4th grade narrative essay example

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15 Inspiring Personal Narrative Examples for Writers

Reveal a part of yourself in your essay.

Students start writing personal narratives at a young age, learning to use descriptive language to tell a story about their own experiences. Try sharing these personal narrative examples for elementary, middle, and high school to help them understand this essay form.

What is a personal narrative?

Think of a narrative essay like telling a story. Use descriptive language, and be sure you have a beginning, middle, and end. The essay should recount your personal experiences, including your thoughts, feelings, and actions.

Learn more about personal narrative essays here:

• What Is Narrative Writing, and How Do I Teach It in the Classroom?
• Engaging Personal Narrative Ideas for Kids and Teens
• Best Mentor Texts for Narrative Writing in Elementary School

Elementary School Personal Narrative Examples

In elementary school, personal narratives might be quite short, just a paragraph or two. The key is to encourage kids to embrace a personal style of writing, one that speaks in their own voice. Take a look at these elementary school personal narrative essay examples for inspiration.

The Horrible Day

“next i fell asleep in my cereal and my brother stole my toast”—anonymous student.

In this short personal narrative written by a 2nd grader, the author describes a bad day with lots of details and an informal tone. It’s a great model for your youngest writers.

Read the full essay: The Horrible Day at Thoughtful Learning

Keep an Eye on the Sky!

“as we made our way out to the field, my stomach slowly turned into a giant knot of fear.” —anonymous student.

Any student who dreads gym class will connect with this essay, which turns a challenge into a triumph. This narrative from Time for Kids is annotated, with highlighted details and tips to help kids write their own essay.

Read the full essay: Keep an Eye on the Sky! at Time for Kids

Grandpa, Chaz, and Me

“i really miss grandpa, and so does my brother, even though he never met him.” —cody, 4th grade student.

Written by a 4th grader, this essay relates the author’s loss of a grandfather at a very young age. Using simple, personal language, they tell a compelling story in a few short paragraphs.

Read the full essay: Grandpa, Chaz, and Me at Thoughtful Learning

Surviving an Embarrassing Situation

“i had made the shot in the wrong basket, giving the green shirts the win” —anonymous student.

Personal narratives tell a story, with a beginning, middle, and end. This annotated essay outlines those parts, making it easier for young writers to do the same in their own writing.

Read the full essay: Surviving an Embarrassing Situation at Sopris West Educational Services

“Do you have a friend who loves you?” —Kendra, 4th grade student

Writing about friends gives writers the chance to describe someone’s physical characteristics and personality. This 4th grade essay uses personal details to bring a beloved friend to life.

Read the full essay: Ann at Thoughtful Learning

Middle School Personal Narrative Examples

By middle school, personal narratives are longer and more involved, telling more detailed stories and experiences. These middle school personal narrative essay examples model strong writing skills for this age group.

“As thoughts of certain death run through my mind, the world appears a precious, treasured place.” —Amy, student

Describing an opportunity to overcome your worst fears makes an excellent personal narrative topic. The vivid descriptions of the landscape and the author’s feelings help the reader make a strong connection to the author.

Read the full essay: The Climb at Thoughtful Learning

The Best Friend Question

“i’ve often wondered, does not having a best friend make me defective” —blanche li, age 13, diablo vista middle school, danville, california.

When her Spanish teacher asked students for an essay describing their best friend, 13-year-old Blanche Li fell back on her standard story: that of a made-up person. Here, she explains why she made up “Haley” and wonders what having an imaginary best friend says about her.

Read the full essay: The Best Friend Question at The New York Times

The Racist Warehouse

“i didn’t know racism was still around; i thought that situation had died along with dr. king.” —alicia, 8th grade student.

Strong personal narratives often relate the way the author learned an important life lesson. Here, an 8th grader describes her first experience with racism, in an essay that will sadly ring true with many readers.

