This is one of my favorite experiences of my teaching career. Students go from having no idea what to write about, to knowing and really understanding something that happened to one of their family members. It is eye-opening watching them discover how their own life has been shaped by the event(s) they are writing about. Having the students take on the point of view of the family member who went through the experience really deepens their understanding of the story. Not only do they have to ask the “right” questions to be able to tell a story as if they were there, they have to research many details of the past about which they know have little to no background knowledge. I love the use of mentor narrative text, as it is a genre students don’t necessarily choose to read on their own, yet find very entertaining when they begin analyzing and trying to mimic the examples. But, the part that has been the most fulfilling are the comments I have received from parents and grandparents thanking me for the time this project has created for family members to be together and stories to be told and retold.

Tips and things to think about:

• Be sure to poll parents to find out if anyone won’t be able to attend the Family Matters Showcase. It is very important that every child have an audience on the day of the showcase and planning ahead will allow for stand-in audience members to be intentionally selected (this can involve teachers of students who don’t have family able to make it, administration, etc.).
• The research component in this project is critical. Students are writing a story from the point of view of a family member, so they really have to know a lot about the setting and the context of the story, in order to tell it as if they were there.