Four Steps: Narrative with Dialogue
Five short lessons, then four stories where the help fades, until your writer tells a story with real dialogue from a blank page.
How it works
A Grade 4 add-on to Four Steps to an Essay, with the grown-up guide built in.
Same five cards
The cards from Four Steps to an Essay keep their shape. Only the job changes, so nothing new has to be explained.
Talk first, write second
Learners plan by circling and saying it out loud before any writing.
One card per sitting
Each card is one short paragraph on its own page, so no one faces a whole essay at once.
Lessons first
Short see it, spot it, try it lessons teach what each part of the writing does before the cards ask for it.
The help fades
Starters on every sentence, then on the first only, then none, then a final piece built from blank pages. Starters sit right on Zaner-Bloser lines.
Glue, never recopy
The cards are cut out and glued into a scroll. That is the finished piece.
What's inside
Using it
Go at your learner's pace, one step or one page at a time. Read the grown-up guide once and you're ready, no teaching background needed.
Run it as an intervention, a small group or independent practice. It prints clean on the school copier.
Questions
How is dialogue taught?
A short lesson first, then one line of dialogue on every card. In Story 1 the opening is printed, like I yelled, and the opening mark. In Story 2 only the opening mark is printed. From Story 3 on, they write the whole line.
Do we need Four Steps to an Essay first?
No. It helps, but every add-on works on its own. The grown-up guide and the You Already Know How page explain the five cards.
My child has dysgraphia. Will the writing be too much?
Each sentence is a printed starter plus a short ending, two lines at most. You may scribe any sentence, and nothing is ever recopied.
Can I use this at home and in a classroom?
Yes. One purchase covers one classroom or one family.
How do I get my files?
Right after checkout you'll see download buttons, and we email you a link too. Everything is saved in My Library to re-download anytime.
Will it print in black and white?
Yes. Every page is designed to print clean in black and white on a home printer or a school copier.
Can I use it with a whole class?
Yes. One purchase covers one classroom or one family. Buying for several teachers or a whole school? See school licenses.
What if I have a problem or a question?
Because these are instant digital downloads, all sales are final. If something isn't working the way you hoped, or you have any question at all, email hello@wiggle-wise.com and we'll help.
