Identifying Elements of Voice in First-Grade Science Writing

Common Core State Standards emphasize the importance of informational writing in primary grades. In such writing, importance is placed on the writing being scholarly and scientific. However, such writing can be rote and dry, with little voice. The purpose of this article was to propose a working definition of voice in science writing for first grades. To do this, we identified specific elements of voice within informational texts. A total of 18 quality informational texts were examined for examples of rich voice. Seven elements of voice surfaced: descriptive words, placement of text and picture, creative punctuation, conversational tone, comparisons, imagery, and repeated text. Using these elements, we identified 33 additional children's books to verify the existence of these elements of voice. Lists of these books are included in the article, as are implications for teachers, researchers, and publishers.