Narrative Know-How

Trevor Bryan loves stories. He has been exploring them for decades. Through this exploration, Trevor has forged some unique insights that help students to read and write. These insights have led to collaborations with the Princeton University Art Museum, author and illustrator Jarrett Lerner, and best-selling author and illustrator Peter H. Reynolds and his education company FableVision Learning. Trevor has been an art teacher in New Jersey for over 25 years. His first book, The Art of Comprehension: Exploring Visual Texts to Foster Comprehension, Conversation and Confidence, was published in 2019 by Stenhouse Publishers. Trevor enthusiastically presents and shares his work with teachers and schools throughout the country whenever he gets the chance.

• AcknowledgmentsAbout the AuthorPART 1: Small Steps into StoryIntroductionFoundations of This ApproachChapter One: Teach Text Structure with Mood StructureTraditional Text Structure TeachingA Bottom-Up ApproachThe Solution: The Mood StructuresMood Structure: A Closer LookChapter Two: Determining Mood as a Critical Reading SkillHow Moods Show Up in StoriesThe Access Lenses in ActionChapter Three: Using Mood and Mood Structure to Bolster Comprehension During ReadingWhat Do We Want Students to Pay Attention To?Using the Three Key Questions to Set a Purpose for ReadingChapter Four: Using the Mood Structures for Summarizing and Identifying Themes After ReadingUsing Moods and Mood Structures to Lean Into SymbolismUsing the Terms Helpers and Harmers to Simplify SymbolismChapter Five: An Instructional Sequence that Connects Reading and WritingOur Instructional SequenceClearly Connecting the Reading and Writing ConnectionResearch on Integrating Reading and Writing InstructionPART 2: LessonsIntroductionLesson LayoutThe Reading LessonsThe Very First Lesson: Checking for the Understanding of Negative and Positive MoodsReading Lesson 1: Noticing Mood Structures When ReadingReading Lesson 2: Look for the HelpersReading Lesson 3: Noticing Moods When They Are Directly StatedReading Lesson 4: Using the Access Lenses to Infer Moods When Moods Are ShownReading Lesson 5: Introducing the Concept of HarmersReading Lesson 6: Three Key Questions That Readers Should Always Be AskingReading Lesson 7: Making PredictionsReading Lesson 8: Making Text-to-Text Connections Based on Mood or Mood StructureReading Lesson 9: Harmers Turned HelpersReading Lesson 10: Generating Themes Through Moods and the Reasons for Those MoodsReading Lesson 11: Helpers and Harmers as SymbolsReading Lesson 12: The Three Ingredients of StoryReading Lesson 13: Using the Three Ingredients of Story to SummarizeReading Lesson 14: Using the Three Ingredients of Story and the Mood Structures to SummarizeThe Writing LessonsWriting Lesson 1: Generating Workable Story IdeasWriting Lesson 2: A Reading and Writing Lesson to Help Students Generate Story IdeasWriting Lesson 3: Showing the Mood With the Access LensesWriting Lesson 4: Including Inner ThoughtsWriting Lesson 5: Using Dialogue to Help Present Moods, Reasons for the Moods, and EventsFour Versions of a StoryTeaching the Opening of “The Catch”: Version 1–4PART 3: Starter Texts and Full-Text DeconstructionsIntroductionStarter TextsFull-Text DeconstructionsFinding Your Own ResourcesTHE STARTER TEXTS“Playing Outside”“Reading Time”“Cooper” (Five-Panel Comic)“Cooper” (Six-Panel Comic)The Kissing HandMercy Watson to the Rescue“One Sad Simba”Henry’s Freedom BoxThank You, Mr. FalkerMr. Wayne’s MasterpieceStone AngelEach KindnessFrindle“The First Day”FULL-TEXT DECONSTRUCTIONSThe Rain Came DownThe DotIsh“Taco Head”The Great Penguin Rescue“A Howlin’ Success”Blank Deconstruction FormReferencesIndex

"Trevor Bryan’s Narrative Know-How is an essential resource for any elementary classroom, offering a straightforward, bottom-up approach that elevates both reading comprehension and an understanding of author’s craft. With a focus on Mood Structures, reading comprehension becomes visually accessible for students and teachers alike, creating a seamless connection between reading and writing. When students have a clear mental representation of text structure, they can easily engage with key components of any narrative piece, both fiction and nonfiction, in order to set a purpose for reading, make predictions, infer, summarize, and draw conclusions about themes and symbolism. The included scaffolded response and planning sheets ensure students are set up for success in both analyzing texts and crafting their own narratives. Backed by heavy research, this approach can be used with any literacy program, bringing joy to teaching and learning. I can’t wait to plan with teachers using this book!"