I was visiting with my son and daughter-in-law recently, and our youngest grandson was getting to the grizzly stage, where bed was what he needed but staying up to play was in his focus.  His mum came in and scooped him up and said, “Is it time to go and talk with your bears now?”, and away they went.  A clean nappy, a kiss and a cuddle, zipped into his sleeping bag and then sat in his cot with his bears, the baby monitor was switched on, the light turned off and the door closed.

The baby monitor, which I’m quite glad we never had in our day, then gave us an insight into Ollie’s talk time with his bears. This was his chance to play with his language learning from the day in very conversational style, that only he and his bears could understand.  The happy chatter went on for about half an hour then gradually subsided as he lay down and drifted off to sleep.

It made me think that perhaps we could learn from talking with bears to help our reluctant writers and readers.

Today we have so many opportunities to take some of the student focus away from the need to learn to write or read, and onto other aspects of the curriculum and digital tools that could be the bear alternatives. I’m currently preparing for my final literacy webinar before retirement, and was reading through what people wanted out of the session. The overwhelming need expressed, was for ways to engage reluctant writers (and thereby be able to raise their level of achievement). The talking with bears for these students could be the use of digital tools that require thinking, reading, talking and writing about something that interests them.  As I found with my own son nearly thirty years ago, having to write was the barrier, but one that could be overcome if disguised in a science or technology investigation and with digital tools replacing the pencil.

While working with a junior class syndicate recently, we discussed this same barrier, and the solution decided upon was to try using storytelling tools that enable you to record voice.  The Book Creator iPad app and Write About This (NZ) app were two that we explored that day, but instead of starting with the writing, we started with a visual (photo or drawing) and then recording the audio – tell the story first and then replay and write.  The writing could be a shortened version for those who need bears to talk to. It could then be exported as a movie and emailed to your class blog.  Here’s one I made earlier as an example.

Marshall-Write-About from CORE Education on Vimeo.

There are many apps, Web 2.0 tools, and software already on your computers that could be used for disguising the writing or reading activity to make it more palatable for those who need to talk to bears. Once you have them engaged you can then start to work on the quality of the writing or the fluency and expression with the reading.  Here are a few ideas to get you started: and links to help notes in the VLN BeL Literacy Group.

Making pick-a-path stories using PowerPoint, Keynote or Google Slides. Additionally you can make other curriculum areas the focus with action buttons to take you to the written information as in the Penguins example on this linked page.
Creating your own eBooks with recorded stories in Book Creator. In this example my just 4 year old grandson had recorded his story, then typed his own inventive spelling version and I provided the correct model beneath his efforts.  He did not need help with working out how to use the app or writing his own unreadable version.
Write About (NZ) recorded stories with a typed version that can then be exported as a  movie to the class blog.  In the absence of grandchildren on hand I had to make this version myself.
Read then make your own versions of Collins Big Cat Books Students can be supported in their initial reading of the story until they can read it by themselves.  They can then use the pictures and story structure to write their own adaptation.  Instead of the farmer losing his lunch, he lost his tractor in the adapted version.  Older kids could enjoy making these for younger kids in the school.
Speeding up slow typing – here are some printed keyboard based language games to print, laminate and keep in your language corner.  Once students are familiar with the keyboard layout typing speeds up.  Encourage two hands at the keyboard but don’t worry about which fingers they use.

Have a go with some of your students who need to talk to bears, and then come back and share their efforts here by using the comment tab. Let us know if it breaks down the barriers in your classroom. Removing the barrier, providing a scaffold and getting students writing, is the first step in increasing quality and raising achievement.