Read narratives aloud. Stories like "Where the Wild Things Are," chapter books, graphic novels. Discuss: setting, characters, problem, resolution, interesting moments.
Brainstorm: "Tell me about a time you felt brave. Or scared. Or surprised." Children share orally. This builds oral rehearsal before writing.
Story planning: Simple map: "Who is the character? Where are they? What's their problem? What happens?"
Explain: Drafts are messy. They have mistakes. That's okay! You're getting the story on paper. Editing comes later.
Set a target: "Write 2-3 pages by Friday." Some students write quickly; others need reassurance that slow, careful writing is okay.
Writing conferences: Quick check-ins. "What's happening in your story? Who's in it? What's the problem?" This helps stuck students think through their ideas.
Revision focus: "Does your story have a clear beginning, middle, and end? Does your character face a real problem? Is the ending satisfying?"
Teach specific strategies: Add dialogue so we know how characters feel. Add description so we see the setting. Cut parts that slow the story.
Student revision, not teacher rewriting. Underline sections to revise, but the student does the work.
After revision, focus on mechanics: spelling, punctuation, grammar. Use a checklist: "Do all sentences start with a capital? Do they end with punctuation? Are character names spelled consistently?"
Publishing: Rewrite or type neatly. Add illustrations. Bind into a book. Share with class. Display in library. Send home. This makes writing real.
Host a publishing party. Invite families. Authors read aloud. Celebrate the work. Then reflect: "What was hard about writing this story? What are you proud of? What will you do differently next time?"
This cycle—draft, share, revise, publish, reflect—is how writers grow.
