Wednesday, March 6, 2013

DONT THROW AIGS AT BARNS

It has been many years since I taught writing. I'm retired now, and before I retired I was a guidance counselor in a middle school. When I told a friend I was doing the Slice of Life, she said I would have to write about the 'aig' story. I had forgotten about it, but will do my best. I was teaching the use of comparisons using similes and metaphors. As you know, one of the difficulties in teaching writing is to not staunch the creativity but still have decent spelling and punctuation. Tell me how you would have graded this one?

I will try to write it the best I can remember. This was written by a young boy who struggled in school. He reminded me of Huckelberry Finn.

Title: "DONT THRO AIGS AT BARN SIDES"

One day I wuz walkin in are farm feeld and saw an aig on the ground.

I figerd it wuz rottin so i picked it up an thru it at the side of the barn.

"SPLAT!!"

It hit the barn and it weren't rottin. That aig ran down the barn and looked just like butter slidin down.

I found another aig.

"SPLAT!"

More aigs and more butter slidin down makin pretty dezines.

All of suddent I felt a tap on my shoulder. I looked up and saw my dad lookin at me.

"Follow me,son" he said. I thoght he was gonna set my pants afire.

I followed him to the kitchen.

"CRACK! He cracked an aig into a bowl. "Crack!" There was another aig.

He looked down at me and said, "Eat up son."

I looked down at that bowl and saw them two yeller eyes lookin up at me. I drunk it down fast and I ain't never throwed an aig at a barn again.

The End

This writing was so refreshing and made me laugh and also followed the instructions of using comparisons. I asked the young man if I could read it to the class. His face just beamed as I said, "Now this is an example of a good story teller."

4 comments:

  1. That story is too cute! What great voice he had! Isn't the writing and the telling of stories the point? Spelling is secondary to me anymore. Absolutely entertaining!

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  2. Yes, I agree. The story telling is the most important...and he sure had that in this story.

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  3. Wow! What many people forget is that these "misspellings" help us to capture so much VOICE! I could hear him telling the story. Thank you for describing the writer as a Huckelberry Finn - what a clever way to begin.

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  4. What a great example of writing that "breaks the rules" beautifully!

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