These Pirates Help Children Learn to Write

From the creator

This is the VOA Special English Education Report, from http://voaspecialenglish.com | http://facebook.com/voalearningenglish A group called Story Pirates goes into schools and performs shows for children. But these shows are based on stories written by the children themselves. The grown-ups are there to help them become better writers. The Story Pirates are active in more than two hundred schools across the United States. Their method is designed to help children learn about the purpose and structure of writing. Actors and teachers known as teacher-artists help students write stories. The children feel the pride of ownership in their work and may get to see their story performed. About two hundred actors and teachers are members of the Story Pirates. It was founded in two thousand three. The group is based in Los Angeles and also has performers on the East Coast. The basic program is called the Idea Storm. It involves two visits to a school. On the first visit, the teachers and actors hold a writing workshop at a student assembly. They help students express their ideas. Benjamin Salka, the group's chief executive officer, says they work with children to "open up" their imaginations. But that is only part of the process. He says, "We work with them on the actual craft and structure of writing. In other words, Story Pirates is not just a creativity and self-esteem-building program. It is a writing program."He says they work with students to rewrite and shape their story to

Published 2012-04-09 · Watch on YouTube ↗
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