A Guide to Narrative Writing Genres

Do students in your school write a personal essay of some kind every single year?

They do in the three schools I’ve taught in. In fact, narrative writing — especially nonfiction, personal narratives — are perhaps the most ubiquitous piece of writing taught in every school I’ve ever visited.

How can we differentiate that — build year to year to year — so that students can practice these narrative skills but also do more?

You might remember I made a guide to informational writing genres last month. And now I’m adding a guide to narrative. It’s a way to differentiate within your classroom, within your grade level, within your department. It’s a way to make sure that students are engaging in authentic narrative writing that meets their writerly needs.

The 11-page guide includes:

• A continuum of narrative writing genres that build in rigor
• Mini-lessons that make narrative writing sing, regardless of which narrative product students are creating
• A how-to for using the continuum in your own classroom, as a grade level, or as a department.
• Descriptions, tips, and mentor texts for each kind of narrative writing (22 mentor texts!)
• A nod to and mentor texts for alternative forms of narrative: graphic narratives and narratives-in-verse

Use these links for 10% the new narrative guide and the informational guide!