Features of Fictional Narrative: A Guide for Teachers

The National Curriculum for English 2014 mentions only a few fictional genres specifically. However, the newly revised teacher assessment framework for writing clearly states that children at both Key Stage 1 & 2 should be drawing on their reading. With an in-depth knowledge of the structures and features that are associated with the different narrative fiction genres we can make much more informed decisions about the aspects we want to focus on for comprehension and for writing. This document sets out the different features of the most common fiction genres that are written for children, identifying common plot structures, character types, key language features and themes. This will enable teachers to plan more focused reading and composition lessons for their pupils.