Writing is one of the most important skills for students to develop since it’s one they’ll use constantly throughout their academic career and beyond. Young learners will draw upon the lessons they learn from you today to effectively express all of their complex ideas and creativity in the future. From poetry and creative writing exercises to persuasive and opinion writing lessons, these six ready-to-go activities from Scholastic Teachables will help develop essential writing skills and inspire students’ imaginations so that they can become strong, confident writers.
The Thank-You Note (Expressing Gratitude)
There’s no better way to express gratitude than through a heartfelt thank-you letter. For students in grades PreK–1, this thank-you note writing activity provides the perfect opportunity for your early learners to hone their letter-writing skills and give thanks to essential workers—from sanitation and postal workers to nurses, doctors, and grocery store clerks—who do so much for us.
All About Me Robot: Fill-in Poster
For early learners in grades K–2, revisiting all-about-me writing activities is a wonderful way to see how your students have grown and changed since the beginning of the school year. With this robot fill-in poster, your students can update you on their favorite color, animal, book, and more. The posters can also be shared at the family dinner table to spark fun conversation! (This resource is free for a limited time.)
All the Things I'm Thankful For: Poetry Frame
No matter the season, it’s always important for kids to focus on gratitude and give thanks for all the wonderful things they have in their lives. This poetry frame will not only inspire students in grades 1–3 to reflect upon all that they are grateful for during this historic time, but will provide them a wonderful opportunity to stretch their imaginations—and the truth—with poetry!
Full Moon: Narrative Writing Lesson
For writers in grades 4 and above, narrative writing activities are a great way to build key storytelling skills and explore interesting topics and subjects—like the moon! This step-by-step writing lesson about full moons will help your young stargazers develop compelling characters, organize events within a plot, use sensory words, and write an opening sentence that hooks readers.
Lost and Found: Story-Writing Sandwich Prompt
For students in grades 3–5, this reproducible lost and found writing prompt about a stray kitten is perfect for independent writing work at home or in the classroom. With a prewritten middle of the story—plus planning pages and handy teaching tips—this writing prompt will help you teach young writers about plot, setting, character development, and more by encouraging them to write a catchy beginning and fitting end to the story.
Time Capsule: Grade 6 Argument Writing Lesson
Designed for upper elementary and middle school students, this time capsule writing lesson will help your students craft compelling arguments as they justify the items they choose to include in their time capsule. Plus, kids will love having the opportunity to share a glimpse of what their life is like during this unusual time with future generations!
These writing prompts and activities from Scholastic Teachables are not only a great way to help your students grow as writers, but they’ll also fuel imagination and creativity!
All of the resources in the article are free to Scholastic Teachables subscribers. Not a subscriber? Visit Scholastic Teachables to learn how to get these resources and more ready-to-go lessons and activities for your students to work on inside and outside your classroom.
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