The Waterfall: Quick oral tasks to help with 11+ creative writing

Here's the Week 5 verbal 'writing' task to help with 11+ Creative Writing at home! 

I hope weeks 1 to 4 have been helpful.

And, as last week, the printable version of this post is in the FILES section of this page, or the link is in the chat below.

These weekly posts are to help children develop their writing skills with short and snappy verbal exercises.

Verbal tasks can help your child to think on their feet and support them in orally rehearsing an idea before putting pen to paper (great if your child's writing often has missing words or sometimes doesn't make sense).

Here's another set of three short tasks to try.

This week's setting is … a waterfall.

All three tasks use the picture on this post, and there are vocabulary suggestions to help.

Task 1

Say (or write) a sentence starting to include the sound and smell of the waterfall.

Example using some of the vocabulary listed below: It began as a sprinkling, spluttering fall of water, filling the air with a divine smell of purity.

Task 2

Say (or write) a sentence explaining the colour and texture of the water.

Example using some of the vocabulary listed below: Ribbons of water were edged with silver, leaving their satin touch on the plunging rocks.

Task 3

Say (or write) a sentence which personifies the water to show it has become fast and furious.

Example using some of the vocabulary listed below: Like a thunderclap, the water smashed against the pool below, spitting wrath into the trembling air.

Vocabulary suggestions

Colour: streaked with silver , edged with Neptune blue

Smell: nectar-sweet, unearthly, divine

Sound (calm): sprinkling, spluttering, spraying

Sound (angry): smashing, clanging, thundering, like a thunderclap

Touch/ texture: velvet, syrup, satin

Action: crashing, tumbling, cascading

I hope you enjoy the challenges. Share any ideas in the chat if you can!

Anna