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What is a Small Moment

What is a Small Moment?

Your child has been learning how to write stories about the little events of their lives. We call these moments “small moments”. Instead of writing “all about my dog” a child will write the story about when they went to get their dog or a time when the dog was hurt. Instead of writing all about going to the zoo, a child will zoom in and tell the step-by-step story of seeing the seals during feeding time. This is called a “small moment”.

1. Choose a small moment. Zoom in. 

2. Start with a lead.

  • Dialogue (“Happy birthday,” my family yelled.)
  • Action (I ran down the stairs to see my birthday cake.)
  • Feeling (I woke up feeling very excited on my birthday.)
  • Sound Effect (Sheeeew!  I blew out my candles.)
  • Weather/Time (One birthday morning…)
  •   Question (Do you celebrate birthdays?)

3. Use at least three transition words.

  • First…  
  • Second…
  • Then…                 
  • Last…              
  • Finally…      
  • After that…        
  • A little later…
  • All of a sudden…         
  • Later…
  • Soon after that…

4.  Use dialogue (he said, shouted, whispered, cried, yelled, shrieked, muttered, mumbled, wailed, hollered).

5. End with a feeling.