We are drafting personal narratives. As fifth graders write stories about themselves, they are learning to implement helpful brainstorming and initial writing strategies. For some students a conversation and brainstorm with a peer works wonders. Others meet with me and we take notes and I ask questions prompting more words, more descriptions. Students are beginning to invent their own strategies that work for them.
One student today decided to turn his initial narrative into a poem. It's quite a clever and fun-loving poem; now he is working on a different story idea that will be in the personal narrative genre. Sometimes we have to write a lot of ideas before we get to the idea that really wants to be written.
Another student used a timer. She wrote for two minute intervals and counted her words at the end of each mini-session. Through this activity, she was able to write over a page in about 20 minutes. She also prepared two graphic organizers so that her ideas were in order and descriptive.