Read the full essay: The Racist Warehouse at Thoughtful Teaching

“For the first time, we realized that we didn’t know how to express our voice, and we always suppressed it.” —Jocelyn C., 7th grade student, Texas

Seventh-grader Jocelyn C. describes the unique experience of spending two years living in an RV with her family, traveling the country. She relates the ups and downs of their trip, illustrating the way her family learned to live together in close quarters and embrace the adventure.

Read the full essay: RV Journey at Write From the Heart

An Eight Pound Rival

“i’m trying to accept that he didn’t mean to dominate the center stage all the time, that’s just one of the many lovable assets of his personality.”.

A new sibling can change everything in a family, especially when you’ve always been the baby. This middle schooler explains her challenging relationship with a little brother that she loves, even when he drives her a bit crazy. (Find this essay on page 42 at the link.)

Read the full essay: An Eight Pound Rival at Teaching That Makes Sense

High School Personal Narrative Examples

High school students have more complex stories to tell, though they’re sometimes reluctant to do so. Reading personal narrative essay examples like these can encourage them to open up and get their thoughts, feelings, and ideas down on the page.

Sorry, Wrong Number

“when i received the first text, i was a playful sixth grader, always finding sly ways to be subversive in school and with friends.” —michelle ahn, high school student.

When Michelle Ahn was 11, she started getting texts for a wrong number, a man named Jared. Rather than correcting the error, she spends the next few years occasionally engaging with his texters as “Jared,” learning more about him. Though she finally comes clean, her time as “Jared” exposes her to a way of life very different from her own, and opens her eyes to the inner lives of others.

Read the full essay: Sorry, Wrong Number at The New York Times

Caught in the Net

“little does everyone else know how often i’m not doing school research or paper writing; instead i’m aimlessly writing emails or chatting with internet friends and family hundreds of miles away.” —kim, college student.

Even before social media and smartphones swept the world, internet addiction had become a problem. Here, a student shares her experiences in AOL chat rooms, meeting people from around the globe. Eventually, she realizes she’s sacrificing life in the real world for her digital friends and experiences, and works to find the right balance.

Read the full essay: Caught in the Net at Thoughtful Learning

Nothing Extraordinary

“an uneasy feeling started to settle in my chest. i tried to push it out, but once it took root it refused to be yanked up and tossed away.” —jeniffer kim, high school student.

During an ordinary shopping trip, high schooler Jenniffer Kim suddenly realizes she’s ashamed of her mother. At the same time, she recognizes all the sacrifices her mom has made for her, and gladly takes the chance to make a tiny sacrifice of her own.

Read the full essay: Nothing Extraordinary at The New York Times

The Pot Calling the Kettle Black

“at this point in life, i had not yet learned to be gentle with myself, or others.” —anonymous student.

A teen who lives with bipolar disorder recounts a difficult conversation with her parents, in which her mother dismisses her as “crazy.” A few years later, this same teen finds herself in the emergency room, where her mother has just tried to die by suicide. “Crazy!” the daughter thinks. After her mother also receives a bipolar disorder diagnosis, the author concludes, “‘Crazy’ is a term devised to dismiss people.”

Read the full essay: The Pot Calling the Kettle Black at Pressbooks

What a Black Woman Wishes Her Adoptive White Parents Knew

“i know that i am different, but do not have the words to understand how.” —mariama lockington.

Though not written by a high schooler, this essay by Mariama Lockington makes an excellent mentor text for this age group. Lockington dives deep into her feelings about being adopted by parents of a different race, and shares her challenges in poignant language that speaks directly to the reader.

Read the full essay: What a Black Woman Wishes Her Adoptive White Parents Knew at Buzzfeed News

Do you use personal narrative examples as mentor texts in your classroom? Come share your experiences and ask for advice in the We Are Teachers HELPLINE group on Facebook !

Plus, strong persuasive writing examples (essays, speeches, ads, and more) ..

