Encouraging Young Writers To Notice Inspiring Words

Here's a way to encourage the growth of metacognitive writers and support young writers to pay greater attention to the wondrous words of fellow writers.


Ask your curious and keen young learners to gather some of their favourite books, then choose a page number. Turn to that page in each book and read until your eyes settle on words you wish you had written.

Copy that extract with full attribution into your notebook.It is most important to acknowledge the source of the words chosen. This can be hand written or typed. I chose to type my chosen extracts, sometimes though I hand write them.

When you finish compiling your entries, talk to a fellow writer and explain your choices. Envisage yourself writing in that style.

Don't forget to try it first before you invite your young writers to try it for themselves. It's a wonderful opportunity to model how practice reading like a writer.

This strategy differs from 'Words I Wish I Had Written' which involves writing random extracts that spark a reader's interest in the course of reading a particular book. In that instance, the page number is not relevant, it is purely the power of the author's words.

You could vary this strategy in the following ways.
  • Use only fiction texts
  • Use only non fiction texts
  • Use poetry texts
  • Use information texts
  • Use persuasive texts
  • Use texts by a particular author

I chose Page 23 and selected a broad range of texts, fiction, non-fiction and poetry. Here's the treasure I unearthed...










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