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In the early years, children spend a lot of time at school writing personal recounts. One of the toughest challenges teachers and young learners face is transferring this knowledge over to imaginary writing. The Recount Story continues to build from The Sentence by incorporating subjects and verbs as the topic sentences. It also brings the familiar structure that children use when writing personal recounts. The aim of this level is to create a fictional recount. Children will learn to base their writing on their own personal experiences but attempt to retell it through a creative element.
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The Recount Story
Aim
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This activity is a bridge from the sentence and personal, "On the weekend...", recounts to the elements of storytelling. Here children begin to establish their control and cohesion as well as being introduced to the idea of characters and events.
Writing a based off the planning is quite easy and offers an entry point to all students. More capable writers can fill out their writing with more details. |
Personal note: Don't rush through this strategy. It is a simple strategy that doesn't burden the writers. This means it opens up the door to set the expectations for the mechanics of writing. Establishing these expectation early and developing self-monitoring skills is essential for further development. |
This strategy is about developing control and cohesion: it's not about creativity. Give students the confidence to get their ideas down and develop them with extra detail. The crafting can come later.
Deconstruction
Take the time to familiarise the children with other texts that are written this way. Use the planning format to deconstruct authentic texts, movies or student composed texts. Initially focus on the structure, but as students become more familiar and competent with the structure the deconstruction can focus on other specific elements such as setting description or character development.
Use reading journal activities and pull apart the story. Students can use these deconstructions to write short summaries of texts read to familiarise themselves with the structure or other elements.
Use reading journal activities and pull apart the story. Students can use these deconstructions to write short summaries of texts read to familiarise themselves with the structure or other elements.
Pre-Writing
Drawing and labelling have an important role to play in the development of writing. Drawing as a planning tool enables children to outline and explore their writing in their mind before they commence. This helps students know what to write and to add description to their writing. The initial focus is on the general story outline. Children work out who the story will be about and what they will be doing using the 5 W’s strategy. Following on from the sentence, children should be able to use this information to create a topic sentence for their writing task.
Who (subject) |
What (action-verb) |
When |
Where |
Why |
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Children then use their knowledge of the personal recount structure to help them plan the events of their story. While this isn’t a conventional story with a complication and a solution, it helps children develop a series of events that will tell a tale. Once they become familiar with the events of a story, children can then explore the features of narratives.
First |
Then |
Next |
After |
Finally |
By using drawings and labelling pictures, children can explore descriptive features of environments and characters. Furthermore, students can think about feelings and emotions experienced at different events and add these details in their writing. These elements can be added to their writing from their planning page.
Depending on the needs of the students. The planning can be done as a whole class, with peers or individually.
Writing
The Recount Story is the first step towards story writing. Children are recounting an event and building on their previous writing techniques.
1 – subject + verb (the stretch sentence: Where? When? Why?)
2 – First: follow on event + detail (description – feelings/emotions – actions)
3 – Then: follow on event + detail (description – feelings/emotions – actions)
4 – Next: follow on event + detail (description – feelings/emotions – actions)
5 – After: follow on event + detail (description – feelings/emotions – actions)
6 – Finally: the resolution or ending to the event that took place: a reflection on the experience
Once again, we are using our initial ideas – the skeleton - and building on top of them. Using time connectives (first, then, finally etc) children can build on their initial sentences to make a paragraph. The follow-on event is explaining what happens next to help children create a paragraph.
This needs to become the minimum expected standard. The initial goal is to create a 3-5 sentence paragraph about an event. Once this is achieved regularly children can begin to add details and description to turn events into their own paragraphs.
Once children are consistently writing paragraphs, giving extra information and writing in sentences, it is time to move to the next level.
1 – subject + verb (the stretch sentence: Where? When? Why?)
2 – First: follow on event + detail (description – feelings/emotions – actions)
3 – Then: follow on event + detail (description – feelings/emotions – actions)
4 – Next: follow on event + detail (description – feelings/emotions – actions)
5 – After: follow on event + detail (description – feelings/emotions – actions)
6 – Finally: the resolution or ending to the event that took place: a reflection on the experience
Once again, we are using our initial ideas – the skeleton - and building on top of them. Using time connectives (first, then, finally etc) children can build on their initial sentences to make a paragraph. The follow-on event is explaining what happens next to help children create a paragraph.
