Tone – The tone is the mood of the story.Does it switch back and forth? In the novel, Frankenstein, the POV switches between three different characters in the story. Point of View – The POV is who is telling the story.These concepts can be addressed at any age, however, most children cannot understand these elements until at least 5th grade. Once students have grasped the concepts of the previously mentioned elements of a story, they can move on to the more advanced components. The theme is the overall message of the story. Theme – This is probably the most complicated element of a story and is hard for most students to identify.Setting up the conflict gives characters their why. Even children’s books have a problem that needs to be solved by the characters. Conflict – The conflict is the problem in the story.In most stories, there is a problem in the beginning and it ends with a resolution. The plot consists of an introduction, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution.

Plot – The plot refers to the events that happen in a story.They are the ones who drive the story forward and are the who of the plot. Characters – Depending on the type of story you are reading, the characters are typically people or animals.It is basically the where and when of the story. Setting – The setting refers to not only the physical location of where the story takes place but also the time period.The first group comprises the basic components of a story and is generally taught to elementary and middle school students, while the second group consists of more complex elements taught to more advanced students.Įven though I work with high school students, they haven’t been taught the first key elements of a story and need a basic introduction in order to complete essays and writing assignments. So, what are the components of a story? I work very closely with English teachers at my job, and we find the most success when we break up the components into two different groups. Developing the structure of stories is important for children to learn and comprehend what they are reading in the classroom setting.īefore children can utilize the key elements of a story, they need to be able to identify the sections confidently.

Story elements