Expose the children to a multitude of books and oral stories. From the narratives they read or hear, the children learn about the elements of writing, such as characterization and plot. Oral storytelling is important because rhythm and pattern are used to tell the tales, and children experience the instant feedback from the group when oral stories are shared. When reading books, children see the words on the page and learn sentence structure.
Creating and observing artwork helps children learn how to use all their senses. Painting, sculpting and collage-making are activities in which children can communicate their feelings, and they learn that those feelings can be shared. Children learn to reflect on their emotions and become sensitive to aesthetics when they visit art museums and experience art. Through fine arts, children refine their imagination for creative narrative writing. After an art experience, invite the children to write a response to an art piece or write an artist statement, which is when artists write a brief description about their own art.
Invite a group of children to collaborate on a narrative. Children who may struggle with writing their own narratives are helped by this kind of activity. Read or tell a story that is rich in plot, setting and characters. Have the children sit in a circle and use a blackboard or a large piece of paper to compose the group-writing project together. Help the lesson along by writing an introduction for the children, such as "Once upon a time ... ." Use different colored markers to distinguish repetitive text and the problems and solutions the characters face in the narrative. During the activity, ask all the children to contribute and problem-solve as a group.
Set up writing workshops within the classroom, which are opportunities for children to freely work on their narrative writing. Start the year by giving all the children journals. Have them spend a part of each day writing or drawing in their journals. Children write about experiences at home or school, and they begin to find their own voices. Encourage invented spelling because it is the stepping stone to understanding print and sound relationships.
Invite children who are 3 to 5 years older than the age of the children you are working with to act as mentors. Have the older children read to the group, and pair up the mentors with the young children for writing, literacy games and story sharing. Younger children work on their writing skills, while the older mentors learn about responsibility.