This needs to become the minimum expected standard. The initial goal is to create a 3-5 sentence paragraph about an event. Once this is achieved regularly children can begin to add details and description to turn events into their own paragraphs.
Once children are consistently writing paragraphs, giving extra information and writing in sentences, it is time to move to the next level.
Example:
Sally was outside playing in her backyard. She was running around chasing her little brother while her dad mowed the lawn. When she went inside, she was hot and tired.
Her mum looked at Sally as she slumped down on the lounge. She said to Sally that they should go to the beach. Sally was excited, she loved the beach. She rushed to her room to get ready while mum helped Tommy get ready. Sally changed her clothes and grabbed her towel, then she rushed outside to tell her dad.
Sally's family lived close to the beach so they soon arrived. When she stepped out of the car, Sally could feel the breeze coming from the water. Tommy ran off down to the sand and mum had to chase after him, he was too little to be by the water by himself. Dad set up the umbrella while Sally ran down to the water's edge and felt the water run over her toes.
Soon dad joined her by the water so they made their way out into the waves. The water was cold but it was refreshing. They spent the afternoon splashing in the water and catching waves while mum and Tommy played in the shallows.
After a while, Sally decided to play in the sand. She built a mermaid and then a dolphin. Dad sat with Tommy and showed him how to build a sand castle with his bucket and spade. Then Sally and her family went for a walk to the rock pools where they watched the waves crash over the rocks. Dad found a small hermit crab. Tommy wanted to keep it as a pet but mum said no.
Before they went home, they ate some hot chips. Then dad bought everyone an ice-cream. Sally ate hers too fast and got a brain freeze. Mum suggested that she sit in the beautiful afternoon sunlight to warm up. When they had finished their ice-creams, dad drove everyone home.
8-year-old girl
Sally was outside playing in her backyard. She was running around chasing her little brother while her dad mowed the lawn. When she went inside, she was hot and tired.
Her mum looked at Sally as she slumped down on the lounge. She said to Sally that they should go to the beach. Sally was excited, she loved the beach. She rushed to her room to get ready while mum helped Tommy get ready. Sally changed her clothes and grabbed her towel, then she rushed outside to tell her dad.
Sally's family lived close to the beach so they soon arrived. When she stepped out of the car, Sally could feel the breeze coming from the water. Tommy ran off down to the sand and mum had to chase after him, he was too little to be by the water by himself. Dad set up the umbrella while Sally ran down to the water's edge and felt the water run over her toes.
Soon dad joined her by the water so they made their way out into the waves. The water was cold but it was refreshing. They spent the afternoon splashing in the water and catching waves while mum and Tommy played in the shallows.
After a while, Sally decided to play in the sand. She built a mermaid and then a dolphin. Dad sat with Tommy and showed him how to build a sand castle with his bucket and spade. Then Sally and her family went for a walk to the rock pools where they watched the waves crash over the rocks. Dad found a small hermit crab. Tommy wanted to keep it as a pet but mum said no.
Before they went home, they ate some hot chips. Then dad bought everyone an ice-cream. Sally ate hers too fast and got a brain freeze. Mum suggested that she sit in the beautiful afternoon sunlight to warm up. When they had finished their ice-creams, dad drove everyone home.
8-year-old girl
Self-Monitoring
Self-monitoring focuses on the secretarial writing skills we want the students to have ownership over.
Is there punctuation?
Does it make sense?
Have I underlined words I'm unsure of or think are spelt incorrectly?
Can others read my work?
By introducing these goals and following it up with reviewing strategies, children, from the beginning, become responsible for the editing of their own work. This is an important step in building successful writers. Depending on the age group, it could be beneficial to select just one goal on which to focus; however, all goals are critical to the foundation of continued writing success and it is recommended that both are set for each task. Different goals should be the focus for different students.
With this in mind, we can develop the self-monitoring skills of children at the same time as their deeper understanding of language.
Is there punctuation?
Does it make sense?
Have I underlined words I'm unsure of or think are spelt incorrectly?
Can others read my work?
