Narrative Writing

Narrative Writing - An Extension 

This week we will be extending our thoughts on Narrative Writing. In class, during our discussions, we were exposed to several misconceptions that teachers have about Narrative Writing, and as a result, our students become lost along the way with their writings. A teacher being equipped with all the right strategies to help students is one thing. However, in our opinion, the teacher should be more versed with the content for effective teaching and overall better student writing.

Misconceptions about the Elements of the Story

1. The plot is the sequence of the events, not only the climax of the story. For younger students, (age K TO 3), teachers can stick to identifying the plot as the beginning, middle and end. Although for older students (Grade 4 +), this is where students can begin to learn about the introduction, rising action, climax, falling action, resolution/end. Below is a picture to clearly illustrate what we mean:

Figure 1. Plot Mountain

2.    The conflict or the problem in the story is the tension between the forces in the story. This tension can be internal, meaning the main character versus himself with a problem. The conflict can also be man versus man, man versus group and man versus the environment. It is important to know that there should be roadblocks within the story that prevents the main character(s) from arriving at the resolution. 

NB: After a resolution is met, the story should end shortly after in an effort to not draw out the story and make your readers bored.

3.       As teachers, we often think the setting is only place and time. We often are guilty of simply asking students, “At what time and where is your story taking place?” The setting of a story is so much more than that. It includes the location (where – home, church, school), weather (sunny, windy, rainy), time (morning, afternoon, evening, night) and time period (the amount of time taken to do something).

4.      We always knew that the characters we the people in the story. However, characters can also be animals or objects in the story. At first, animals, as the characters did not shock us as series such as Peppa Pig and Max and Ruby, came to mind. However, how dare we forget objects as characters when our childhood was filled with shows such as Thomas and Friends and the infamous movie Cars.

 Example of Animals as characters:

 Figure 2. Peppa Pig

Figure 3. Max and Ruby

Examples of Objects as characters:

Figure 4. Cars

Figure 5. Thomas and Friends

Below is a YouTube video link that creatively explains the elements of Narrative Writing:

YouTube Link: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cU9IhMk6doM


References

Warrican, S. J. (2012). The Complete Caribbean Teacher Literacy. Pheonix: Pearson Education.

 Spandel, Vicki (2012) Creating Writers in the Primary Classroom: 6 Traits, Process,
        Workshop & Literature (6th edition). New York: Pearson

Until next Sunday... Goodbye!