I have always loved writing. From as early as I can remember I used to write stories, songs and poems. They were scribbled on bits of paper, written in notebooks and tucked away in wait for the day that I would be famous. That day is no longer important.
Through different phases of my life writing featured more or less prominently depending upon other choices and distractions, but has always been there.
One thing I loved about teaching, in addition to the wonderful children and the privilege of supporting them on their learning journeys, was the opportunity it gave me to be creative. My stories, poems, songs and lessons always had an appreciative audience.
Now I share my writing with a wider audience. This blog was the first step in the process to establish readilearn, a collection of teaching resources for the first three years of school. Resources include estories (digital stories), interactive teaching episodes, and printable resources that focus on the teacher’s role in supporting children’s learning.
The main focus of my blog is education but I also post snippets of other more recreational writing e.g. short stories, songs and poems as I enjoy writing in a range of genres and for a variety of purposes. I am proud to belong to the Congress of Rough Writers at the Carrot Ranch, writing flash fiction in response to a weekly prompt.
While I am proud of the educational writing that has already been published, and of much that I have written that is not yet published, I still dream of one day seeing my name on the cover of a “real” book, of being a published author. Whether or not I achieve that goal is probably of lesser importance than my ability to keep working towards it.
The drawer full of rejection slips for short stories and picture book ideas halted (but did not extinguish) my quest in that direction. I had more success with educational writing and was temporarily satisfied with writing I could do to enhance my teaching role. Now, in addition to writing teaching materials and blog posts for readilearn and posts for this blog, I am back to writing short stories and manuscripts for picture books with the goal of, one day, signing a publishing contract. There will never be enough life for all I wish to write.
Recent Publications
I have contributed seventeen titles to the Library For All collection of free digital books available to everyone everywhere.
Follow this link to purchase printed copies of the books on Amazon.
Anthologies
I have one poem and one story in the 2023 Share Your Story Anthology Hot Diggety Dog! Tales from the Bark Side
one story in the 2022 Share Your Story Anthology It’s a Kind of Magic, Stories and Spells by Second-Rate Sorcerers.
two stories in the 2021 Share Your Story Anthology Once Upon a Whoops! Fractured Fairytales and Ridiculous Rhymes.
one story in the Tell ‘Em They’re Dreaming Anthology of Bedtime Ballads and Tall Tales 2020
and various stories and articles in The Congress of Rough Writers Flash Fiction Anthology Vol 1 2018
Previous Publications
Poetry
A Thank You For in Beauty Is . . . an Anthology of young Verse Refulgence Publishers (age 16)
Education is . . . Linkletter, Meanjin Reading Association, 1983
Articles
The Bionic Man – Cloze with a difference in Reading Around, Australian Reading Association, 1981
Baby’s Play Mat, Have Fun Will Travel, Australian Women’s Weekly, 1990
To School or not to School, Classroom Magazine, Ashton Scholastic, 1993
Materials to support educational software
Discovering Bush Rescue, Jacaranda Press, Brisbane, 1989
Kraken, Jacaranda Software, Brisbane, 1989 (click for Kraken reviews)
Vegetable Patch, Jacaranda Software, Brisbane, 1990
Fleetfoot Express, Jacaranda Software, Brisbane, 1992
Clockwise, Jacaranda Software, Brisbane, 1992
The Land of Um, Greygum Software, Brisbane, 1995 (Republished in UK by topologika software as Scally’s World of Problems; now also available in the App Store as The Land of Um.)
Saltwater Crocodiles (for the Spinout Stories) Greygum Software, Brisbane, 2002
Employment as a writer
At various times throughout my career I have been employed as a writer; my most recent employment being with Education Queensland as an early childhood science writer writing unit plans and overviews, lesson plans, and teaching and learning resources for use mainly in years one and two.
I was previously employed by Education Queensland for two brief writing projects in the mid-nineties; one involved writing maths and literacy materials for years one and two, and the other involved writing a support package for parents.
Other education publications
Writing Skills Years 3 – 4, Excel Basic Skills Series, Pascal Press, 2000
Writing Skills Years 5 – 6, Excel Basic Skills Series, Pascal Press, 2000
English Action 6, Oz Educational, 2001 Macmillan
English Focus on Text Level 5, Macmillan, 2001
Ausmaths 4 Teacher’s Resource Book WA, Oz Education, 2002
Ausmaths 5 Teacher’s Resource Book WA, Oz Education, 2002
Literacy Teaching Notes for Real World Maths Book Just for Fun, Mimosa Shortland, 2000
Targeting Homework Year 1 for Pascal Press, 2021
Targeting Homework Year 2 for Pascal Press, 2021
Targeting Phonics Book 1 for Pascal Press, 2022
Targeting Phonics Book 2 forPascal Press, 2022
Targeting Phonics Book 3 for Pascal Press, 2022
Targeting Writing Skills, Year 3 for Pascal Press, 2023
Targeting Writing Skills, Year 4 for Pascal Press, 2023
Targeting Writing Skills, Year 5 for Pascal Press, 2023
Targeting Writing Skills, Year 6 for Pascal Press, 2023
Targeting English Homework, Year 3 for Pascal Press, 2024
Targeting English Homework, Year 4 for Pascal Press, 2024
Norah Colvin 