Writing a Personal Narrative
Writing a Personal Narrative Objective: Students will learn to write a clear and coherent personal narrative that expresses a well-structured event or experience with descriptive details and logical sequence.
Learning Objectives
- Understand what a personal narrative is and its purpose.
- Plan a personal story with a beginning, middle, and end using a graphic organizer.
- Write a personal narrative with clear details and proper sequence.
Materials Needed
- Notebook or lined paper
- Pencil and eraser
- Example personal narrative story
- Graphic organizer for story planning
Key Vocabulary
- Personal Narrative
- A story that tells about an event or experience from the writer’s own life.
- Sequence
- The order in which events happen in a story.
- Descriptive Details
- Words or phrases that describe people, places, or actions to help the reader imagine them.
Detailed Activities
Introduction to Personal Narratives
- Read an example personal narrative aloud to your child.
- Discuss what makes it a personal story and identify the beginning, middle, and end.
- Explain the importance of sequencing and details in storytelling.
Planning the Story
- Help your child think of a personal experience to write about.
- Use the graphic organizer to map out the beginning, middle, and end of the story.
- Encourage your child to think of descriptive details to include.
Writing the Personal Narrative
- Guide your child to write their story following the plan.
- Remind them to use descriptive words and keep the events in order.
- Read the story together and make simple revisions if needed.
Parent & Instructor Notes
- Encourage your child by showing interest in their personal stories and experiences.
- Be patient and provide gentle guidance as your child organizes their thoughts.
- Use praise to support your child’s effort rather than focusing on perfection.
Assessment Questions
- Can your child tell you the beginning, middle, and end of their story?
- Does the story include details that help the reader understand the experience?
- Is the sequence of events clear and easy to follow?
Extension Ideas
- Have your child illustrate their personal narrative to add visual storytelling.
- Encourage your child to share their story aloud with a family member or friend.
- Write a second personal narrative focusing on a different event or feeling.
Frequently Asked Questions
Try asking simple questions about their day or a fun experience to help spark ideas.
Focus first on their ideas and story structure, then gently help with spelling and punctuation during revision.
For a 6-year-old, a few sentences to a short paragraph is appropriate, focusing on clear ideas rather than length.
Teacher’s Guide
Common Misconceptions:
- Children may think a story needs to be very long to be good.
- Some may confuse personal narratives with fictional stories.
- Kids might focus on spelling or drawing rather than storytelling.
Scaffolding Ideas:
For Struggling Students:
- Provide sentence starters to help begin sentences.
- Use drawing as a way to organize thoughts before writing.
- Work one-on-one to talk through the story before writing.
For Advanced Students:
- Encourage adding dialogue or feelings in their narrative.
- Challenge them to write multiple paragraphs with more details.
- Have them revise their story for improved word choice and clarity.
Pacing Recommendations:
- Spend about 10 minutes on introduction and discussion.
- Allow 15 minutes for planning with the graphic organizer.
- Use the remaining 20 minutes for writing and reviewing the narrative.
Standards
- 6.W.1 — Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, descriptive details, and clear event sequences.
Printable Worksheet
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