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65 Engaging Personal Narrative Ideas for Kids and Teens

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Narrative Writing | Student Writing Samples

Personal Experience Narrative Sample- Grade 4- Snowed

Read Time 3 mins | Dec 8, 2021 3:30:06 PM | Written by: Toolbox

Personal Experience Narrative Grade 4 Sample Snowed

Summarizing Framework

This is a story about Danny and me. The experience was playing in the snow . The experience concluded when the boys were so cold they went inside .  

What worked:

• Organization: There is a sense of story with a beginning, middle, and end.
• Entertaining Beginning:   There is a good action beginning statement.

Feedback with Prescriptive Feedback:

CHOOSE a Focus Skill: One skill that will make the biggest impact

For this student, genre and organization needs to be the focus.

Genre and Author’s Purpose:   This story was difficult to summarize because it is a classic list of actions rather than a fully elaborated main event.  What is the main event from the list of actions in the middle of your story?  The story does not begin as close to the main event as possible because the main event is unclear.

• Section 1 Lesson 1: Introducing Graphic Organizers - Summarizing Framework
• Section 1 Lesson 8: Annotating Narrative Stories - the organizational structure and features of narrative 
• Section 1 Lesson 10: Givens and Variables - practice planning focused narrative stories

Elaborative Detail: This student needs modeled lessons in description of setting and feelings.  Elaborative detail is a critical foundational skill that builds the essential parts of the narrative story. 

• Section 3 Lesson 3: General or Specific?  The awareness level for elaborative detail.
• Section 3 Lesson 5: Creating Elaborative Segments (modeling is crucial)

Entertaining Beginnings:  

• Section 2 Lesson 1: Starting Off on the Right Foot
• Section 2 Lesson 2: Analyze the Beginning
• Section 2 Lesson 3: Revising Story Beginnings

Main Event:  What is the main event?  Student needs to establish a single, significant event.  Is it the snowball fight?  Is it going sledding?  Is it building an igloo?  Once that is established then add a balanced mix of action, description, thoughts/feeling, dialogue, and sound.

• Section 5 Lesson 1: Comparing Summaries and Fully Elaborated Main Events
• Section 5 Lesson 2: Main Event: apply the productive questioning techniques

Recommended Resources

• Empowering Writer's Methodology
• Narrative Writing Guide for Grade 4  

57 Narrative Writing Prompts For 4th Grade

Journaling is an important part of self-exploration and deep thinking. Giving students a list of prompts to choose from allows them to choose which parts of themselves to explore, and helps keep their writing headed in a certain direction.

Below, you’ll find a list of narrative writing prompts to inspire your students to reflect on their thoughts and feelings.

Using These Prompts

Writing prompts are great because they give struggling writers a sense of direction, but they also help more skilled writers explore thoughts and feelings that they might not have thought of before.

Here are a few ways you can use these prompts in your classroom:

• Challenge students to pick one or two prompts a day for an entire week.
• Create a spinner using a cut-out circle and a paper clip, and have students spin to see which prompt they’re going to use.
• Keep these prompts nearby for students to use when they have spare quiet time in class.
• If you sense a student struggling emotionally, recommend using one of these prompts to help them reflect on these feelings.

