Composing narrative text is complex, requiring development of knowledge of genre specific and general writing knowledge, and the ability to sequence and convey real or imagined experiences, reactions, and an effective ending. Teachers, however, typically do not receive adequate professional learning needed for effective instruction in narrative…

Choosing a writing topic poses a particularly serious challenge for young learners. Topic selection affects all other steps of the writing process. Therefore, the writing topic should be related to a subject that the student knows about, is interested in, and can produce content on. Basing writing on students' immediate environment and experiences…

Narrative is an important part of how humans make sense of the world and express their thoughts and feelings. For children, stories are the predominant way in which they organize and express ideas and imagination. Hence, stories have a significant role in children's various play activities, especially pretend-play. At around the third to fifth…

The Writing in the Disciplines approach encourages writing instruction in specific majors so that students learn the writing conventions of their discipline. As writing instructors, however, the role of the sociologist is problematic. Not only has standard sociological writing been jargon laden, it has privileged a clinical style of writing. Thus,…

Tested and fine-tuned in K-2 classrooms, this book provides engaging lessons and materials for teaching the three genres of writing--opinion, procedural, and story--that provide a foundation for beginning writers' persuasive, informative, and narrative writing skills. The authors' approach integrates strategy instruction, self-regulated learning,…

This research sets out to unveil the potential enrichment of initial narrative writing processes in a group of EFL 5th graders through the implementation of picture books as useful tools which can be used to shape the natural ability of telling an event or a sequence of events systematically of EFL students at this level. In this qualitative…

Decries the way in which British education has reduced or eliminated the animation or essence of narrative. Explores the features that give narrative importance broader and deeper than the purely literary values customarily given it, and provides a rationale for keeping storytelling in the curriculum to enhance students' writing. (HTH)

Describes the activities in a high school English class aimed at instructing students concerning the concept of "historical fiction." Outlines class activities in which students are asked to write fictional narratives based on the historical facts concerning the sinking of the "Titanic." (HB)

Describes the way one English teacher used a variety of stories to introduce students to the conventions of narrative fiction. Shows how students can be taught how great narrative artists manipulate the emotions of their audiences. (HB)

Provides a response to an earlier article in the same issue of this journal entitled "Resistance, Revision, and Representation: Narrative in Teacher Education." Asserts the right of any teacher to tell stories and subsequently claim relevant meanings for those stories. (HB)

Describes how one English teacher celebrated the power of students' personal writing to clarify and validate their own personal life experiences. Argues for the use of personal narrative in teaching students to develop as writers and thinkers. (HB)

Analyzes the nature of the complexity of student writers of narrative in secondary schools. Focuses on the affective development and the narrative structure of student writing. Provides a framework based on structuralist theory resulting in a detailed insight into the achievements of student writers of narrative. (HB)

Describes the Nebraska Literacy Project, a 5-week workshop for K-12 teachers modeled after the Nebraska Writing Project. Shows how teachers can encourage students to look closely at their own literacy histories and their daily practices as readers and writers. Presents the literacy histories as recorded by some participants. (HB)

Describes recent critical and theoretical works dealing with the topic of narrative and storytelling. Provides citations and brief annotations of 13 works. (HB)

Notes that although fiction writing is a somewhat problematic part of upper elementary/middle school writing, it is important for children to be able to compose good fiction. Suggests two methods to benefit young writers: (1) expose them to a wide range of good fiction, and (2) preserve their right to create personal fictions. (NH)