Using Microsoft Word to illustrate elements of a good Narrative

You don't need a different fancy software to enhance children's understanding by using some simple visual high lighting tool in MS Word.  For example in a lesson on narrative writing, I can color code the different elements using different high light colors as follows.

Example of Sensory details, Action, Internal thoughts and feelings, and Dialogue

Then I can high light the actual examples in the narrative writing using this color code scheme.

See the color coded elements in the excerpt below.   This technology integration trick was illustrated by Professor Kelser using MSWord, his laptop and the Smartboard during one of his classes.

--------------------Excerpt of " The Screaming Mean Machine" by Joy Cowley -----------------------------

                                                          ...

“Sit with me in the front seat,” my brother Ricky says.

We’re in the car and a bar comes down. The bar is sticky with cotton candy. And I think I’m too young, after all. Next summer would be dandy. I think I’ve changed my mind and now I wonder how I get out of here.

I say to Rick, “What happens if the wheels come off the track?”

He says, “They can’t.”

“But suppose they did?”

“They’d just put them back,” he says.

Then he looks at me real close and says, “Hey, don’t you freak on me!”

“Who’s going to freak?” I want to know.

“You’re scared!” he says. “I can see!”

“You can’t see anything!” I laugh. “Ricky, you’re out of your tree!”

The car jerks. There is a long rattling sound like chains in a dungeon. We are being pulled up high off the ground, high up the Screaming Mean Machine, so high up a mountain of track that all I can see is sky. Then I lean over and look back a long way down at Mom and Dad who are like little dots of confetti on the ground. The car stops at the top and my stomach flips. But I’m not going to freak. I’m not! Then the car begins to move. Oh-oh!

So fast I can’t breath. Race, race, straight down. Wind in hair. Wind in face. My brother yelling, “Yay-eeee!” I hold onto the bar. Faster, faster. Can’t feel. Can’t see. Blur of speed.

--------------------------------- End of Excerpt---------------------------------