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How To Teach Narrative Writing

Maybe you are a new teacher, or a seasoned one that is taking on a new role as a writing instructor, or maybe you just want to shake up your writing time this year…keep reading to learn more about what narrative writing is, tips to teach it, and some great resources to make it easier for you!

There are several kinds of writing tasks your students will need to write during their time in your classroom. These will include narrative, opinion, and informational pieces. These kinds of works are required from kindergarten to sixth grade if you follow Common Core Standards.

how to teach narrative writing

What is Narrative Writing?

So what exactly is a narrative?

A narrative is a written or spoken account of events. In simpler terms, it is a story.

In my opinion, narrative writing pieces are the easiest for students to write because they all have something they want to share with you. Whether it is about their summer vacation plans, what happened over the weekend, or their experience at the soccer game, students love to share with you. Getting them to write can be the trickier part.

narrative writing tips and tricks

5 Tips to encourage students to write narrative pieces

1. Let them pick the topic.

I know, I know. This goes against your need to control the classroom and what your students are learning but think about it. Aren’t you more willing to complete a task if it is on your terms?

Now, I don’t mean give them total freedom on topics. Obviously, it needs to be school appropriate, and it must lend itself to a narrative piece. I like to give them a theme, and then they can narrow it down from there into something that interests them.

Example: I would give them the theme of writing about their family. Then, they can pick if they write about their favorite family adventure or maybe a time that their family experienced something together that was sad or upsetting.

what is narrative writing

2. Share Examples of Narrative Writing

Having examples to share with your students gives them some expectations you want them to strive towards. Reading narrative writing mentor texts is an excellent idea as a lesson warm-up.

Having an example piece to show students is a great tool, and an even better tool is to write an example narrative piece together. If you have the time, this gives students the best chance at becoming excellent writers. They can see the process you go through and some of the strategies you use when writing.

what is a personal narrative? what is a fictional narrative?

3. Explain the Rubric beforehand

Give students a walk-through of the rubric and the expectations you have for them. I love to spend some time writing pieces of work that fit each score on the rubric. Draft a story that would receive the lowest score and discuss with your students why it scores low.

Then write a piece that scores the next score, and so on. Finish with a story that would get the highest score and show your students the process to receive that score. You want your students to be successful in the classroom, and showing them examples and the rubric is a good step.

how to teach narrative writing kindergarten

4. Break it Down

Break the writing process down into manageable steps. Hearing the teacher say that you have to write a five-sentence story is really daunting to a kindergartener or that they have to write three paragraphs to older students, etc.

Allow plenty of time in your lesson plans for students to complete the narrative writing in several steps over a few days.

I like these steps: brainstorm, draft, edit, revise, and final copy. Depending on your students and their needs, this may take a week or longer.

how to teach narrative writing first grade

5. Personal Versus Fictional Narrative Pieces

There are two kinds of narrative pieces that students can write: personal and fictional.

A fictional narrative is a story that comes from your imagination. Many students will love writing fictional stories because it allows them to let their creativity flow, and they can be silly. Example: The Day the Cow Jumped Over the Rainbow or The Monster That Lives Under My Bed.

Fictional stories are more fun, but some students may have trouble using their own imagination to create a piece that doesn’t mimic a movie, show, or video game they have played or seen.

A personal narrative is a story that has happened in your life. I find that these kinds of pieces are simpler for children to write because they just have to tell you about something that has happened to them. Example: Tell me about your summer vacation, tell me about your weekend, etc.

Personal narratives are a great resource for getting to know your students and learning more about their families, likes and dislikes, and personalities. Some students may be uncomfortable sharing their personal narratives if they have a rocky home life or have suffered a traumatic event. Don’t push them into sharing with the class but be a person they can trust to share with.

personal narrative vs fictional narrative

Resources to Help Teach Narrative writing

Now that you have some tips to help in your classroom. Check out these narrative writing prompts to make your life easier!

Kindergarten Narrative Writing Prompts Worksheets
First Grade Narrative Writing Prompts and Worksheets
Second Grade Narrative Writing Prompts and Worksheets
Third Grade Narrative Writing Prompts and Worksheets

Want to try a free sample first? Grab this freebie for your classroom! It’s a part of my free resource library, so I’m sure you’ll find some other free goodies that you love!

free narrative writing prompts

I hope this post was helpful in explaining narratives and that you got a few tips to help make teaching them a little easier! Comment below and tell me what tips you have for teaching about writing narratives.

Have a terrific day,

P.S. If you need some Narrative Writing Prompts for kindergarten, first grade, second grade, third grade, or fourth grade, check out my post here!

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Hi, my name is Alex! I love creating fun, colorful, and engaging resources for the early years. I’ve taught 3rd and 1st grade and I’m passionate about creating interactive activities that engage all learners Read More…

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If you’re looking for a cute writing craft, thes If you’re looking for a cute writing craft, these snow globe narrative writing prompts are perfect for bulletin boards and writing centers! ❄️ 

Comment below or message me if you’d like the link! I’ll also add a link to my bio and stories 🙂

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Bump is coming along 😬 I know this isn’t te Bump is coming along 😬 

I know this isn’t teaching or tpt related in anyway, but so many of you have been through this.

