In a Quick Write, students are given a few minutes to write down their thoughts, ideas, or feelings about a topic, a personal experience, or a reaction to a picture. Tell them not to worry about mistakes; just to write and express themselves.

Additionally, students can share their Quick Writes with their partners who then retell the stories they heard. The retelling can focus on different goals, depending on the lesson. For example, when the listener retells the story, he/she can focus on:

  • reported speech or past perfect;

  • chronological order;

  • the beginning, middle, and end of a narrative story;

  • incorporating specific vocabulary.