This course is for curious students and aspiring authors with a passion for writing for young readers. Participate in a dynamic online community of writers as you experiment with your own writing and develop your voice. This course will guide you with a combination of video lectures, online readings, peer reviews, and guest appearances from world-renowned children’s authors. As you work through the writing exercises, you will give and receive feedback from your peers and gain tools and techniques for improving your writing.
During this course you will identify stories that matter to you, explore cultural significance and boundaries, and shape your identity as a writer; become familiar with standard elements of narrative (character, setting, plot, theme, language, dialogue, point of view); reflect on your own work and practice essential self-editing skills; see the different ways in which words and art interact, and the possibilities of longer narrative forms; come away with practical insights into publishing options; and create a plan for pursuing your enthusiasm for writing. By the end of the course, you will have ten to twelve extracts of writing that you can develop into a portfolio.
Join a dynamic community of many voices from around the world. Find inspiration in your own voice, heart, and place so that you can tell the stories for young readers you’ve always wanted to tell.
Writing for Young Readers: Opening the Treasure Chest
Offered By
Commonwealth Education Trust
Syllabus - What you will learn from this course
Week
1Your Writing Identity
Good children’s writing commonly has a strong sense of identity. This module will give you a chance to think about and practice putting yourself into your writing. We will start by looking at how you can establish effective writing habits and how you can use your own experiences and culture to enrich your writing. We will also discuss ways that you can add depth to your writing by drawing on myths and legends, and by experimenting with different viewpoints.
18 videos (Total 90 min), 7 readings, 1 quiz
18 videos
Welcome to Writing for Young Readers3m
Introduction to Your Writing Identity4m
Your Writing Life - Part One3m
Your Writing Life - Part Two4m
You, Your Culture and Story5m
Cultural Myths and Legends4m
Viewpoint - Part One4m
Viewpoint - Part Two2m
Interview with Uma Krishnaswami - Part One: 'the very young experience the world through their skins'7m
Interview with Uma Krishnaswami - Part Two: 'for me place and the people are inextricable'5m
Interview with Uma Krishnaswami - Part Three 'it came out in eight Indian languages'5m
Interview with Uma Krishnaswami - Part Four: 'I suddenly began to see the entire story'8m
Interview with Apirana Taylor - Part One: 'I carried exercise books with me everywhere I went'9m
Interview with Apirana Taylor - Part Two: 'I'm leaving something behind for future generations'6m
Interview with Apirana Taylor - Part Three: 'one word is worth a thousand pictures'7m
Interview with Apirana Taylor - Part Four: 'your ears are often your best editor'3m
Module Summary Your Writing Identity2m
7 readings
Course Overview10m
How to Get Help10m
FAQs10m
Instructors and Guest Authors10m
Course Materials10m
Extracts: You, Your Culture and Story10m
Extracts: Cultural Myths and Legends10m
Week
2Genre, Form, and Audience
In this module we will give you an overview of genres and forms that are popular for young readers. We will then move on to a discussion of audience – who your readers are and how you can make your work appealing to your chosen audience. By the end of the module you will have a good sense of the wide range of genres and forms available to you and some techniques that you can use to make the most of the genre or form you are working in.
11 videos (Total 51 min), 2 readings, 1 quiz
11 videos
Genre - Part One3m
Genre - Part Two4m
Form - Part One4m
Form - Part Two4m
Audience - Part One4m
Audience - Part Two3m
Interview with Finegan Kruckemeyer - Part One: 'it can be nice to write just for the sake of writing'8m
Interview with Finegan Kruckemeyer - Part Two: 'my favourite authors have permeated my brain'6m
Interview with Finegan Kruckemeyer - Part Three: 'it truly is a magical feeling'5m
Module Summary Genre, Form, and Audience2m
2 readings
Extracts: Genre Types10m
Extracts: Audience10m
Week
3Structure
We’ve covered qualities of writing that make it appeal to an audience – its form, its genre, and its strong personal voice. Now we’ll move on to some structural elements that are key to holding your writing together. We’ll start by looking at character and setting, then move on to plot and theme. Finally, we will focus on language. Language can really bring your writing to life by adding a layer to your characters and setting and by giving your plot a good pace. This is the last module where we look at creating new writing. In the next two modules we’ll focus on editing your work and getting it published.
13 videos (Total 58 min), 5 readings, 1 quiz
13 videos
Character - Part One3m
Character - Part Two3m
Setting4m
Plot and Theme - Part One4m
Plot and Theme - Part Two3m
Language and Dialogue4m
Other Language Tools4m
Interview with Tololwa Mollel - Part One 'I let an idea simmer in my head'4m
Interview with Tololwa Mollel - Part Two: 'let the story show you the way'6m
Interview with Tololwa Mollel - Part Three: 'I give them their right to live as characters'5m
Interview with Tololwa Mollel - Part Four: 'I really enjoyed the act of writing itself'4m
Module Summary Structure2m
5 readings
Extracts: Character10m
Extracts: Setting10m
Sample Plot Chart10m
Extracts: Plot and Theme10m
Extracts Language and Dialogue10m
Week
4Editing and Proofreading
In this module you will learn how to transform your draft work into something that flows well, is free of errors, and is ready to be published. We’ll start by looking at structural editing, where you look at your work’s plot, structure, and themes. Then we’ll move on to the copyediting and proofreading stage, where you focus on perfecting grammar and spelling. We have provided resources and checklists that will help you to practice applying our editing tips to your own work.
10 videos (Total 42 min), 3 readings, 1 quiz
10 videos
Structural Editing - Part One3m
Structural Editing - Part Two4m
Structural Editing - Part Three4m
Copyediting and Proofreading - Part One4m
Copyediting and Proofreading - Part Two2m
Interview with Summer Edward - Part One: 'The story keeps telling itself in my mind'5m
Interview with Summer Edward - Part Two: 'don't be afraid to cut'5m
Interview with Summer Edward - Part Three: 'I practice silence'5m
Module Summary Editing and Proofreading1m
3 readings
Structural Editing Checklist10m
Extract: Structural Editing10m
Copyediting Checklist10m
4.7
324 Reviews43%
started a new career after completing these courses
33%
got a tangible career benefit from this course
Top Reviews
By DB•Feb 7th 2016
I am a beginner wantabee author and publisher, first steps are elementary, as I need. Self paced, life can get in the way. Instructors are wonderful, as are the guest speakers and interviewees Thanks.
By FO•Jul 17th 2017
This course introduces writing in an easy to understand way. The interviews with published authors are very insightful as well. The exercises are a great avenue to practice what the Mooc instruct
About Commonwealth Education Trust
The Commonwealth Education Trust invests in primary and secondary education and the professional development of teachers throughout their careers. Through education it seeks to enhance the opportunities for children from all walks of life to contribute to the sustainable development of their communities.
Frequently Asked Questions
When will I have access to the lectures and assignments?
Once you enroll for a Certificate, you’ll have access to all videos, quizzes, and programming assignments (if applicable). Peer review assignments can only be submitted and reviewed once your session has begun. If you choose to explore the course without purchasing, you may not be able to access certain assignments.
What will I get if I purchase the Certificate?
When you purchase a Certificate you get access to all course materials, including graded assignments. Upon completing the course, your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile. If you only want to read and view the course content, you can audit the course for free.
What is the refund policy?
Is financial aid available?
More questions? Visit the Learner Help Center.
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