Adding Sparkles to Words

Happy Friday to all!!! I am back with another blog post. Last week's blog was about descriptive writing, painting pictures with words!😀 Now what do you think this week's post will be about? Continue reading this blog to find out. 😁

READ THE PASSAGE BELOW.

Bhola owns a donkey called Khandya. Bhola is a very tolerant and kind master. The donkey is lazy and is always finding ways to avoid work.

One day while returning with sacks of salt on his back, Khandya started crossing a small river stream, but his foot slipped, and he fell in the water. The sacks of salt also got wet and Khandya realized that the fall has lessened the weights of the sacks as the salt has dissolved in the water. The next few days, while passing through the same path, Khandya intentionally fell into the water. Bhola was unhappy with the way Khandya was behaving because he was losing money in the process. Bhola understood that Khandya was doing this on a purpose. He decided to teach Khandya a lesson. The next day, instead of salt bags, Bhola loads Khandya with bags of cotton. Khandya is unaware of the change. As per his planned mischief, he falls into the water and gets the bags wet. This made cotton heavy! Khandya is surprised to find the load unbearable and is unable to get up! Bhola let him struggle there for some time as a punishment before helping him get up. 

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What type of writing do you think is this?

It is narrative writing. Now what is narrative writing?   A narrative piece of writing is one that tells a story. It has certain elements that act in combination to pique the reader's interest as well as the author's. This writing style sets the tone in which the reader feels as if they are a part of the story or as if it were being told directly to them.

 For years, I've avoided thinking of myself as a story writer/teller. I assumed that storytellers were limited to individuals who wrote fictions, diaries, novels, and even blogs. However, after engaging in this week's sessions, I discovered that everyone could write a story. Each of us has a story to tell, even if it is just 50 words long. Storytelling is a unique gift and it add sparkles to words through narrative writing.

The are five elements of a narrative piece.

                                              Plot

This is the series of events that occur between characters that are in conflict. Additionally, it outlines the plot of the narrative. The story may be split into three sections: the beginning, the middle, and the conclusion.

A story's storyline may be developed in four stages:

• A story begins with a problem that creates conflict.

• Characters encounter roadblocks while attempting to solve the problem in the middle of the story.

• The high point comes when the issue is on the verge of being solved: it marks the limit between the middle and the end.

• At the conclusion of the narrative, the issue is resolved, and the roadblocks are overcome.

Setting

This allows readers to visualize the scenes and the characters in those scenes. Setting is one element that many people feel comfortable with. It includes location, weather, time and time period.

Characters

In a story, characters are people or personified animals. Characters are often the most important element, since the author's experience is concentrated on the character or group of characters. Characters, whether real or imagined, should be brought to life through narrative writing. Character development occurs in four stages. Authors use these four approaches to bring life into their characters.

• Appearance-authors often provide some physical description of their characters, such as their features, body shapes, attire, and gestures.

• Action- what a character does is the finest method to learn about him or her, and it also serves as the plot's guiding factor.

• Dialogue- not just what characters say is significant, but also how they speak.

• Monologue- authors gain insight into their characters by describing their thought.

Point of view

Viewpoints are used to find out the level to which readers comprehend the story, the characters, and the events, as well as their willingness to trust what they are told.

Theme

This is the story's foundation, and it contains fundamental truths about society or human nature. Themes might be expressed explicitly or implicitly. While explicit themes are expressed directly in the story, implicit themes are inferred through the actions, dialogue, and monologue of the characters as they attempt to overcome their problems

I know sometimes it can be difficult for us teachers to teach narrative writing. Here are some guidelines for teaching narrative writing.

1.      Use minilessons

2.      Read mentor text to show how authors organize stories.

3.      Have students analyze their peers work sample.

4.      Involve students in guided practice activities.

5.      Prepare students for district and large-scale assessments.

6.      Provide opportunities for students to use digital tools to publish their writing online.

7.      Design rubrics to score students’ narrative piece.

8.      Using rubrics to assess and evaluate students writing.

And, of course, the classroom practice of a writing workshop for narrative writing. Students may read a selection of stories and apply what they've learned to their narrative writing during the writing workshop. Throughout the minilesson, students will engage in guided practice activities, share mentor text, and write stories independently. Then they present their ideas with their classmates.

Let’s help our students add sparkles to words by allowing them to express themselves through story writing.