A narrative usually tells of events using the past tense. When the events are from the imagination we tend to call the narrative ‘a story’. But of course even when we tell of real incidents, about our recent holiday to friends perhaps, we often reshape what happened to add interest! The recognition that narrative is a basic way of organising human experience through remembering, dreaming and planning is made in Barbara Hardy’s ‘Narrative as a primary act of mind’ (in Meek, Warlow and Barton, 1977). Since, as Hardy reminds us, our very lives unfold through time, it is not surprising that children respond with interest to the narration of stories, told and read, from an early age. Stories tell us about human behaviour, about how people respond to events and challenges. The drive of the narrative makes us want to hear or read more and this is why stories have had such an important role in learning to read and write. The shape of a story, sometimes called a ‘story grammar’, includes an introduction to the setting and characters, a middle section of events and challenges and finally a resolution. This basic pattern becomes familiar and helps children use the semantic or contextual cueing system.
Stories, whether read independently or in shared contexts, are above all a source of enjoyment. Angela Wilson refers to the pleasure that children gain from making sense of a text (Wilson, 2005). There is, however, a balance to maintain between enjoying a story and analysing it as required by the text-level work which is part of the National Literacy Strategy in the United Kingdom. Wray and Medwell suggest a structure for analysing narratives like the fairy tale Little Red Riding Hood showing some of the elements necessary to give the story cohesion (Wray and Medwell, 2007). We have to be careful about assuming that any particular narrative structure can be universally applied.
The use of flashbacks and alternative tellings of familiar stories make classification problematic. It is also true that there are a number of ways of analysing texts. We might wish to examine the emotional impact of how the characters in the story respond to events and dilemmas. Or, as Wyse and Jones (2007) suggest, we may consider the social aspects of a story.
When it comes to children’s writing they will certainly draw on the stories they have heard and read as well as on what they see on television and video-film and events in their own lives. But there is an issue about expecting young children to conform to mature forms in their writing.
Hardy, Barbara ‘Narrative as a primary act of mind’ in Meek, Margaret, Warlow, Aidan and Barton, Griselda (eds) (1977) The Cool Web: The Patterns of Children’s Reading London: The Bodley Head.
Wilson, Angela (2005, third edition) Language Knowledge for Primary Teachers London: David Fulton.
Wray, David and Medwell, Jane (2007) QTS English for Primary Teachers London: Letts.
Wyse, Dominic and Jones, Russell (2007, edition) Teaching English, Language and Literacy London: Routledge-Falmer.
