Free resources · Printable · 7+ and 8+
Story Structure
Structure is how a story is put together, and it's fundamental to success in a student's composition task. This is the pack I use with my students.
Download the pack (PDF)
12 pages; free to print and share
A look inside
What's inside
- What structure is, shown twice over
- This pack contains several examples of stories, including those effectively structured and those that aren't. Both are broken down so a student can begin to learn what effective structure looks like.
- The story mountain
- The familiar climb-and-descend diagram annotated at each stage: where the story is set up, where it builds, the peak where the problem arrives, and the descent through resolving it to an ending somewhere different from the start.
- The three-paragraph structure
- A guide a student can learn and bring out in an exam setting. The beginning answers who, what, where, when and how; the problem paragraph slows down using multi-sensory description; the resolution fixes things and has room for the character's thoughts and feelings. Each is demonstrated in a worked extract, colour-coded.
- An annotated example story
- A complete story, “The Statuette”, with margin notes calling out the similes, metaphor, alliteration, fronted adverbials, purposeful repetition and varied sentence lengths as they occur so a child sees these devices at work.
- Exercises, with model answers
- A matching exercise pairing beginnings, middles and ends; three story openings to plan a problem and resolution for, with example solutions; and lined space for writing a full story.
- The mark scheme I use
- This outlines the headings under which I allocate marks.
Who it's for
Although this pack was written primarily for 7+ and 8+ students, it provides a great foundation for older students who might need to take a step back and evaluate story structure. For students at 9+ and above, I'd encourage a five-paragraph structure, but the three-paragraph structure should still give them a solid starting point.
Please print it and work through it in order, ensuring to take time to read through the notes pages and not skip to the exercises. Then, take the time required to write your full story. You can refer to the three-paragraph structure guide whilst writing. If you have time, I'd mark the story with your child present so they can get instant feedback on what went well and what needs improvement.