Dialogue in Stories

Overview

In lesson 7 of Exciting English Explorations, students learn how dialogue helps characters speak, act and reveal feelings in a story. Building on their created characters from earlier lessons, the student will plan, write and revise a short conversation using speech marks, new paragraphs and interesting speech verbs.

Learning intentions

Students will:

• understand that dialogue is the words characters say aloud
• use speech marks and new paragraphs to show who is speaking
• choose dialogue that reveals a character’s feelings, thoughts or actions
• plan, write and revise a short conversation between created characters

Success criteria

• I can write the exact words my character says inside speech marks.
• I can start a new line when a different character speaks.
• I can use a speech verb, such as asked, whispered or shouted.
• I can reread my dialogue and improve its punctuation and meaning.

Curriculum links

• Oral language and communication: using interpersonal conventions and language to extend ideas in learning interactions.
• Understanding and responding to literature: creating texts with similar narrative structures and intentional language choices.
• Vocabulary: using taught vocabulary to extend and elaborate ideas.
• Creating written texts: planning, creating and revising texts using sentence structure, punctuation and vocabulary.

Lesson structure (60 minutes)

1. 0–7 min · Reconnect and hook. Open with the dialogue hook and character image. Teacher reads two versions of a short scene—one with narration only and one with dialogue—and asks, “Which version helps us hear the characters? Why?” Students explain what dialogue adds and orally speak one line as each of their created characters.

2. 7–17 min · Direct teach: what dialogue looks like. Use the dialogue teaching slides to model: “I found it!” yelled Mia. Highlight the speech marks, capital letter, punctuation inside the speech marks, speech verb and new paragraph when another character speaks. Teacher models a second exchange, thinking aloud about how the words show a character’s feeling. Student identifies each feature and helps correct a deliberately punctuated example.

3. 17–25 min · Guided oral rehearsal. Display the conversation prompt on the oral rehearsal prompt: one character has found something surprising and wants to tell the other. Teacher takes the role of one character while the student responds as the other, then swap roles. Together, select precise feeling and speech words, such as excited, worried, wondered, replied and murmured. Student says the conversation aloud before writing it.

4. 25–42 min · Plan and draft. Distribute the character dialogue planning and writing booklet page. Teacher supports the student to choose two created characters, a setting, a small problem or discovery, and the purpose of their conversation. Student completes the plan, then writes 6–10 lines of dialogue, including narration where useful. Prompt: “What does your character want? How can the reader tell how they feel from their words?”

5. 42–52 min · Revise with a teacher conference. Revisit the dialogue revision checklist. Teacher and student read the draft aloud, checking that the conversation sounds natural and that each speaker is clear. Student uses a coloured pencil to check speech marks, punctuation, new paragraphs, speech verbs and vocabulary, then makes at least two improvements.

6. 52–60 min · Perform and reflect. Use the sharing and reflection slide. Student reads the conversation aloud, changing voice or expression for each character. Teacher asks, “What did your dialogue show about the characters?” Student gives one example and completes the final reflection on the worksheet by naming one successful feature and one next step.

Resources

• the complete dialogue teaching deck
• the character dialogue planning and writing booklet page
• Student’s previously created character work
• Exercise book or writing book
• Lead pencil, eraser and coloured pencil
• Teacher model text displayed or handwritten
• Optional audio recorder or tablet for rereading

Assessment

• During modelling and oral rehearsal, check whether the student can identify speech marks, punctuation, speech verbs and paragraph changes.
• Confer during drafting and record whether the student independently applies dialogue conventions and selects vocabulary that reveals character.
• Use the completed dialogue and reflection to assess planning, sentence construction, punctuation, revision and oral reading.

Differentiation

• Support with a dialogue frame: “_____ said, ‘_____?’” and a small word bank of speech verbs and feeling words. Allow the student to rehearse and dictate a sentence before writing it.
• Use colour coding when revising: one colour for speech marks, one for punctuation and one for each speaker’s new paragraph.
• For EAL/D support, act out the conversation, clarify vocabulary with gestures or drawings, and accept oral rehearsal before written production.
• Extend the student’s thinking by asking them to replace repeated said with precise speech verbs and add one action that shows feeling without naming it directly.