Junior Writer and Orator
A step-by-step comprehensive training course enabling:
* Young learners to develop their cognitive skills and become self reliant, adept writers and
public speakers
* Parents to guide their children
* Teachers to shed the constant load of giving repetitive instruction to the class
Junior Writer and Orator
A step-by-step comprehensive training course enabling:
* Young learners to develop their cognitive skills and become self reliant, adept writers and
public speakers
* Parents to guide their children
* Teachers to shed the constant load of giving repetitive instruction to the class
Nandita Vij Tandan
Masters in Journalism, Institut des Etudes Politiques,
Ecole de Journalisme, Paris
&
Priyanka Vij Monga
Masters in International Public Management,
Paris School of International Affairs, Sciences-Po, Paris
Notion Press
Old No. 38, New No. 6
McNichols Road, Chetpet
Chennai - 600 031
First Published by Notion Press 2015
Copyright © Nandita Vij Tandan, Priyanka Vij Monga 2015
All Rights Reserved.
ISBN: 978-93-52060-42-9
This book has been published in good faith that the work of the author is original. All efforts have been taken to make the
material error-free. However, the author and the publisher disclaim the responsibility.
No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical,
including photocopying, recording, taping, or by any information storage retrieval system, without the permission, in writing,
from the publisher.
PREFACE
Junior Writer and Orator is a step-by-step and comprehensive training course for developing
creative writing and public speaking skills in young learners.
The main objective of the book is to facilitate:
*Students to develop their cognitive skills, and become self reliant, adept writers, and public
speakers.
*Parents to guide their children.
*Teachers to shed the constant load of giving repetitive instructions to the class.
The book is divided into four major sections.
Section A: Strategies for content and expression development aim towards self-reliance of
the learner. A sample for each type of writing task is followed by a thinking skill activity to
reinforce learning.
The Practice tasks will enable the learner to implement the techniques imparted, and work
independently. The visual and verbal inputs have been given in the form of tabulated data,
specific information, pictures, news items, posters, story lines, words and phrases.
The tasks provide ample scope for creativity and innovation.
Students are advised to use the space given under each task. The space may be used for
making a rough plan, developing content and vocabulary before attempting the exercise in the
notebooks.
Section B: Techniques required to be an effective orator have been explained. A strategy for
memorizing a piece of text visually has been given to encourage the habit of understanding
before memorizing. Guidelines for making a presentation, and writing and reciting a
poem are also a part of this section.
Section C: My Word Bank provides useful, usable words and phrases to enhance the
expression of the learner.
Section D: Grammar and Punctuation Check includes reminders of the basic grammar
rules facilitating accuracy in grammar, and self or peer -correction. It also includes the correct
usage of punctuation marks that students tend to forget or use incorrectly. In this section, an
endeavor has been made to also teach children how they can easily improve a simple sentence.
vi
Contents
Section A Let’s Learn to Write 1
Lesson 1 Let’s Learn to Describe and Compare
3
Lesson 2 Let’s Learn to Describe a Public Event and a Personal Experience
13
Lesson 3 Let’s Learn to Write a Factual Composition : Places and Animals
25
Lesson 4 Let’s Learn to Describe a Person and Write a Biography 37
Lesson 5 Let’s Learn to Write a Stor y
49
Lesson 6 Let’s Learn to Write a Very Short Play 67
Lesson 7 Let’s Learn to Write an Informal Letter and an E-mail
75
Lesson 8 Let’s Learn to Write a Book/Story Report
87
Lesson 9 Let’s Learn to Write a Diary Page
93
Lesson 10 Let’s Learn to Make a Poster
103
Lesson 11 Let’s Learn to Write an Invitation
109
Lesson 12 Let’s Learn to Write Directions
115
Section B Let’s Learn to Develop Oratory Skills
123
Lesson 1 Let’s Learn to Write and Deliver a Speech
123
Lesson 2 Let’s Learn to Make a Presentation
133
Lesson 3 Let’s Learn to Write and Recite a Poem
145
Section C My Word Bank
163
Section D Grammar and Punctuation Check
171
Section A
Let’s Learn to Write
A Quick Reminder for Beginners
A well-written piece of writing should include:
*Interesting ideas*Apt language
*Cohesion*Paragraphs
Change the paragraph when:
*A new idea is introduced
*A new character is introduced
*A new event begins
* A setting of a story changes
*A new person speaks
For grammatical accuracy:
* Ensure that you use the correct forms of various parts of speech, and punctuate the sentences
correctly.
*Avoid framing very long or complicated sentences.
For cohesion:
*Use sequence markers like Soon after, Next, Finally.
*Use conjunction like and, but, neither-nor.
For sentence fluency:
*Frame sentences of varying lengths: simple, compound and complex.
*Begin sentences in different ways. For example, you could begin a
sentence with an introductory phrase.
*Use contractions like can’t, won’t, couldn’t.
Do Self Correction/Edit
Once you have completed a task, you should edit it.
*Format: Check paragraphing; in a letter, check parts of the letter.
*Content: Add missing information; remove ideas that have been repeated.
*Spelling: Check spellings of new words and homophones like there and their.
If you have a doubt, look up a dictionary.
*Punctuation: Check capital letters, end marks and commas.
*Grammar: Check articles, helping verbs, tenses, conjunctions and prepositions.
If you have a doubt, look up the section titled, Grammar and Punctuation Check.
Students are advised to use the space titled My Plan given under each task.
The space should be used for making a rough plan, developing content and
vocabulary before attempting the exercise in the note books.
2
Lesson 1
Let’s Learn to Describe and Compare
A. Describing
We use adjectives to describe people, animals, places, things, ideas, feelings and events.
Adverbs are used to give more information about actions.
Read these sentences.
The ship sailed.
The majestic, white ship sailed.
The majestic, white ship sailed slowly.
The majestic, white ship sailed slowly across the tranquil, blue sea.
In your opinion, which is the best sentence? Why do you think so?
Remember:
*Adjectives and adverbs help to make a piece of writing more descriptive and interesting.
*The action words used should be appropriate for the doer of the action.
Example: The frogs hopped and the ducks waddled across the green patch
of grass, near the pond.
*Emotions and feelings are described with words like happy, delighted, angry,
upset, excited and sorry
Now, read these sentences.
The tiny black kitten slept happily on the soft mat, in the corner of the room.
Rufus snapped and growled angrily at the sight of the kitten.
Mrs. Smith scolded Rufus and he quietly crept into his blue kennel.
Rufus put his head between his two large paws and whimpered softly.
Mrs. Smith felt sorry for Rufus. She gave him a delicious, juicy bone to chew.
Use five senses to describe.
Words that describe touch/feel include: hot cool soft rocky
slimy slippery
coarse
plain
smooth
prickly
Words that describe smell include: sweet pungent fragrance stink fresh unpleasant pleasant
Words that describe sound include: growl screech yell tick tap hiss buzz squeal crunch chatter
Words that describe taste include: sweet sour spicy salty delicious bland
Words that describe sight/visual include: bright clear pretty ugly tall pink round winding
When you wish to use more than one adjective to describe a word, follow the order given below.
opinion - size - shape- age - colour
- origin/ nationality - material
Examples: A young tall lady, a narrow rocky path, a colourful plastic ball
4
Junior Writer and Orator
A step-by-step comprehensive training course enabling:
* Young learners to develop their cognitive skills and become self reliant, adept writers and
public speakers
* Parents to guide their children
* Teachers to shed the constant load of giving repetitive instruction to the class