Write A Book Co-ordinator: Wendy Flood
wendyflood25@gmail.com 087 947 1458
Monaghan Education Centre is pleased to announce details of this year’s Write-a-Book project:
Write-A-Book 2023/2024. This will follow similar lines to previous projects, with participating teachers marking books from other schools, and culminating in a presentation evening in March/ April 2024
‘Write-a-Book’ involves taking a critical look at books, creative writing, and imaginative use of art. Age-appropriate for pupils from Junior Infants to 6th Class, and accounting for all ability levels, it encourages children and teachers to develop the process writing approach in school.
Features of the Write a Book project include:
- Planning, writing, drafting, editing, and illustrating a book on a topic of choice.
- In Infant classes, children may work on a short picture book with less text, focusing on topics familiar to them.
- The teacher undertaking Write-a-Book with their class, will work on the project as part of the class’ English and Art programmes during this period. Fiction and non-fiction books are equally viable as original works in this project, as are texts completely as Gaeilge.
- The teacher will certify that each child’s work is his/her own.
- At the end of the project, each teacher will accept one batch of books from another school. After reading the books, the teacher will award one merit and two/three highly commended awards (dependent on class size) to books they have read.
- Each child will receive a certificate acknowledging his/her achievement in producing a book. At least one child from every class participating will be awarded a Merit Award at a special Presentation Evening. Two/Three children from each class will have their work highly commended.
- Merit Awards will be presented to approximately one child in every 10 who attend lessons with a Special Education Teacher.
- Fee of €20 per teacher/ class – maximum €60 per school, payable when registering and submitting books in January 2024.
- Books should be entirely the children’s own work.
Neat handwriting and artistic illustrations are encouraged.
For Consideration:
“Winning” books (Merit) should be of the best quality within the age-group being judged, with an emphasis on interesting storyline, chronology, good character descriptions and interactions. Carefully considered illustrations, including an eye-catching cover should be clear features of the book’s design. All teachers should make their pupils aware of this prior to, and during the writing process, as attention to these points will be assessed during the marking process.
Please refer to the criteria listed below when writing with your class, and when assessing other class’ work to ensure consistency of marking within the project.
Infants to 2nd Class | 3rd Class to 6th Class |
Quality illustrations | Gripping cover and blurb |
Interesting story | Development of storyline |
Correct sentence structure | Use of more complex language and sentences |
Sequencing ideas and events | Grammatically sound writing including consistency of tenses, correct use of punctuation |
TIMEFRAME | |
November 17th 2023 | Deadline to register expression of interest to participate in the project |
January 17th 2024 | Registration and Book swap day at Monaghan Education Centre
3:30 – 4:30pm |
February 9th 2024 | All Books to be returned to Monaghan Education Centre, clearly marked as Merit/ Highly Commended/ Congratulations for participating before 5:00pm |
March/ April 2024 | Presentation Evening (details to be confirmed) |
Please complete and submit the registration form by November 17h 2023