesson learnt, or a ‘reflective ending’.

At the start of the P3 year, we began by teaching students to plan out the following paragraphs.

• Introduction
• Rising Action
• Falling Action
• Conclusion

At the start of July, we introduce them to the Climax paragraph and challenge them to increase the length of their compositions and descriptions. We start doing this earlier to allow them time to master the additional paragraph before their SA2.

Why is the Climax paragraph important?

The Climax is the most important or most exciting part of a plot. This is when the protagonist in the story who is cheating in an examination gets caught, or when the protagonist is standing up to a bully. By adding the Climax to a plot, students will need to use their creativity and the writing technique learnt to describe the most exciting part of their stories.

Thus from the second half of the year, our P3 students plan out 5 paragraphs

• Introduction
• Rising Action
• Climax
• Falling Action
• Conclusion

It always makes us happy when my students or parents tell us about their achievements in English in school. One of our P3 students had his composition and planning (below) highlighted and shared in class by his teacher. He also remembered to use the theme and added in a lesson learnt. Congratulations YH!

School model composition on an achievement

Introduction (starting with a sound)

Ring. The examination bell went off to signal the start of the examination. The students started scribbling on their examination paper. I did so too

Problem/Rising Action

Before the examination, I studied hard as I had failed my last English test. I looked at the students and they were almost done. The paper was hard but I still got through. It was the last question that stopped me from writing

Climax

I froze for a few seconds. I did not how to do it. I wrung my hands and stole furtive glances at the clock. 10 more minutes?I broke out in cold sweat. I tried to rack my brains but it did not work. I should have revised more diligently

Solution/Falling Action

When I wanted to throw in the towel, I remembered that my teacher taught me a way to answer such comprehension questions. I read the question carefully and had more confidence. Then, I proceeded to answer the last question. Just when I was done, the invigilator’s  voice boomed across the hall, “Your examination is over. Please stop writing.” Before I handed up my script, I checked thoroughly through to make sure that I did not leave any questions out.

Conclusion (linked back to the theme and lesson learnt)

The next day, I got my results back. I scored 87 marks! Yes, what an achievement! I had finally passed my English test this time! I also learnt that in order to do well, I must put in effort to study hard the next time too.