| Build up your students' ability to use quality | | | | already know but don't regularly use. Given the |
| personality adjectives and you will improve their | | | | opportunity to "remember" and discuss familiar |
| narrative writing skills. | | | | adjectives students are more likely to use them |
| Here are five highly effective ways to do that. | | | | in future writing tasks. |
| 1. Make sure your students understand the | | | | 4. Give your students lists of adjectives that they |
| important role that adjectives play. | | | | can use as a writing resource. |
| Adjectives give the reader the information they | | | | These can be simple groupings of similar |
| need to visualize what they are reading. | | | | adjectives or larger personality adjective lists. A |
| Personality adjectives give the reader the vital | | | | photocopied sheet glued into their workbook can |
| information they need to visualize the characters. | | | | be used each time the students are asked to |
| 2. Explore how seemingly similar adjectives can be | | | | write. They can even be challenged to use 1 or |
| used to create very different characters. | | | | two adjectives from the list each time they |
| For example, "the happy girl" is altered | | | | complete a story. |
| dramatically if we use blissful, ecstatic, intoxicated, | | | | 5. Let your students play with personality |
| merry, sparkling, sunny, cheerful, contented or | | | | adjectives. |
| jolly instead. Although each word tells us that the | | | | Before you ask your students to use adjectives |
| girl is happy it also alludes to a distinctly different | | | | in a narrative let them play with them. This can |
| history, experience and mood. | | | | include familiar and introduced adjectives. Allowing |
| 3. Unearth the words that your students already | | | | your students to engage in activities that involve |
| know. | | | | comparing, contrasting, grouping, illustrating, |
| Brainstorm examples. Open class discussions and | | | | searching and discussing adjectives will increase |
| group brainstorming activities help your students | | | | their understanding of the meaning of the words |
| to remember the personality adjectives they | | | | and their ability to confidently use them. |