Everyone experiences those special days in our life that sprinkles our heart with joy and makes us smile a bit brighter. Days we cherish and fondly remember. Days we warmly reminisce about with family and friends.
Veterans Park School 4th grade teacher Angela Knox developed a narrative writing assignment for her students that focused on authoring a story about one such special day in their life-- My Best Day Ever!
“Many students struggle when determining what they should write about,” shared Knox. “I find students become more engaged writers when they’re asked to write about something that has a special meaning or connection to them.”
“We discussed what a narrative story is and specific techniques they could utilize to make their stories engaging and interesting to the reader,” continued Knox. “Students then rummaged through their memories to find that one event- their best day ever- they would use as their theme.”
Annabelle Davis eagerly wrote about the day she spent last summer with her family at Storyland in New Hampshire.
“I still remember all about that day,” recalled Davis. “My cousin Caitlin was with us and we’re inseparable when we’re together. There were so many rides and we had so much fun!”
Excerpt- “Click! As I opened the car door, I spotted the entrance gates to Storyland. Next, the gift shop caught my eye. I couldn’t take my eyes off of the eerie animatronic humpty dumpty.”
When asked what new writing skills he had learned during this assignment Landon Olszak responded, “Mrs. Knox explained run-on sentences to us and how they can be confusing to readers. I tried my best not to use those in my story and I think I did pretty good.”
Olszak wrote about his vacation on Cape Cod last summer with his family.
Excerpt- “I’ll always remember the beach. I can still smell the salty air. A big smile spreads across my face when I think of the fun. I REALLY REALLY hope we go there again because it was so fun!”
“I learned how to put all of my thoughts and ideas into one piece of paper,” said Charlotte Maciolek regarding the assignment. “I also learned how to use words to better describe things happening to make my story more interesting to read.”
Maciolek wrote about her experience at Wildwood Beach, New Jersey during a hurricane.
Excerpt- “It was the day of the hurricane . I was feeling excited and scared and nervous because I was in my first hurricane and scared because it was very windy. As I ambled to the window, I spotted pool chairs flying and the beautiful ocean going crazy.”
Knox was extremely proud of how her students authored their narratives with details, enthusiasm and creativity.
“These kids inspire me everyday,” said Knox, wearing her bright teacher smile. “I’m looking forward to seeing their work as we continue to build on their writing skills throughout the year.”
