Explain how using three groups of words adds a poetic element to one's writing. Point out how children's stories often use this technique, such as in "Goldilocks and the Three Bears" or "The Three Little Pigs." Ask students to tell a story with you. Begin telling a story that sounds a lot like Goldilocks, but is different enough to allow the students to make their own "magic three" elements. When the character comes to the table and eats from the three bowls, ask the students what she should say. Encourage them to create new responses throughout the story for each time the "magic three" technique is used.
The use of similes, metaphors and other types of imagery helps readers visualize a story. Fill a hat with common examples of figurative language written on slips of paper. Instruct each student to select one piece of paper from the hat. One by one, the students must approach the chalkboard and draw a picture to represent the example they picked. Ask the other students if they are able to guess the phrase.
Using specific details instead of vague generalizations helps readers imagine a story's characters, setting or idea. Make copies of a comic strip and ask the students to fill in the gaps with details. Give the students a minimum word-count to help them expand the short comic into something of substance. Remind the students that the humor may be lost in the transformation, but the goal of this activity is to help create a better picture in the reader's mind. You can also use a short newspaper article instead of a comic strip.
Repeating words or phrases is an effective method of stressing something important. This can be especially effective when the third repetition reveals something new. For example, "I was really fine without his love. I was really happy we went our own ways. I was really lying to my friends and to myself." Instruct students to write in large letters at the top of a sheet of paper the beginning of a sentence, such as "I was really" from the example above. Then have them turn the paper horizontally and write three different endings to the sentence.
Similar to using specific details, this smiley trick involves focusing on a moment in the story and expanding on it. Rather than briefly mentioning something, an author might explore the action in great detail. This technique not only helps with imagery, it also adds emphasis to that section of the plot. Provide students with a photograph and ask them to write the details -- seen and unseen -- of the picture. Encourage them to expand on the details, such as colors and mood, as well as to flesh out the unseen details behind the scene.
One way to make a paper memorable is to make it funny. Adding humor to a short story will add value to it. Discuss different methods of adding humor, such as exaggeration, funny words, or word play, such as puns. Provide a group of sentences and instruct the students to rewrite them using the types of humor discussed. Kids may have some difficulty with this technique, so encourage them to do their best.
Hyphenating a phrase and essentially using it as an adjective is a unique way of turning an ordinary description into something extraordinary. For instance, instead of writing, "I forgot," you can use, "I had one of those complete-and-utter-brain-blank moments." Write short statements on the chalkboard. Ask the students if they can create more interesting sentences using hyphenated modifiers. Call on students to write the new sentences on the board.
An effective technique for ending a story is to repeat a phrase or sentence from the beginning as a conclusion to the story. This repetition brings the story full circle and creates an ending that is both expected and unexpected. Newspaper columnists and poets often use this technique in their writing. Pair the children in groups of two or three. Supply them with a poem that does not use this smiley-face technique. Ask them to create a repetition and determine if the poem is better with or without it. Instruct the students to write to their own poem with a full-circle ending.