I love the creativity of writing a narrative. Too often, this seems to fall by the wayside, taking backseat to more formal options. But there are ways to keep the creativity alive and here are my top 3 ways to do just that:
1. Combine the fun of the season with learning!
Every year, I incorporate narrative writing into my classroom near Halloween time. Students create spooky stories about an old "haunted" house with a great deal of structure provided by me. I even play a spooky soundtrack! Even my most reluctant writers enjoy this and soon my students see that writing can be a fun, creative time.
2. Early Finishers
While my "go-to" is to read independently when students find themselves with some extra time, using that same time for narrative writing would be another great alternative! I have a little station set up in my room with blank plot diagrams and a can of "story starters". (Sometimes I also include fun paper and checklists. I try to keep it a cool place to visit!) Students who would prefer to write can visit this station when they find themselves with extra time in class. You can get a free copy of my plot diagram and story starters in my resource library!
3. Fiction Follow-Ups
After reading a fiction story like "Eleven" like Sandra Cisneros, I find that asking students to tell (through writing) their own stories that were similar to the main character's struggles can not only be a great relationship builder but it also helps students make a deeper connection to the story. This helps when you begin to analyze the story for various things such as character development because now the students feel invested.
Just a few quick things I do to incorporate narrative writing throughout the year!
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