Choosing the right opinion essay topics matters more than most teachers expect. Opinion writing rarely falls apart because students lack opinions. Most upper elementary students have plenty to say. The…
Students have opinions about almost everything. They have favorite foods, favorite animals, favorite games, and strong ideas about how school should work. Opinion writing topics for kids help students turn everyday ideas…
Students love sharing what they think, and when teachers teach opinion writing, students have the opportunity to explain their ideas, defend their reasoning, and participate in meaningful discussions. Many teachers…
Opinion writing sentence starters (sometimes called opinion sentence stems or opinion sentence frames) give elementary students the language structure they need to clearly introduce their opinion, support it with reasons,…
These 100 opinion writing prompts for kids are ready to use — no prep needed. They cover four categories: school life, home and family, books and games, and big questions,…
Once students can state an opinion and give reasons, the next challenge is helping them bring their writing to a clear close with an effective conclusion statement. How can we…
How do you teach students to support opinions with reasons? Many students can tell you what they think, but they often struggle to explain why. This post focuses on teaching…
As students move through opinion writing, they eventually reach a point where stating an opinion and giving reasons is no longer the hard part. The next challenge is helping them…
How do you help elementary students solidify their knowledge of how to write an opinion piece? While you go through an opinion writing unit, there are a few classroom strategies…
These days, a ton of great literature lends itself to opinion writing. Opinion writing mentor texts include a fun story and pictures that draw the reader in and prompt them…
Children love sharing their opinions. They try to convince parents to buy a toy, choose a TV show, or serve dessert first. In second grade, students already know what they…
Community circle questions are one of the easiest ways to create small, intentional moments of sharing and listening in your classroom. Use them during class meetings, morning circle time, or…