Writing for Young Readers: Opening the Treasure Chest - Commonwealth Education Trust

This is a self-paced online course from the Commonwealth Education Trust that introduces the craft of writing for young readers. Through video lectures, readings, peer reviews and guest author interviews, learners explore narrative elements (character, setting, plot, theme, language, dialogue, point of view) and develop a writing identity.

The course emphasises practical exercises and peer feedback so participants produce and revise short extracts. The course comprises five modules covering identity and inspiration, genre/form/audience, structure, editing/proofreading, and publishing.

It includes interviews with established children's authors, 18+ videos, multiple readings, and peer-review tasks. By the end of the course learners are expected to have 10-12 extracts to develop into a portfolio and practical insights into publishing options.

The course can be audited for free; purchasing the Certificate experience or subscribing to Coursera Plus is required to access graded assessments and earn the electronic Certificate.