WriteStories is an online platform that helps students in grades two through six learn to write their own stories for beautifully illustrated picture books from which the original text has been removed. WriteStories has subscribers set up an adult account, then add children with their own usernames and passwords.
The program includes an assortment of heavily illustrated books that have been adapted from the original books. Children write or tell their story about what is happening page by page. Thumbnails of all pages are at the bottom of the screen, and children can look ahead to view thumbnails or full-size pages before starting to write.
Children can write a few words, a sentence, a paragraph, or more on each page. Tools are included for changing the style, size, or color of the text. Keep in mind that the writing projects might also be used as opportunities for children to develop keyboarding skills.
Students can also use a microphone to tell their stories, so even pre-writers can use the platform, and reluctant writers might find this an easier way to express their thoughts. Children can go back and rewrite with a keyboard or microphone until they finalize each book.
I set up my review program for a child aged seven. I expected the books to be short, but they all seem to be 20 pages or more. The folks at Scriptive tell me that shorter books are being added. Most children will need to break the writing down into manageable segments, maybe writing only a page or two at a time.
Initially, users are given just a few choices of books. One is a beautifully illustrated version of the story of The Three Little Pigs (without the text) while the other options are newer books with which I am not familiar. Children already familiar with the story of The Three Little Pigs might try to retell the story as they remember it, but they will probably find the pictures don’t exactly fit with their memory of the story and will have to figure out ways to link some pictured events into their story.
After writing their first story, children are given a much broader selection of books from which to choose. They include other classic books, such as The Tale of Peter Rabbit and other tales by Beatrix Potter and The Rocket Book by Peter Newell. (Note that it is probably easier to write a story for The Rocket Book than for many other books.) Examples of some of the newer books included in the program's library are Patty and the Power of Kindness by Cesar Lista, Tony and the Puppy by Rebecca Olayinka, and Anthony’s Summer Vacation by Kurt Wagner and Family. (Some of the books are available on Amazon, and you can preview them if you want to see some of the text that has been removed.) More books are continually being added to the library. It's important to note that books are carefully selected to be family-friendly and avoid "edgy" content.
Parents can comment on and grade children’s stories, although just talking about their work would be much better, allowing children to say what they thought they did well and where they ran into problems.
Summary
The WriteStories platform makes writing much easier for children, serving as a great tool for reluctant writers and a fun way for less-reluctant writers to develop story-writing skills. The books all have great illustrations that should stimulate children’s imaginations. And even if their stories don't always hang together logically, children will gradually absorb story-writing skills that should improve with practice.
