Ch. 7: Story Planning Considerations

The plethora of tips and techniques Ohler presented in chapter 7 to prepare students in story planning were very useful to incorporate in my current teaching practices. The author claimed that "part of the art of writing a good story is limiting what is included so that a focused, coherent narrative emerges..." (pg. 98). His point resonated with me because I usually pay attention to what parts students are leaving out of their writing instead of what is really needed. As I mentioned in my previous entry, my students constantly practice how to make their sentences longer by adding more details. Also, in their weekly response to literature prompts or reading logs, I often remind students if they've added enough details to support their answers. Looking at writing from Ohler's perspective, it's important to brainstorm all the possible ideas but not necessary include all the details within the story. This concept has changed my view on what important details to consider while engaging in any type of writing.

The research box diagram that the author provided to support students with their story ideas is very useful since my students are currently writing research reports at school. I can immediately integrate this tool within my classroom practice by having students write down the important ideas for their writing that might work for the report, or ideas that are related but not crucial to the report. Ultimately, regardless of how stories are created, Ohler's multiple strategies to consider while story planning provide a map that will guide students to reach the end result--a successful story.