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Opinion writing is a fun and useful tool to get upper elementary students to write about things they enjoy or dislike. Opinion writing topics are a ton of fun to play around with because you get to hear the perspective of each student in the classroom. All students will have differing opinions, making each writing piece a little different. Coming up with opinion writing topics might be time-consuming, but it’s so worth it.
I’ll make your life easier by providing a few of my favorite opinion writing topics, prompts, and freebies! Keep reading to see how you can use them in your classroom.
An opinion is a statement that someone makes that is not based on fact. The thought is theirs alone, and not everyone shares the same mindset. Opinions are what basic conversations navigate around, so they are important for children to master and understand.
An opinion might be that cats make great pets. Not everyone will cats make great pets. The person making the statement might back up their claim by saying that cats are friendly and cuddly animals. They might support that detail by saying that cats snuggle up every night to sleep with you.
The truth of the matter is that this is only an opinion, not a fact. Some cats are not friendly, nor do they like to cuddle. That’s what makes it an opinion, it’s just the thought of one person.
Mentor texts that students are already reading are a great resource for modeling the proper writing techniques. Mentor texts break a student’s writing into chunks. They are able to follow the steps to create their final writing piece without the stress of completing it on day one. Check out these 3 Mentor Texts for Opinion Writing to get started!
Practice writing opinion writing topics weekly to work on writing skills, handwriting, and forming sentences. You can use Opinion Paragraphs – Digital Weekly Prompts to get started! These will allow students to focus on little pieces of opinion writing to build their writing stamina and work toward bigger goals.
Still not sure where to start and just want a list of fun prompts to use with your kids? Try these 50 Amazing Opinion Writing Prompt Ideas. They’re free, and kids will love the variety of questions to get their brains working. There are prompts about animals, careers, life choices, and so much more. These will most likely spark new ideas for you and get you through the whole year! Use them as morning warmups, writing block prompts, or simple homework assignments.
The classroom is the perfect place to start fun conversations. Before letting kids write their opinions, hold classroom discussions to talk about opinions on topics. Once they are more confident with sharing and supporting their opinions, bring out the paper and pencil. Use these 3 Ways to Use Opinion Writing Prompts in Upper Elementary to build their confidence and have fun with writing. Students will love the applicable questions and responses. They will also enjoy getting to know you and their peers through meaningful conversations before they start writing.
Seasoned teachers may have a routine and understanding of teaching opinion writing topics, but some newer teachers may need guidance. My best suggestion is to learn from your peers, don’t be afraid to ask questions, and check out Teaching Opinion Writing Topics to Kids for plenty of tips and tricks.
As you implement fun ways to teach opinion writing topics, you will quickly learn what works and what doesn’t with each set of students. The tactics you use each year may shift a little, but the core of teaching them will remain the same. Keep things relevant and relate to the child. They will show more interest and confidence when writing about topics they care about and have an opinion about.
Have fun writing, and be sure to check out these other posts. You’ll find a little of something for every time of the year. Thanks for being here!
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