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Introduction: in this annotated bibliography three scholarly articles on teaching narrative writing
are explored. In From Story to Analysis: Reflection and uptake in the Literacy Narrative
Assignment by Kara Poe Alexander, how teachers respond to the different elements of their
students narrative writing is explored. In Writing Narratives About a Socioscientific Issue:
Engaging students and learning science by Louis Tomas, focuses on the potential of narrative
writing, with a scientific subject, to teach both narrative writing and scientific concepts. In The
Dynamics of Narrative Writing in Primary Grade Children: Writing Process Factors Predict Story
Quality by Janne Torkildsen, the ability of students who have a greater command of grammar
and semantics is studied, these students were able to spend less time rewriting/editing their work
and had better narrative writing.

August Chien
Dr. Cook
ENG 3580
May 9th, 2016
Annotated Bibliography on Narrative Writing
Source 1
From Story to Analysis: Reflection and uptake in the Literacy Narrative Assignment
Alexander, Kara Poe. "From Story To Analysis: Reflection And Uptake In The Literacy
Narrative Assignment." Composition Studies 43.2 (2015): 43-71. ERIC. Web. 26 Apr.
2016.

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In Kara Alexanders study an attempt is made to explore what elements of narrative
writing a teacher responds too. She found that teacher uptake or their positive response of an
instructor looking for elements of reflection or narrative. The seven teachers in this study were
asked aloud to respond to their students work. Mrs. Alexander found that teachers responded to:
analytical moves of cause and effect and evaluation, vivid and metaphoric language, and
ideological critiques. Building on these findings she comes to suggest a need to redefine the
pedagogy to more adequately emphasize critical analysis and evaluation rather than ideological
critique. She believes this will place the onus not on grading the impossible, i.e. a students
internal thoughts that they put to paper, but on external and concretes elements in which
assessment is readily possible.
I believe this article is important because it speaks to the same issues that we have
grappled with in class. It seeks to help answer the question: how do you effectively and fairly
grade student narrative writing? Mrs. Alexanders findings and suggestions mirror many of the
conclusions found in our classes discussions. She puts the onus on the teacher to provide
intelligent and clear prompts that allow the student to clearly display their skills. It speaks to the
importance of setting the students up for maximum success by clearly delineating what is desired
of them.

Source 2
Writing Narratives About a Socioscientific Issue: Engaging students and learning science

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Tomas, Louisa1. "Writing Narratives About A Socioscientific Issue: Engaging Students
And Learning Science." Teaching Science: The Journal Of The Australian Science
Teachers Association 58.4 (2012): 24-28. Education Source. Web. 26 Apr. 2016.

In this article Mrs. Tomas contends that employing narrative writing intertwined with
science has a positive benefit of improving a students learning process, learning outcomes, and a
students attitude,motivation, and engagement. Mrs. Tomas began the Biostories Project in which
students wrote hybridized scientific narratives or short stories that merge scientific facts and
information with narrative story telling and alliteration. She tested the effectiveness of this form
of writing with three groups of students in year 6,9,12. The students writing was paired with a
comprehension Likert-style online questionnaire which assed the students comprehension and
provided feedback on the assignment. She found that this form of hybridized writing fostered the
students imagination, engagement, and cognition.
This article explores the potential of cross subject writing, in this case between science
and writing. It shows how simply linking two seemingly disparate skills can result in a better
learning experience. Anytime a learning experience is made more effective and holistic it is a
win for both the students and the teacher. In my classroom I will coordinate as much as possible
with other teachers in different subjects to craft these kinds of assignments.

Source 3
The Dynamics of Narrative Writing in Primary Grade Children: Writing Process Factors Predict
Story Quality

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Torkildsen, Janne, et al. "The Dynamics Of Narrative Writing In Primary Grade Children:
Writing Process Factors Predict Story Quality." Reading And Writing (2015): PsycINFO.
Web. 26 Apr. 2016.

This article describes a recent study in Norway that focused on the factors that predict a
primary grade students writing and revision ability. This study instead of focusing on traditional
pencil and paper metrics instead used key stroke logging and the final typed product. The study
worked with 42 Norwegian primary students, the pool was balanced statistically and did not
skew to any gender/socieconomic norm. The study employed key stoke logging which gave them
the ability to view the students writing process in an isolated environment. The surveyors
focused on how long the students took to revise their work and the spelling accuracy. The study
found that students with good reading and spelling abilities measured before with standard
reading, spelling, and oral language skill comprehension test made more online revisions then
their peers. The surveyors theorize that this stems from the students who have good spelling and
reading skills being able to focus less on semantics and spelling and more on content since they
can focus less on spelling/can identify errors faster. This finding mirrors similar studies
undertaken with traditional pencil and paper.
The notion that some students with greater reading and spelling comprehension are better
writers is far from revolutionary. In my opinion this study points to the fact that when assigning
narrative writing it is important to provide for and write into the assignment time for revision/
assign drafts. This allows both advanced and struggling students an equal chance to revise their
work.