introduction to narrative writing - writemath...

Introduction toNarrative Writing

Kindergarten - 2nd Grade

Kathy Robinson WriteMath Enterprises Inc

Writing Lesson #15

red

Mike wanted a niceThanksgiving dinnerfor his family. So hestarted to cook earlyin the morning.

My whole family atewith us. We ate corn,potatoes, gravy, andturkey. I liked the corn the best.

We had a great time and had turkeys forlunch all week.

Week 15: Introduction to Narrative Writing Just Write: All Year Long www.WriteMath.com

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Writing Lesson #15 ………….ushers our Kindergarten - 2nd grade students into the world of Narrative

Writing. Although they are just beginning this style of writing, it is by no means their

first experience with the narrative genre. Narrative is simply the concept of a story. Up

to this point of the writing year, our writing has been in the expository genre. They

have been explaining, clarifying, informing, defining, and instructing the reader on an

assortment of topics. They may have attempted to write stories beginning with “Once

upon a time…,” or another naturally narrative lead, but most young students usually do

not transition time and develop a time line. This is an essential element of the narrative

genre. Stories have a beginning, middle, and an ending – just like the expository genre

– except the main characters develop and evolve over time. If we are not coaxing

emerging writers with words similar to “…and then what happened,” their protagonists

become locked in a time zone as the writer continues to describe the situation instead of

transitioning time.

Another important aspect of narrative writing is to elaborate every situation that

in which the main character finds him/herself involved. Primary writers tend to write

their stories like they operate the remote on a television – they pause and watch a bit of

action, they then blur the screen through to a new story, new channel, and new timeline.

Pause, blur, pause, blur, pause, blur – is not the makings of a Caldecott Award piece of

writing. Do we expect to generate world-reknown writers in our classroom every year?

Maybe not, but we must set them on the right writing path to success in the future.

Teaching narrative writing is easy and simple – there must be a beginning, a middle, and

an ending. The tricky part comes with adding suggestions without the criticism,

prolonging the events with elaboration, and motivating even the most reluctant writers.

Story

Tim

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Lesson #15 - Introduction to Narrative Writing

Objective: To write a narrative

To integrate writing with social studies

Materials: Large newsprint paper/ white paper (12” x 18”)/ large story paper

Green crayon

Yellow crayon

Red crayon

Thanksgiving story Book

Football Writing page (template after Activity Sheets for the Week)

Narrative Sequencing cards (template after Activity Sheets for the Week)

For Spelling all week: (The following supplies are needed for every student)

Dry erase board/laminated white card stock/white plastic disposable dishes

Black dry erase marker

Dry eraser/paper towel

Day #1:

1. Distribute large newsprint to every student.

2. Demonstrate folding one-third of the paper over the middle section. Students

should copy this on their own paper. Tell students that they should not crease the

paper until you have instructed each student to do so individually. As soon as you

see that the paper is exhibit approximately a one-third fold, tap the student to press

the paper into a crease. Students need to prepare their narrative graphic organizers

on their own. It may take a little practice, but they will be independent and

successful.

Students Fold

(Do not crease until told by teacher to do so.)


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3. Model folding the final section of the paper over the folded section.

4. When opened, this narrative graphic organizer will be divided into thirds.

5. After students open their planner flat on their table, teacher asks students which

color on a traffic light means “Go” or “Start Out.”

6. Students respond, “Green!”

7. Teacher models tracing around the edge of the first box with green.

8. Teacher asks students which color on a traffic light means “Stop” or “End.”

9. Students respond, “Red!”

green

Students fold the

right section over

the center portion.

(Again, do not crease until told by teacher to do so.)


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6. Students write in the green section about the beginning of the story. At this point of

the year, encourage and assist the more proficient writers with adding more

information about each part of the story. Do NOT allow them to write the whole

story in one day. They will tire as they continue to write and tend not to elaborate.

When a writer is tired, he/she tends not to be as creative as he/she could have been

with a fresh mind. I know that our success in the upper grade with elaboration

comes from breaking their writing apart over several days. This helps them focus

on only one section per day. Emerging writers are also more willing to revise and

edit when they have not been forced to push their writing ability to the maximum in

one writing lesson.

7. Students share their writing.

Day #3:

1. Teacher models writing about the middle section of the story. There will be a nice

assortment of middle events since everyone chose their favorite middle scene from

the story.

2. Students write in the yellow section about the middle of the story. At this point of

the year, encourage and assist the more proficient writers with adding more

information about each part of the story. Do NOT allow them to write the whole

story in one day. They will tire as they continue to write and tend not to elaborate.

When a writer is tired, he/she tends not to be as creative as he/she could have been

with a fresh mind. I know that our success in the upper grade with elaboration

comes from breaking their writing apart over several days. This helps them focus

on only one section per day. Emerging writers are also more willing to revise and

edit when they have not been forced to push their writing ability to the maximum in

one writing lesson.

3. Students share their writing.

yellow


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The following writings were completed during Week 15 based on the book:

Mortimer by Robert Munsch (1985. Toronto, Canada: Annick Press, LTD.)

Beginning

This developing writer is utilizing the prominent

sounds that occur in a word. I recommend that the

teacher write the student’s words on the back of

the paper to track the student’s progress with

phonetic association.

Joshua be u st i b mom

“Joshua, be quiet and stay in bed” said his mom.

Middle

This writer began to think ahead of what he

wanted to write. He began “kept” then returned to

the beginning of his sentence with “Joshua

kept…”

KJ K Fo Da

Joshua kept singing, “Fa La Da.”

End

This writer is progressing very well for the middle

of Kindergarten. He is making beginning, ending,

and some medial phonetic approximations. I

would score his progress slightly above

“Satisfactory.”

Joshua Fa Ske a Ea

“Joshua falls asleep at the Enda.”

(Sentence meaning quoted from student.)

Courtesy of

Diana Baker’s Kindergarten Class

Floral Avenue Elementary School

Polk County, Florida


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This Kindergartener is definitely above grade level for

any time of year. He not only can write more than one

sentence but his phonetic approximations on

beginning, medial, and final sounds are very close to

the correct spelling.

Joshua has to go to bed

Joshua mom sed (Joshua’s mom said)

be quiit (“Be quiet!”)

The writer has turned expository in this part of the story by

stopping and telling about a part that he likes. This often occurs

when the writer selects their favorite part of the story to

illustrate.

Beg Beg Ball Beg (Bang, bang, rattle bing, bang)

I like the port one he sis

(I like the part when he says – the above words.)

I like Joshua for a fid (I like Joshua for a friend.)

Joshua is little.

When students sound through words quickly, they

are able to create complete sentences because they

do not forget what they were going to say. The

spelling is excellent. In this part of the story, the

writer changed the point of view from a third person

narrative to a personal narrative. Since the teacher

has changed the name of the main character to a

students name, other Kindergarteners often identify

themselves with the main character when they are

retelling the story.

I hud went to sleep.

(had)

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