English / Year 3 / Literacy / Creating texts

• TLF-IDM020992

When you write, is there a particular piece of writing advice you keep in the back of your mind - something that helps you to write a better story? Watch these two students talk about the advice given to them that helps them to write better stories.

• TLF-IDM020134

Listen as Sally Rippin describes how her reading feeds into her writing. Why does she sometimes stop reading when she's in the early stages of writing a new story? Do you write a few drafts of your stories before you get to your final version? What does Sally say about the first draft of a story?

• TLF-IDM020395

Have you ever had a song or a jingle that got stuck in your head? This can happen because of the rhythm in the song or the jingle. Rhythm helps us to remember a song, jingle or poem by reminding us of other songs, jingles or poems with the same rhythm. Once you get a rhythm stuck in your head it can be very difficult to ...

• TLF-IDM020297

Listen as Andy Griffiths reveals the biggest lesson he's learnt as a writer. What did he once think he needed to do to be successful? And what did he discover? Why does Andy believe that being yourself when you write is the most important thing?

• TLF-IDM020936

What does author Tony Wilson think the hardest thing for new writers is? What does he say is the best way to get better at writing? Tony mentions an Australian author called Sonya Hartnett. Do some research and find out how old Sonya was when she wrote her first book. If writing is something you have fun doing, perhaps ...

• TLF-IDM020652

As Leigh Hobbs says, the great thing about inventing a character is that you also have the power to choose where they live. What's your character's world like? Describe your character at home. Where do they live? And what do they do there? Now choose a completely different location and plonk your character there. Think ...

• TLF-IDM020466

How do you move your characters forward in a story? A trick Andy Griffiths uses is asking a lot of questions. His favourite question to ask is "what's the worst thing that can happen next?" Try asking yourself that question if you get stuck when writing your next story. In this clip Andy also talks about plot holes. What ...

• TLF-IDM021093

Watch this video to learn how to greet someone in the Dharug language, spoken by the Indigenous people of the Sydney Basin area. How do you say 'hello, how are you?' in Dharug? And what are the words for good and bad? Practise these phrases with Jacinta Tobin and then teach them to a friend or family member.

• TLF-IDM020133

Watch this clip to find out about the relationship between authors and illustrators. What role does the publisher play in this relationship? What does Sally Rippin say about the role of illustrations in books for young children?

• TLF-IDM021316

This is a series of eight short videos for students on opinion writing. The series covers what is opinion writing; choosing a topic; making a plan; writing a draft: introduction, reasons and examples, conclusion; revising and editing.