The concept of narrative in children’s writing

Abstract

It is assumed that young children, when requested to write in class will produce pieces of writing which contain imaginative stories, that this is a preferred and natural consequence of their perceived need for narrative. In this paper this assumption is questioned in the light of evidence. Firstly, the concept of narrative is examined, along with a variety of theoretical perspectives on the writing process itself. Secondly, an empirical investigation illustrates links between oral and written styles of language and differences between children’s orientation to fictional narratives. In view of these data, it is argued that teachers need to reassess their own definition of narrative and broad..