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1st Grade Narrative Writing

Foundational Lesson

Standard
ELAGSE1W3: Write narratives in which they recount two or more appropriately sequenced
events, include some details regarding what happened, use temporal words to signal event
order, and provide some sense of closure.

Foundational Target: I can use prewriting strategies to plan my narrative writing piece.

As first graders begin to learn the process of writing, it is critical that they receive direct
instruction on these processes. This foundational lesson will look at several different
prewriting strategies. As the foundational target is explored and taught, students will be
expected to receive guidance from adults when necessary.

The purpose of this lesson is to teach several types of prewriting strategies to first graders.
First of all, students need to be aware of what prewriting is and what the word prewriting
means. Begin by focusing on the prefix “pre.” Share with the students the definition of “pre.”

Pre: A prefix (always comes before the stem of a word) that means “before.”

Explain to the students that since the stem of the word “prewriting” is writing, that prewriting
must be what you do BEFORE you write. Explain to the students that prewriting is the very
first step in the writing process. The following picture is a free download at Teachers Pay
Teachers that is an example of the Writing Process that would work as a poster in 1st grade:

(Link for the poster at Teachers Pay Teachers/

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Writing-Process-Poster-and-Checklist-830575)

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Using an illustration of the poster, show the students that prewriting is the first step. Let the
students know that prewriting is the first step in beginning to get their notes about what they
want to write about down on paper. It is also critical to let students know that prewriting
involves a lot of thinking and writing about ideas that may or may not be important to their
topic. Sometimes, prewriting ideas begin when a book is read-aloud and students begin
thinking about what their teacher has asked them to focus on. Prewriting can also result from
having watched a movie or a short video if you are able to take ideas from this viewing and
use them to help you write a story. The most important part of prewriting is thinking about
what you are going to write about and beginning to imagine all of the things that could happen
or will happen in your story.

The main focus of this lesson is to share with your students several types of prewriting. The
examples in this lesson represent a collection from many different texts and sites as well as
references from personal practices. Share with the students as many examples as you deem
necessary. Allow time for them to explore and practice the different kinds of prewriting.

Method 1: Brainstorming
Brainstorming occurs when a student is focused on one topic and lists all that he/she knows
or thinks about that subject. It is an experience in which the student freely explores a topic
and lists ideas or thoughts about the topic. To try this with your whole class, write the following
words on your board: I am a pro. Next, begin listing all of the things that you are very good at.
For example, I would list the following:
• I can cook
• I can bake
• I know a lot about my house
• I am a great listener
• I know a lot about school
• I am a great organizer
• I am a great problem-solver
• I am a good reader
• I am good at math
• I am an expert at playing games
After you have listed some of the things that you are good at, give the students a copy of
page 4 so they can also list the things that they are good at. Explain to the students that you
will be keeping their lists until another day when you will give them back and they will have the
opportunity to write about something they are good at.

Method 2: Clustering
Clustering allows writers to explore a lot of different ideas all at once. While it is very similar to
brainstorming, clustering gives writers the chance to experiment with free association about a
lot of different ideas. Clustering is often the result of having used a mentor text in which the
students then have a writing assignment. An example of effective clustering for prewriting is to
use a read-aloud and afterwards, have the students list all of the thoughts they have about the
story. Students are encouraged to freely think about the story and to write down ideas that
come to them as they remember the story. Often, students are given a word that is central to
the read-aloud, and the students freely write down everything they can think of about the word
as it connects to the story. Page 6 of the lesson provides the students with a clustering page.

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For illustrative purposes, I have included a completed clustering example to share with the
class using some of the ideas I included in the example brainstorming method. See page 5.

Method 3: Free-writing
Free-writing is a type of prewriting in which the students are encouraged to write freely
and quickly about a topic. They are not to worry about editing their work but should rather
focus on writing non-stop as ideas jump into their heads about the topic. This type of
prewriting generates a lot of information which may prove to be beneficial as students
narrow down a topic and begin to focus on one idea of the topic. I would suggest using
free-writing in a timed setting. For example, give your students five minutes to write as
quickly as they can about a topic. Encourage them to write to the best of their ability but
also let them know that they should not worry about anyone else reading what they have
written except for themselves. Spelling and punctuation will not be critical as long as the
student is able to read what he/she has written. At the end of the free-writing, you will
encourage your students to go back and read what they have written. At this time, they
should start to think about choosing a good idea from their free-writing and eliminating
what is perhaps useless.

Method 4: Looping
Looping is free-writing that continues one after the next. For example, students free-write
about a topic and then read what they have written. After a short break, they choose an
idea in their free-writing and begin writing again on this idea. After another short break in
which they read their second free-writing, they continue to narrow down their ideas until
they have one idea with a tight focus. Not only does this technique allow students to freely
explore a topic, it also often generates different and concise topics related to the original
topic.

Method 5: Ask Questions

There are six important questions journalists ask about a topic: Who?, What?, Where?,
When?, Why?, and How? When students have been given a topic for writing, encourage
them to answer these six questions regarding their topic. Their answers can be combined
in order to write about their topic.

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1st grade Foundational Lesson Narrative Writing