By introducing these goals and following it up with reviewing strategies, children, from the beginning, become responsible for the editing of their own work. This is an important step in building successful writers. Depending on the age group, it could be beneficial to select just one goal on which to focus; however, all goals are critical to the foundation of continued writing success and it is recommended that both are set for each task. Different goals should be the focus for different students.
With this in mind, we can develop the self-monitoring skills of children at the same time as their deeper understanding of language.
Feedback
Effective feedback is challenging in a class setting. Sitting down and having personal conferences is time consuming - that doesn't mean it shouldn't happen, but as a teacher we need to find a balance. At this basic level, I find I'm still focusing on the secretarial skills: developing the self-monitoring around punctuation. Therefore, I find a lot of my one-to-one conversations are about guiding students to take ownership of sentence boundaries and spelling - this is an expectation for all students.
However, verbal feedback and praise is given to acknowledge achievement, progress or attainment of learning intention through the implementation of success criteria. Reluctant writers will get this praise to build confidence - be explicit about what they did and what you like about it, whereas for more capable writers, a suggestion may be given to help develop them further.
However, verbal feedback and praise is given to acknowledge achievement, progress or attainment of learning intention through the implementation of success criteria. Reluctant writers will get this praise to build confidence - be explicit about what they did and what you like about it, whereas for more capable writers, a suggestion may be given to help develop them further.
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Add details: Highlight an event in the text and ask the student to add a follow-on sentence that will give another action (what happened next?) some description or an emotion. Show, don't tell: Is there a part of the text where show, don't tell could be used? Highlight the sentence and ask students to rewrite using the show, don't tell strategy. ***only do this if the strategy has been taught*** |
In terms of where to next feedback, I generally find through reading, talking and observing that a whole class direction can be taken and that new goal is demonstrated in the next lesson. Remember, the type of feedback you give will depend on the level of the class.
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This activity has been used from Kindergarten to Year 4. How it is used and when it is used depends on class development. This strategy is perfect for early Year 2 and Year 3. It allows for children to achieve a sound grasp of the structure and therefore it should be easier for reluctant writers to participate.
The simple nature of the structure opens the door for teachers to begin to focus on language development in the context of a written text. The text structure is still simple enough that students can continue to develop their own self-monitoring skills and attain a balance between control, cohesion and begin to look at creativity. |
Personal note: Take your time. Each lesson is a building block and enables you to develop writing. There is no rush. If it takes a term to master this level, there is still 75% of the year remaining to build to the next level. Build strong foundations in language building and the children will reap the rewards at the end of the year. |
Where to Next?This strategy is about easing into the elements of story writing. It is a familiar structure which enables more students to have a smooth entry point into writing.
Before moving on to further elements of story writing, we want to use this safe and familiar level to begin to evolve the use of language. We can do this by exploring how to add more details to our writing. It's no good to just say 'add more details' we need to explicitly teach how this is achieved. |
Once children are consistently writing paragraphs, giving extra information and writing in sentences, it is time to move to the next level.
Connecting to Exploring And Further Techniques
Our strategies need to be connected. Here are some places to focus to begin to help children craft their writing.
show, Don't TellAre there parts of the text where the show, don't tell strategy can be used?
Rather than say: The water was cold. Use: Sam shuffled from the water with her arms wrapped around her shivering body. Large purple goose-bumps covered her from head to toe. |
LeadsBegin in the moment. If the text is about the beach, then start at the beach. Unless it is essentail, the reader doesn't need to know about the morning routine.
One morning, we went to the beach. First we packed the car. It was a long trip. Becomes: The sun was shining as we ran down the golden sand. The sound of the waves drowned out the silence of the sunrise. |
EndingsTry to end in the moment. A reflection or lesson learnt can be a powerful ending. An ending should be satisfying for the reader and not an abrupt end.
It was a fun day but then we went home, had dinner and went to sleep. Becomes: As we walked to the car, I turned and had one last look at the ocean. A broad smile spread across my face. Nothing beats a day at the beach. |
These are further techniques for a reason. When being used with younger kids, balance expectations. It's great to expose children but it shouldn't become the only expecataion. Remember if their energy is being used by these techniques, other aspects of their writing may suffer due to the 'ripple' effect of writing.
BE PATIENT
BE PATIENT