Tips on composition planning & a school model on an achievement

How Primary 3 students should plan their compositions? At Thinking factory, the Planning process for our compositions is an important start to writing good compositions. At the planning stage, students begin the process of generating ideas for their story, 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.

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

• Introduction
• Problem/Rising Action
• Solution/Falling Action
• Conclusion

In May, I introduced them to the Climax paragraph and challenged them to increase the length of their compositions and the descriptions.

Thus, for every composition, students should plan out 5 paragraphs

• Introduction
• Problem/Rising Action
• Climax
• Solution/Falling Action
• Conclusion

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

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.