How to Teach Your Child to Write a Narrative Paragraph

Today we are back with our 3rd paragraph walk through - the Narrative.

Don't forget to check out the previous paragraph formulas for your beginner paragraph writers:

Detail

Opinion

Ok, let's jump straight in for the Narrative.  We won't be spending a lot of time looking at characters, setting or problem/solution though.  We mainly want to focus on the basic structure on how to set up the narrative paragraph for our 6 year olds.  We can always re-visit this topic at a later date to broaden it to include those previously mentioned items, or to turn it into an essay for the older child.

First thing we do is an opening sentence of the main idea.  The narrative is essentially a sequential story of an event.

     I.  main idea - introduction.

Have the child briefly set the story up.  Personally, I do feel that this particular step is optional to begin with, so feel free to dispense with it if you so desire.  However, if you do want your child to introduce their characters and setting, have them introduce them. Or lead prompt them about what their paragraph will be about.   Don't worry about having every detail to begin with, those items will come with practice.

Now we are going to prompt lead them with the transitional words first, next, then, and last.

     I.  Main idea - introduction

                                         a.  First, and finish the sentence  

                                         b.  Next, and finish the sentence

                                         c.  Then, and finish the sentence

                                         d.  Last, and finish the sentence

Don't forget that you have the option of having the child narrate it to you, and they can copy it out in their best handwriting later on.  At this point we just want them to express several sentences that link to each other to form the narrative paragraph.

I've even done a video walk through for Narrative here:

I still have more paragraph video's that I want to add to this series.  In fact, I am hoping that my very next video will be the expository paragraph.

Thanks so much for visiting, and I hope that you will visit again soon, catch you later chookies.