Narrative Writing Worksheet

Narrative writing is the kind of writing that tells a story, and this narrative writing worksheet hands third graders a story that is already half told. Before a child can write a strong ending, they have to read closely, notice the clues an author leaves behind, and make a prediction about what is coming next. Predicting and narrative writing belong together. The prediction is the plan, and the writing is that plan carried out. Students who practice both at once learn that a good ending is never a lucky guess. It is an idea built out of evidence from the text.

This three-page printable opens with an original tall tale called Porter Pig’s Problem. Porter Pig is the strongest pig on any farm, and his remarkable snout can smell trouble from fifty miles away. One warm morning he smells something strange coming from the old red barn, walks across the wide field, and finds the door shut tight with something thumping inside. The story stops right there. On the second page students answer three multiple-choice questions about the tall tale, write a prediction about what Porter will find, and then finish the tale in their own words on six writing lines. The answer key on the final page shows the correct choices and tells the teacher what to look for in an open-ended response.

What’s Included

• 1 print-ready PDF worksheet
• Answer key
• 1 original tall tale passage, 3 multiple-choice questions, 1 prediction prompt, and a six-line narrative writing space

Three things make this narrative writing worksheet work in a third grade classroom. First, the reading and the writing share one story, so students are never asked to invent a topic out of thin air. Second, the questions are built on evidence rather than recall, which trains the habit of looking back at the passage before answering. Third, the prediction step sits between the reading and the writing, so children rehearse their idea in one sentence before they commit to a whole paragraph. This 3rd grade narratives worksheet gives young writers a story that is genuinely worth finishing.

Teachers and parents can stretch this lesson in several directions. Read the tall tale aloud and pause at the barn door so the class can vote on what is inside. Ask students to trade finished endings and underline the clue from the passage that their partner used. Invite children to write a second ending that is even taller than the first, since cheerful exaggeration is what makes a tall tale fun. Small groups can act out their endings or illustrate the moment the barn door swings open. Writers who finish early can draft a brand new adventure for Porter Pig on the back of the page.

Related Resources

• Narrative Writing Brainstorming Worksheet
• Making Predictions Worksheet
• Narrative Writing Small Moments Worksheet
• Story Elements Song (Have Fun Teaching)