The children in Ms Murphy’s first class at Scoil Ghobnatan recently took part in the Write-a-Book Project. This involved writing and illustrating their own original story and presenting it in book form. This project focuses on language development and the writing process, and is seen as an integral element of the language curriculum. Children initially brainstorm ideas, and the stories are then drafted, redrafted and edited before producing the final edition.
Children in Scoil Ghobnatan have the advantage of engaging in ‘Literacy Lift Off’ from Junior Infants right up to sixth class. This intervention has given children the opportunity to read books at their own level of competency and gradually lift the complexity of what they can do in both reading and writing.
The books which were produced cover a wide range of interests. There are stories about avengers, a story about a water seagull, a very smart clown, and the naughty unicorn, to name just a few. There are also fact-based books focusing on various countries such as Guatemala, Poland and Nigeria. Sport is not forgotten, as there are books about favourite teams such as Liverpool, and also a book about gymnastics.
The project has been a wonderful opportunity for the children to get involved in active learning, developing their literacy and artistic skills. The children were presented with certificates in Mallow Library on Wednesday, 27th March. Some children were given the opportunity to read their books to parents and classmates. Afterwards the children went for lunch to celebrate their amazing achievement. The books are now on display in Mallow Library. Watch this space for budding authors!