Jacqueline Harrett suggests that everyday objects, like gloves can provide a boost for character development.

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For some children writing is easy. Give them a spark and they are off like a train racing to its destination. For others writing is a long slow and hard process both physically and mentally. Children need time to think and to talk about ideas before actually writing anything. There are numerous ways to stimulate writing such as odd looking objects or even something quite ordinary.

Take something simple like an old glove and ask questions about it.

Allow children to examine the glove in detail and suggest ideas.

Who did the glove belong to?

Give the character a name. Names are very important. A name like Betty conjures up a mental picture of an older woman while Faye is more ethereal; Norma is staid and old-fashioned, while Charlene is more modern. Perhaps the glove has a name on the inside as a clue to the owner? Creating a real person in the imagination is the beginning of narrative writing as one immediately wants to know more about that person.

 What is the glove made from?

What is the glove made from? Leather, plastic, wool? Is it very worn? A worn glove could indicate a poor person, or perhaps a favourite possession. It could have been a treasured present from a grandchild or a friend.

Where and when was the glove found?

 How did it get there? Invite suggestions from children. Under a tree in the woods immediately makes one think of a murder mystery. Did the owner drop it in a struggle? Was it hidden? Possibly it was something simple like trying to stop her dog running off and the glove was dropped in the confusion. If the glove was found on a bus or train perhaps the person was in a hurry and left it there. This leads to further questions. Why was the owner in a hurry? Will she miss the glove? Will she be upset? What if the glove contained a note? What would it say? Already children should be starting to form ideas around the lost glove.

Allowing the children time to discuss and exchange ideas, in pairs or groups, is a way of enabling them to orally draft their stories before planning and writing. Ordinary objects could have extraordinary stories to tell: necklaces, letters, postcards, a key-ring, a lock of hair, a baby shoe, even a piece of fabric could be the beginning of a strange tale. Permitting children time to share questions and ideas before writing should give them all a starting point for narrative and produce a number of different stories surrounding the mystery object.

2007-07-22