Write in front of them
Write a short story about something that really happened to you while kids watch, thinking aloud: "Hmm, how can I show I was nervous?" Kids see that good writers make choices and change their minds. Then they borrow your structure for their own story.
Why it works: showing first, practicing together, then letting kids try alone is the "gradual release" model teachers have relied on for decades (Pearson and Gallagher, 1983).
Try it withFictional Narrative WorksheetWorksheetsOpen it →























