Today we focused on the little moments that make life big. In 5th grade it is very common for me to read through student writing and find what I like to call “bed-to-bed” stories. In this type of writing, authors tell every detail of his/her day–from the time he/she gets out of bed, to the time he/she goes to bed. For example, a student may write about a trip to Disney World and include the plane ride, the car ride, the meals, meeting the characters, etc. These stories are unfocused and usually lack vivid detail that help create an emotional experience for the reader. Instead, the student could write about the emotions he/she went through as they waited in line to ride Magic Mountain and the thrill of the roller coaster. Even though this is one tiny moment of being at Disney, the story has a clear purpose and focus that allows the student to write with greater detail.
In order to explain small moment stories, I often compare narrative writing to a watermelon. Instead of focusing on the BIG story, or the entire watermelon, zoom in on one teeny seed and describe it with great detail. We practiced this strategy today in class in preparation for our memoir unit. We wrote SUPER drafty stories that will be shared on our student blogs– some students published today. Remember, don’t worry about grammar or punctuation at this point. Our focus was writing small moments, not perfecting our grammar!
You can find my example from class below as well as an informational sheet to help you support your child’s writing at home.