Any tips for 3rd trimester? Things to pack in hospital bag? Must buy things for baby? I’ve heard I should do batch cooking. 

Should I just try to enjoy my sleep while I can? 😂

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Just an FYI! Revising involves making major change Just an FYI! Revising involves making major changes to the content and editing is more sentence level changes.

For example, you might ask your students to edit their writing by checking for spelling and punctuation errors.

But for revision, they might add or remove ideas to their writing.

I hope you enjoy these writing tips! Double tap if you do 💗

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You can grab these for free at the link in my bio! You can grab these for free at the link in my bio! Or you can comment below or message me if you like the link 🙂

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I’ve been so quiet on this account lately! So ju I’ve been so quiet on this account lately! So just popping in to say hi 👋🏻 

Had my baby shower yesterday and it was great fun 👶🏻🎉

I’m having a girl in Feb and apparently unicorns is the theme for everything so I hope she likes it 😂

I’m 30 weeks this week and need to pack my hospital bag soon. Definitely give me any tips for things I’ll need! 

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If so, it’s important to start doing some lesson If so, it’s important to start doing some lessons where you explicitly teach sentence structure! 

I remember teaching writing in my first year. I was teaching 3rd grade and it just never occurred to me that I need to explicitly teach students how to write a proper sentence.

But after seeing their first writing piece, I was shocked!

Do your students struggle with this too?

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Cute craft idea for December! (If you’re allowed Cute craft idea for December! (If you’re allowed to do Christmas themed activities in your school).

Just grab white, red, and skin colored paper that you have in beige/brown etc. and let the students create their own Santa!

With younger students, you could cut some strips of white paper out or red triangles to help them. 

For older students, they could do it on their own! 

All the cutting and gluing is great for fine motor and I think this would make a pretty cute bulletin board! 

You could also make this craft more educational by having students write math facts or words on the beard strips!

Save this post so you don’t forget to try it 🙂

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Are you looking for a cute bulletin board or door Are you looking for a cute bulletin board or door decor idea for December? This letter to Santa writing craft is super cute and  fun for students to complete! 

The best news? It’s 25% off at the moment! 

There’s a link in my bio 🙂

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Freebie Alert! I’m offering these cute sentenc Freebie Alert! 

I’m offering these cute sentence building worksheets for free, so grab them at the link in my bio 🙂

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Unfollow the people who are making you feel bad! 📱

I mentioned this in my weekly email this week. It’s sooo depressing when you log on to social media and fall into the comparison trap with other sellers.

Honestly for me right now, it’s teacher IG influencers (like one who has a baby similar in age to mine and her life looks so glamorous all the time and I’m just sitting there wearing spit up and feeling less than)!

How to stop the comparison game is something that Maddy @livingnsunshine and I discuss this week on The Terrific Teacherpreneur podcast🎙

I really think that unfollowing people who make you feel bad is so important for your mental health. But also your business mindset.

If you’re always comparing yourself to other sellers, you’re less likely to thrive as a TPT seller because you’ll always be doubting yourself and holding yourself back 🥲

So I challenge you to unfollow someone this week! Comment below with an emoji when you’ve done it 👍🏻

#Iteachscience #spedteachers #iteachart #musicteachers #iteachela #mathteachers #iteachreading #socialstudiesteacher #iteachlanguagearts #eslteachers #iteachpe #middleschoolteachers #iteachhighschool #primaryschoolteachers #iteachprep #prekteachers #schoolslp  #scienceteachers #iteachsped #artteachers #iteachmusic #elateachers #iteachmath #readingteachers #iteachsocialstudies #languageartsteacher #iteachesl #peteachers #iteachmiddleschool
Just a reminder not to take on too many things! Just a reminder not to take on too many things! 

It’s tempting to do ‘all the things’ when it comes to TPT and marketing and it leads to burnout fast 🔥 

If you’re feeling overwhelmed, step back from a few things.

Let me know in the comments if you’re feeling this way at the moment and what you plan on stepping back from!

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Hot pink is my brand! Right? I bet you recognize m Hot pink is my brand! Right? I bet you recognize my posts as mine straight away when you see them on here.

Anyways, when it comes to making your brand stand out… 
Consistency is key!

It’s important to use the same fonts, colors, style of photos/mock-ups, layouts, or clip art.

That way, when your new resource is released to followers or you post something on social media, people instantly know it’s you!

It’s also important to ensure that your branding is eye catching, cohesive (and make sure your colors complement each other)!

This week on the podcast, Caileigh from @thedenniscrew joins me again and we chat about branding. Be sure to check it out 🙌🏻

Tell me below, what are your brand colors?

