We're going to talk about the elements of a story, or the parts that make it up, like ingredients in a recipe. What, your saying, how do you map a story? What makes a story pointy? These are great questions, The reader can use this information to retell the story line of the text.īelow are two more updated Fiction Story Maps, created for a story that has more of a plot (introduction, problem, solution)įor step-by-step instructions on teaching Fiction Text Structure, especially to a child that struggles to “get it”, click on the picture above or HERE.I'm going to draw you a map right now, and it's gonna look like I've drawn a mountain. The second page is for stories that have more of an organized plot line (with a well-defined problem/solution).After the child records her answers in the chart, encourage her to use the information to tell the main idea of the story. The first page of Story Maps is for stories that don’t necessarily have an organized plot line.(I recommend for Kindergraten/1st grade) Readers can draw or write in the spaces provided to help them organize the important information. 95)įiction Text Structure Chart – work on plot structure and 6 kinds of problems in stories with this simple and free chart! One great way to introduce these plot elements is through identifying them in a movie first. They help to “cue students to story elements to expect” before reading, “help students monitor their comprehension and keep track of the action in a story” during reading, and after reading, graphic organizers “require students to reflect on what they read and make connections between story elements.” (pg. I like what Emily Kissner says in her book, Summarizing, Paraphrasing, and Retelling, about story maps and graphic organizers. Knowing what kind of structure a text will have helps readers to organize and summarize the important information. Here are some FREE graphic organizers to help young readers look for the important information in a fiction work. To describe main idea, I’ve used these phrases: “What is the story all about?” or “If you could tell me what the story was about in 2-3 sentences, what would you say?” For a more in-depth study on these story elements, click here. When I’m faced with texts such as these, many times, I’ll ask kids to tell what happened first, next, and last then tell me what the main idea of the story is. Sometimes the plot is not organized and packaged so neatly.

*Not all fiction works include all of these elements.

Theme: More than the topic of the story, the “message” the author is trying to send through the use of the story.

Point of View: 1st person (main character telling story use of “I” and “me”) or 3rd person (narrator telling story use of “he/she”, “him/her”).

Solution or Resolution: how the problem or conflict is solved.

Plot or Text Structure: the rise and fall of action.

Problem or Conflict: usually introduced early on can be external or internal.

Setting: when and where did the story take place.

Characters: main characters & supporting characters.

It also spills over nicely into helping them write their own fictional stories.

Studying the story elements and structure of fiction is an important way to deepen your child’s reading comprehension because it helps them understand what is important.

Story elements organizer