Start With a Story
Chris uses humor and the excitement of storytelling to captivate the students and hook them into the writing process. His original tales are drawn from his own experiences, which helps to break down the boundaries between speaker and audience. Not only are Chris’ stories entertaining, but they later serve as a model for content development. In addition, his sense of humor and ability to connect with children relaxes their inhibitions and invites them to express themselves freely.

Use Tools That are Pretty Cool
ChrisEspinosa devised several tools for use as visual cues to spark creativity and promote student participation. The first of these is The Story Window™ graphic organizer. This implement is in the shape of an actual window and is comprised of individual windowpanes. It is used to generate and record student ideas during brainstorming activities as well as in story development. Another useful device is The Blocks™. These blocks teach students to enhance their stories by using who, what, where, when, and why as well as the five senses. Finally, Chris will use a variety of innovative props designed to stimulate the children and invite their participation in a particular exercise.

End With Encouragement
Chris provides instruction and support through each step of the writing process. At the end of each session, students have a completed idea for a narrative or expository. Although the story idea is crafted in a group exercise, Chris encourages each student to take ownership of it and create a piece of writing all their own. Most of Chris’s work with the students is done orally, but he can tailor the sessions toward specific writing assignments at the direction of the classroom instructor.