Matt Beighton - Writing
Matt
Beighton
AIM High Writing
Summary
Age range KS1 to KS3
Books Yes
DBS Checked Yes
Booking
Contact
+44 (0)1535 656015
aimhigh@caboodlebooks.co.uk
Matt is a teacher and author with a passion for inspiring literacy in children.
About Matt
Matt Beighton offers exciting and challenging AIM High Writing Workshops from Year 1 to Year 9.
His creative writing sessions are designed to remove barriers and get children quickly from “I don’t know what to write” to a fleshed-out plan and a piece of flash-fiction to showcase their new ideas. Perfect for all writers from those who struggle to engage all the way to the most talented, these sessions are a great way to explore different narrative styles and push boundaries.
Matt’s AIM High Writing Days
Topic is key
We all write better when we are connected in some way with the content. Matt’s workshops can be tailored to specific topics or can take on more general themes. These could be universal concepts such as global warming or could be based around a single word or idea such as “conflict” or even “chocolate”.
Most days can include several themes if required; why not start the day with something light-hearted such as fantasy writing and finish with something more thought-provoking like the digital world around us?
Prior knowledge of the subjects isn’t necessary (although if the topics tie in with their classroom topics, they may benefit even more) and any language or key knowledge will be delivered by Matt. Just make sure you let us know whether the children will have visited the topics when you book.
Removing barriers
We all write and plan in our own ways, and Matt’s workshops are designed to be flexible enough to allow children to embrace their own learning styles. While all workshops offer the children the chance to record their ideas on paper, this isn’t a requirement, and verbal and physical forms of story-telling and planning are embraced. By removing the physical barrier of recording ideas, every child can access the workshops at their own level.
Requirements
All you need for one of Matt Beighton’s innovative workshops is a group of inquiring minds, an interactive whiteboard and an acceptance that the children might suddenly be writing a lot more!
Matt’s Workshops
Matt’s Quests & Quills Workshop
If we want to write great stories, we must first learn how to tell them
Matt has developed this role-play led writing workshop that builds on children’s natural desire to play and act out fantasy situations. Quests & Quills breaks down many barriers children face when writing a narrative, allowing them to concentrate on simply telling the story.
Children will use battle boards and characters as tools throughout the course of the workshop. Children are introduced to the simple rules of the game, which is turn based, and as the story develops in small sections the narrative is explored.
This link provides full details of the fantastic Quests & Quills workshop https://questsandquills.co.uk/#welcome
Matt’s Branching Narrative Workshop
Branching narratives, or choose-your-own-path stories, are great for exploring story structure and the impact of author decisions. This workshop breaks down a simple story such as Little Red Riding Hood, and explores how it could be different if the author changes what happens in small ways. The children use this to create their own branching narrative, either independently or in small groups.
Not only does this explore story structure in a new and innovative way, but it also highlights how they always have a choice ahead of them when writing and is a great way to show them that getting stuck when writing is sometimes because they just have to make a choice about what to happen next.
There are some excellent ways that this workshop can tie into KS1 - KS3 engagement.
A Selection of Matt’s Books
Bookings
To book Matt Beighton please contact
aimhigh@caboodlebooks.co.uk
Matt also offers visits to schools and other settings, click here for more information.