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Make 👏🏻 A 👏🏻 Great 👏🏻 Cover 👏 Make 👏🏻 A 👏🏻 Great 👏🏻 Cover 👏🏻

Your cover on TpT is so important when it comes to getting views and therefore securing sales.

I’m pretty passionate about the importance of a good cover and that’s why I’ve been sharing tips about them in my weekly emails and it was discussed a lot last week on the podcast with @thedenniscrew (thanks for joining me caileigh)!

👏🏻 Remember to have a big, bold, easy to read title.

👏🏻 Show the product through photography, mock-ups or screenshots.

Tell me in the comments, do you enjoy making covers or is it something you dread? 

P.S. You can sign up for my weekly emails through the link in my bio! You can grab my free Pinterest cheat sheet, prioritizing tasks doc, or email definitions guide. 

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Sometimes we chase new followers instead of nurtur Sometimes we chase new followers instead of nurturing the ones we already have. 

Sometimes we fixate on how many likes, comments, saves, and shares we have, instead of appreciating that a human somewhere took the time to do them.

Sometimes we make a half hearted attempt at sharing in stories or answering messages, because we’re obsessing over hashtags or impressions.

Sometimes we get so caught up in inauthentic engagement that we barely appreciate or notice when someone genuinely engages.

This is just a reminder that this is a social platform! It’s an amazing place for you to connect with other teachers, make friends, and build relationships! If you can sell some of your products along the way, that’s an awesome bonus. 

But don’t forget to relax and enjoy the amazing connections you can make on this platform.

Instagram is like a party! Sit back and chat with some new friends instead of throwing your business cards at people 🙌🏻

Relationships over reach. 🙌🏻 
Not only is this more fun, it will probably actually help you grow more. 

Connecting with your existing followers in a genuine way will help you grow more than chasing the next fake follower.

I heard the other day that not being authentic is one of the leading reasons people unfollow others.

So let’s work on this 💗

I know I need to hear this sometimes. Do you? 

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One month of sleep deprivation, endless diaper cha One month of sleep deprivation, endless diaper changes, and trying to figure out breastfeeding. 😴🤯😭

But also one month of newborn snuggles and falling in love with little Lily. 💗

Thanks for your patience when it comes to my diminished presence on here and thanks to everyone who has messaged helpful parenting tips.

As each day goes by I feel less overwhelmed and more myself and I can slowly see myself getting back to TPT stuff eventually. But I am enjoying the break honestly.

Running a business can be so all consuming and it’s important to take a break sometimes. I’m also learning it’s important to prioritize family.

I love how TPT is passive and I can make money in my sleep (or at times when a normal person would be sleeping 😅) so I’m trying to soak up the precious time while Lily is small.

Sorry for the long caption! Just wanted to share my thoughts for today 🙂

(Psst! Took like a million photos before I got one that didn’t include crying or a bow that fell in her eyes 😂 I’m baffled at how these people get such glamorous baby pics here on the gram and act like it’s effortless 😂)

Also fun fact I look AWFUL these days and that’s why you won’t see my face much on stories 😂 who has time for hair brushing?
I love using storytelling to start my emails. I th I love using storytelling to start my emails. I think it’s a great way to connect with my audience and let them get to know me 🙌🏻

Did you catch this week’s podcast episode? I chat to Melissa @notanotherva about email marketing and we discuss welcome sequences, email content, and making your list profitable.

#Iteachscience #spedteachers #iteachart #musicteachers #iteachela #mathteachers #iteachreading #socialstudiesteacher #iteachlanguagearts #eslteachers #iteachpe #middleschoolteachers #iteachhighschool #primaryschoolteachers #iteachprep #prekteachers #schoolslp #schoolcounselorsofinstagram #iteachk12 #iteach345 #iteach789 #teacherfollow
Just a reminder that TPT has emphasized the import Just a reminder that TPT has emphasized the importance of PDF previews so many times!

Two thirds of buyers won’t purchase a product if there’s no preview. That’s a lot of missed sales if 2/3 people who visit your listings leave because you don’t have a preview. 😱

It’s so hard to get products seen. Whether that’s because of ranking, an oversaturated market, or how tricky marketing is. When you finally get a buyer on your listing, you want them to buy! 

So a great question to ask yourself is - do all of your resources have previews? If not, make this a long term project at the top of your to-do list this quarter or this year.

Tell me in the comments, do you need to get to work and make some previews? 😅

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The scary truth is this…it’s probably the only The scary truth is this…it’s probably the only secure thing in your business that you own! 

With the exception of having a blog/website, so much of our marketing is done on rented land (for example, social media).

We don’t own these platforms and so they come with a bit of risk. Your account could be deleted, an algorithm could change etc

With the tpt algorithm debacle, my email list has become an even more precious asset in my business. 

This week’s podcast episode is all about this topic so be sure to check it out!

Let me know in the comments if you have any questions about email marketing 🙂

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