Teacher 1
There are gaps in the text and a picture next to each gap. The children have to complete the text by writing the correct word. This one is a letter to Father Christmas. For older and higher level learners you can use gapped texts without pictures, or have the missing words in a box above the text.
Teacher 2
This is for really little ones who are still learning to write. They can colour in the picture, too.
Teacher 3
First I hang some copies of the text around the classroom. Then I put the learners in pairs and allocate them each a role: writer or runner. The runners have to run to the text on the wall, read the first part of it and then run back and repeat it to their partner. The writers sit at the table, ready with paper and pen to write whatever their partners dictate. You can get them to change roles halfway through the text if you like. The first pair to finish are the winners. This is great for 10- and 11-year-olds. It's very noisy, but it's good fun.
Teacher 4
After I've read a story to the class I give the learners a handout showing two or three of the characters (traced or photocopied) with speech bubbles coming out of their mouths. They have to decide together what the characters are saying and complete the speech bubbles. I spread them out on the floor when everyone's finished and we have a class vote for different categories like "funniest", "longest" or "most interesting". You can also do speech bubbles for famous people or characters from films. You can do a photocopy-free version with an overhead projector and get learners to write the comments in their notebooks.