- Definition
Writing in role" is when your child writes as if they are a character in a story, like writing a diary entry from that character's perspective, to better understand the character and the story.
After acting out a scene, a child writes a diary entry as the lonely giant, explaining why he built a wall around his garden.
How to teach this in 30 seconds
Try this analogy: Writing in role is like pretending you're a character in a story and writing down their secret thoughts in a diary.
Ask your child: If you were that character, what would you be thinking right now?
Common mix-up: Kids might just retell the story from the outside. Writing in role means you are inside the character's head, writing their own thoughts and feelings.
Examples
- Writing a letter as the Gingerbread Man, telling his baker why he ran away.
- Writing a diary entry from the point of view of Cinderella after the ball.
writing in role is a term used in Ontario’s Kindergarten to Grade 8 curriculum.
Where this shows up
The descriptions on this page are SmartStudy’s own original, plain-language writing — not the Ministry’s wording. They are aligned to the Ontario Curriculum, © King’s Printer for Ontario. For the Ministry’s official wording, see the source link below. SmartStudy is an independent service and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by the Government of Ontario or the Ministry of Education. Ontario Curriculum and Resources ↗
