Looking for ways to lift your pupils literacy? Writing for unknown readers rather than simply class teachers can make a difference to pupil motivation.
Online writing sites, challenges and competitions exploring everything from song lyrics, through to full-blown novels via flash fiction and poetry can provide a rich seam for promoting literacy and helping pupils to enjoy writing.
Young Human Rights Reporter
Naturally we begin with the SecEd-supported Young Human Rights Reporter of the Year 2013.
The competition is run by Amnesty International and is open to budding writers aged from seven to 18 and encourages them to pen articles based on a human rights issue of their choice.
In last year’s competition, topics ranged from bullying and sexism to the death penalty, the use of tasers by the police, and child soldiers in Africa.
The journalism competition is open to students aged from seven to 18 and is split into four categories – upper primary, lower secondary, upper secondary and 6th form. And this year, a new category has been included for photojournalism, offering budding young snappers the chance to win national recognition.
The deadline for entries to the competition is February 18 and full details can be found on page 16 of this edition.
Visit: www.amnesty.org.uk/youngreporter
100-Word Challenge
When retired head Julia Skinner launched the One Hundred Word Challenge she little suspected that it would grow so rapidly or internationally. While the majority of schools participating are primary, there is a growing interest from secondary pupils. Each week in term-time, there is a flash fiction challenge. The prompts can be found online.
Teachers of pupils with learning difficulties can adapt the challenge, or use the Five Sentence Challenge every two weeks for children under-16. Entries can be linked to the home page so that schools can view each other’s work, and pupils benefit from feedback and contributing to an online community.
Visit: http://100wc.net/
Claire Apps
On a much smaller scale, UK based-writer Claire Apps runs a number of competitions from her website. The current one, which links into issues of domestic violence, may be of particular interest to those teaching PSHE. Claire is happy to run parallel competition for secondary school pupils alongside the one for adults.
They should submit stories or poems on the theme of childhood memories by January 31, 2013. She has proposed an entry fee of £1 and a book token for a prize. All profits go to the charity Women’s Aid.
Visit: http://writing-experiment.webs.com/newcompetition.htm
TS Eliot Poetry Prize
A level pupils can take part in shadowing the T S Eliot Prize for Poetry by writing 500 words about the nominated poet who they believe should win the prize.
This year’s shortlist of contemporary writers has just been published and includes Sharon Olds, Gillian Clarke and Simon Armitage. Students will make their cases for who should win this prestigious prize at the same time as the judges. Sample poems are available online.
Winners will receive two tickets to the Prize Readings and the award ceremony early in 2013, and copies of the shortlisted collections. Key stage 4 pupils can vote for their favourite poets in an online poll. The closing date for entries and votes is December 18.
Visit: http://poetrybooks.co.uk/projects/15
Young Writers
Young Writers hosts various writing challenges for secondary pupils that are free to enter. Pupils are invited to submit poems inspired by what they like most about winter to the Winter Wonders Competition which closes on December 28.
Throughout the year, there is an ongoing competition for Teen Poets and another for Ghost Stories. Winners receive gift vouchers and will be published in anthologies. For more information, guidelines and teaching resources on a variety of subjects aimed at improving literacy, see the website.
Visit: http://youngwriters.co.uk/
Wattpad
Canada-based Wattpad boasts author Margaret Attwood as one of its fans. It aims to be a place where people of all ages can read and share stories. There are currently six million users worldwide, enjoying the positive encouraging environment.
Most of them are readers and young people who are looking to see what new writing is coming out in the genres they enjoy. They read, vote and comment on the stories.
There are also apps which allow authors to write on the go. Abigail Gibbs, the new star of Vampire fiction, was around 15-years-old when she first started on Wattpad. Now 18-years-old, she has been published by Harper Collins. Wattpad can be used by individuals, or for a class reading or writing project.
Visit: www.wattpad.com
NaNoWriMo
NaNoWriMo is the annual novel-writing fest. Every year, writers of every type and level of expertise join in, aiming for the magic goal of 50,000 words.
There is a special page for young writers on the website, offering ideas and support, as well as resources for educators. It is free to join, and you can even set up a virtual classroom to post links, announcements and dates, set up discussions and check progress.
In the teachers’ forums, you can get advice from other teachers, find a mentor, start discussions and share ideas and resources to help guide your pupils.
For pupils, there are discussions around creating characters, writing prompts, grammar tips, help with different genres and advice on plot development.
Visit: http://ywp.nanowrimo.org/
JanNoWriMo
Related to NaNoWriMo, there is JanNoWriMo, where writers set their own writing goals for the month and work towards achieving them, supported by forums covering every subject you could think of.
Visit: www.ymakadomain.com/janno/forum/index.php
WriYe
And also related, WriYe gives a longer time frame for aspiring writers. Here the aim is to write all year round, from January to December. Writers sign up for the “club” that fits their goals. There are online workshops, intermediate goals, and lots of opportunities for feedback and interaction with fellow writers.
Visit: www.naplwrimo.org
SLAMbassadors UK
SLAMbassadors UK aims to get secondary-aged pupils involved in performance poetry, and in so doing improve their confidence and communication skills alongside raising standards of literacy.
Hosted by the Poetry Society, there is an annual competition, and submissions for 2013 are being accepted now. Entrants submit videos of their work, and winners will get the chance to take part in a two-day intensive workshop, and perform in a live event.
Visit: http://slam.poetrysociety.org.uk/
Foyle Young Poets
Still at the Poetry Society, the Foyle Young Poets of the Year Award is open to 11 to 17-year-olds with entries accepted from March to July each year. The prizes range from a week’s residential course at an Arvon Centre to goodies supplied by Divine Chocolate. Teachers can find lesson plans and resources, including posters, postcards and anthologies online.
Pupils can enter individually or as a class. The schools who inspire the greatest number of poets to enter receive a collection of books published by Bloodaxe and Faber and Faber.
Visit: http://www.poetrysociety.org.uk/content/competitions/fyp/teachers/
Getting musical
For song-writers, February is Album Writing Month. Participants must be at least 15-years-old, and aim to write 14 songs in 28 days. The forums are open all year round, with contributions from around the globe and songwriters of all levels of skill and experience offer their advice and support.
Entrants shoud post their song titles so that their progress can be tracked, and if they wish, upload notes, lyrics and demos. There are optional weekly challenges on Twitter, and work can be individual or collaborative.
Visit: http://fawm.org
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Isobel Durrant is a teacher and journalist.