Young Writers–Adding Details

Pat Watson, kindergarten teacher extraordinaire, recently taught her 25 five-year-olds about adding details using The Three Billy Goats Gruff, a class favorite. It is a big book by Judith Smith and Brenda Parkes that they have recited together numerous times. After turning to the page where the imposing troll could be fully seen, Pat asked them to look carefully and be ready to share what they noticed about him. The details came pouring fourth. He was huge. He had sharp claws. He had a scary face, long stringy hair, and really big feet. Pat said the illustrator added lots of details so the book would be more interesting. She added that if they wanted their stories to be more interesting, they would add interesting details to their illustrations, too.

As she conferred with students, they eagerly pointed out details they had added to make their stories more interesting. It was a great way to introduce them to adding details, especially since our youngest writers typically prewrite through their illustrations. It's a lesson that would work with any book that has become a class favorite, and one you might want to try if adding details would elevate the level of writing in your classroom.