A study of the new method of teaching writing: guided fantasy

Abstract

The purpose of the study is to examine the effect of guided fantasy on Primary One pupils' writing by arousing their imagination. It also aims to find out the possibilities of overcoming the barriers of the Cantonese dialect to writing. The result of this research indicates that through the process of guided fantasy, children are highly motivated to use their imagination. They are willing to express themselves and eager to learn all the vocabulary appearing in the oral composition which, in this case, was then converted into written form by the researcher. The whole process of guided fantasy includes listening, speaking, reading and writing as an integration of four basic language skills into one activity. By recognising children's ability in the Cantonese dialect and helping them to transform the dialect into modem standard Chinese, children are offered an opportunity to become involved in fantasy work that helps them to express themselves in a creative way. This innovative pedagogy can increase Primary One pupils' writing and reading skills.