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Story Starter: Stop Sign
If you're looking for simple writing prompts for young children then stop right there, because we have what you need. Including a picture of a stop sign and four sets of handwriting lines, this exercise asks young writers to...
Curated OER
Monster Party Story Starter
Young writers can contemplate a cartoon zombie's brain while they write a creative story. The theme is Halloween and the issue is that the writer invited real monsters to his or her party. Big mistake! Or was it?
PBS
Benjamin Franklin: Writer, Inventor, and Founding Father
Imagine being a writer, inventor, businessman, and the founding father of an entire nation! Pupils analyze the life and activities of Benjamin Franklin. Primary documents, videos, and paintings open up the world of Franklin to young...
K12 Reader
Winter Attack
A pack of hungry wolves surround a panicked buffalo – who will come out alive? Have your young writers narrate this nature scene, taking the point of view of either a wolf or the buffalo. Perfect for a narrative writing unit or for...
Curated OER
How Do Authors Use Imagery to Shape Their Writing?
Esther Forbes' award-winning Revolutionary War novel, Johnny Tremain and excerpts from Julie Otsuka's When the Emperor Was Divine are used to model how imagery brings alive the setting of a story. The young writers then craft their...
Curated OER
Using Figurative Language
Adding details and figurative language makes any story more fun to read! After reading two versions of the same story, one devoid of figurative language and one embellished, young writers are asked to add alliteration, hyperbole,...
K12 Reader
The Magic Egg
A butterfly? A dragon? A golden fairy? Young writers create a tale about a magic egg, its contents, and what happens next. No yoke.
K12 Reader
A Special Summer Day
Young writers craft the story of a special summer day, detailing the event and why the day was so memorable.
EngageNY
Publishing Historical Fiction Narratives
Class members discover what it means to publish their works. Working on a computer, young writers use an online dictionary to edit their spellings and conventions based on the information added to the rubric. From here, and most of the...
Fisher Reyna Education
Personal Narrative Writing Prompts
Looking for stimulating writing prompts that won't make young writers cringe? A set of five personal narrative writing prompts engages pupils in analyzing, thinking, connecting, and writing about particular topics. Each...
Freeology
Upper and Lowercase Rr
Give young writers a boost in tracing and writing upper and lowercase letters with a worksheet featuring the letter R.
The New York Times
650 Prompts for Narrative and Personal Writing
An extensive list of narrative prompts is just what you need to inspire young writers to tell their stories. Arranged by topic, the questions are sure give them something to talk about.
K12 Reader
Writing with Interjections
Challenge young writers to craft original sentences using interjections from a list provided on a colorful worksheet.
Poetry4kids
How to Write a “Favorite Things” List Poem
If your students made a list of their favorite things, would writing poetry be on it? After this poetry writing lesson, it might! Young writers make a list of what they like—or what they don't like—before crafting the list into...
Poetry4kids
Writing Riddles
What's got 60 eyes, 150 fingers, and an endless number of ideas? Your language arts class! Challenge young writers to come up with clever riddles with an online poetry lesson.
EngageNY
End of Unit 2 Assessment, Part 1: Drafting the Essay
Young writers use the class time to complete a draft argumentative essay. In answer to the Pygmalion end-of-unit prompt they discuss the change seen in Eliza's inner identity.
K20 LEARN
Introduction to Expository Writing
Move beyond the five-paragraph essay with a lesson introducing young writers to various forms of expository writing. Class members examine description, cause and effect, problem solution, sequence, and comparison forms. They create an...
Curated OER
Adventures in Creating Hypertext Stories
Use hypertext to make a multimedia choose-your-own adventure story! Young writers incorporate knowledge of story writing elements to write their own stories, and rewrite the adventure with various scenarios and endings. Use technology to...
Curated OER
Math News
Young writers design and publish a newsletter with articles that demonstrate knowledge of mathematical concepts. They explain mathematical procedures and basic operations in a news article format. Next, they compile several articles to...
Teachers.net
Figurative Language
When is a staple remover a fanged monster? In your ELA classroom when you're teaching this fun figurative language lesson, of course! Get your young writers using figurative language by making a game of it. Give groups a paper bag full...
Curated OER
Kid-Code: Developmentally Appropriate Spelling
Carefully balanced, developmentally appropriate spelling lessons and expectations can keep young writers focused!
Poetry Society
Simile and Metaphor
Young poets use word cards to prompt a metaphor poem comparing to very dissimilar items.
Curated OER
Reading: The Beginnings of a Writer
In this reading: beginnings of a writer worksheet, students read a short biography of J.K. Rawlings and answer true and false comprehension questions. Students answer ten questions.
Curated OER
Narrowing a Topic & The Importance of Audience
Help your young writers through the sometimes difficult process of beginning to write. Direct them through how to choose a topic and write to a specific audience. Great refining statements guide them to writing focused, clear essays.