The Writing Prompts

• Describe your ideal field trip.
• Write about a special memory that you will never forget.
• Describe your style. Do your parents choose how you dress or do you choose your own clothes?
• You wake up this morning with wings. Describe what happens next.
• What kinds of books do you prefer to read? List some examples.
• Write about a conflict you had with a friend. How did you resolve the situation?
• Rewrite your favorite children’s story, but make the main character a superhero.
• Describe the most frightening dream you’ve ever had.
• How do you entertain yourself when you don’t have access to screens and devices?
• Write about your favorite family tradition.
• There’s a classroom in your school that is always locked with its lights off. One day, you walk by and the door is ajar. What happens next?
• Write about a role model you have, and describe how they’ve affected your life.
• Describe the ideal snow day.
• Have you ever lost something important? What happened next?
• What is the most important lesson you’ve learned this year?
• Think of a time when you were very irritated. Explain why, and then explain how you resolved it.
• What is the best part of the school day? Why?
• What would you do if you were the principal for the day?
• Write a story about someone who wakes up and realizes they’re microscopic.
• Why is it important that people help others?
• Describe something you’ve learned recently. Was it easy or difficult to learn?
• Write a story from the point of view of someone meeting you for the first time.
• Are you good at keeping secrets? Explain.
• Describe a time when you stood up for yourself.
• Describe a time when you stood up for someone else.
• What is your favorite thing about your best friend?
• Explain your favorite board or card game to someone who has never played it before.
• Write your plans for the perfect weekend.
• A harmless but wild animal wanders into your classroom. How does your class react? What happens next?
• You wake up and realize that you can speak to your pet. What do you talk about?
• Describe a time when you participated in a contest.
• Write about the perfect summer day.
• Tell a story about two people who switch jobs for a day.
• Write about something that makes you laugh.
• Why is patience important? Do you consider yourself a patient person?
• Do you think boys and girls are actually different from each other? Explain.
• Do you enjoy writing? What is your favorite thing to write about?
• Write the story of how you met your best friend.
• Describe what you hope your life is like 10 years from now.
• Describe what you hope your life is like 20 years from now.
• Are you an introvert or an extrovert? Explain.
• The plant on your teacher’s desk suddenly sprouts a strange fruit. What is it? What happens next?
• Do you have a funny or interesting story about losing a tooth? Write about it.
• Write about a time when you shared a special meal with your family.
• What would you do if you woke up tomorrow in your favorite video game?
• If you were to describe your best friend as a color, what color would they be? Why?
• What is your favorite food? Why do you like it?
• What is something that you worry about at night?
• Make a list of ten things you love about yourself.
• Write a story from the point of view of your shoes.
• Write about a time when you gave in to peer pressure.
• Describe the last time you got hurt. What happened?
• Tell a story about a time when you got caught doing something you weren’t supposed to.
• Which person in your family are you most similar to? How are you alike? How are you different?
• Describe a time when you felt embarrassed.
• Invent a new sandwich. Write about how to make it, and try to convince others to try it.

Looking For More?

Whether you’re looking for writing prompts or classroom resources, our site is your one-stop destination for making your classroom run more smoothly.

We are home to writing resources, premade forms, and much more! If you’re looking for something specific and can’t find it here, let us know.

We’re here to help your classroom run more smoothly so you can spend more time shaping the minds of the future.

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Narrative Writing Worksheets for Grade 4 Students

Narrative writing worksheets

In our grade 4 grammar and writing section, we have created a new section covering narrative writing to help students develop creative and effective story writing.

Writing hooks

In these worksheets, students practice writing the one or more sentences at the beginning of a story that captures the reader’s attention.

Plot structure

In these worksheets, students outline a story plot using the five stages of a story.

Practice creating settings

These worksheets encourage students to think through the settings of their story .

Character traits worksheets

Next, we have worksheets for students to think through the characters’ personalities .

Prompts to show and don’t tell

These “show, don’t tell” worksheets has students involve the reader through actions.

Practice describing sensory details

Students practice what the characters see, hear, smell, taste and feel in these worksheets.

Descriptive writing prompts

Student practice writing detailed and vivid description of the scene of their story using these worksheets.

Small moments writing practice

Following from the previous descriptive writing worksheets, these ones ask student to practice writing descriptively about the small moments in their lives.

Practice point of view

These worksheets has students focus on writing in the first, second and third person .

Personal narrative writing

These worksheets are graphic organizers for students to use in writing a personal narrative .

Narrative writing practice

These graphic organizers help students to plan their characters, setting and plot .

Narrative writing prompts

The last section covers writing prompts for popular topics for students to practice writing a story.

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