Narrative Writing: Adding Dialogue

This lesson challenges young learners to add dialogue to their writing. Students will love using their creativity to write personal narratives.

Students will be able to incorporate dialogue into their personal narratives.

(5 minutes)

Tell the class that you are going to tell them two quick stories. Explain that they are going to vote about which story was better.
Share one story without dialogue and one with dialogue to show how adding dialogue to stories can be more entertaining.
- Story 1: I was walking through the grocery store one day with my mom. She saw a cart coming straight toward me, but I didn't see it. I ran right into the cart and landed in a heap on the floor. It was such a disaster.
- Story 2: I was walking through the grocery store one day with my mom. All of a sudden, she yelled out, "Watch out for that cart!" I was starting to turn around to see what she was talking about, but the cart was coming too quickly. I yelled out, "Oh no! Stop!" as the car came crashing into me. As I landed in a heap on the floor I screamed, "Ouch, watch out next time!" It was such a disaster.
Point out that it also helps the listener better understand the characters' thoughts and emotions.
Ask the students to vote about which story they thought was better. Have them show a one on their fingers if they thought story one was better and a two if they thought story two was better.
Ask the students, “Why was story two better?”