Developing students’ writing takes practice and hard work throughout the year, and it can be difficult to transition young students’ basic writing into detailed and descriptive sentences. Teaching early writing components such as expanding sentences, beginning paragraphs, identifying topic sentences, including details, and writing conclusions are all small skills that your students can master to enhance their writing.

Take a look at the following resources and lessons to help your students improve their writing.

Write a Super Sentence for Grades 1–3

Developing students’ writing from simple sentences to expanded sentences is an ongoing battle throughout the school year. Give your students practice expanding their sentences with Write a Super Sentence.

Write a Super Sentence for grades 1–3 gives students practice expanding simple sentences using descriptive words and the “five Ws” (who, what, when, where, and why). The Super Sentence Starter provides you with an organizer that leaves blanks where descriptive words can go in a simple sentence, and includes a chart so children can brainstorm and decide which descriptive words to insert into the basic sentence. Students choose words that answer the “five Ws” questions to enhance the sentence.

The super sentence template allows students to see how simple sentences can become more interesting by including more information.

Find individual lesson downloads from this resource for writing super sentences on Teachers Pay Teachers:

 

Paragraph Writing for Grades 2–4

Students begin paragraph writing around grade two, and they are often confused by several descriptive sentences strung together, as well as by a paragraph’s components and structure. Before asking students to write a paragraph, teach them how to identify the parts of a paragraph. Spend time reviewing:

• Topic sentences/main ideas
• Detail sentences
• How to write conclusions

Possible examples are:

A mother bird does many things.
Birds are good mothers.

4. Explain that the sentences could be used as the topic sentence of a paragraph containing the information about a list of details.
5. Have students select one of the topic sentences created earlier and write a paragraph containing information the list of details provided.Provide students more practice with for grades 2–4. The guided lessons will have students writing narrative, descriptive, how-to, and compare-and-contrast paragraphs in no time.

Provide students more practice with Paragraph Writing for grades 2–4. The guided lessons will have students writing narrative, descriptive, how-to, and compare-and-contrast paragraphs in no time.

Writing Fabulous Sentences and Paragraphs for Grades 4–6

Figurative language is an extremely useful part of creative writing, but similes and metaphors are often confusing for young students. Review the differences between similes and metaphors and show examples of them to students.

• A simile compares two things using “like” or “as.” For example: The waves were as big as dinosaurs.
• A metaphor compares two things by saying they are the same thing. For example: The waves were dinosaurs, pounding the shore.
  
  • Metaphors are more difficult to teach than similes. They often use fewer words and do not have the signals of “like” or “as.”

Students can practice writing their own similes with this simple exercise. Give your students a list of three items

• Spinach
• Thunder
• Pancakes

1. Have students list three things they could compare to each of these items.
2. Using their lists of comparisons, have students write three similes for each item.

Extend this activity with a writing component! Ask students to write a full paragraph using one of their similes or metaphors! Their paragraph should include a topic sentence, supporting details, a simile, and a concluding sentence.

For more exercises like this to improve students’ sentence and paragraph writing, check out Evan-Moor’s Writing Fabulous Sentences and Paragraphs activity book.

 

 

 

 

Writing Instructions for an Alien for all Ages

This activity is fun and challenging for all ages, and focuses on descriptive language and adding details to writing.

1. Have your class pretend they’re writing instructions for an alien who has never been to Earth.
2. Pick a goal for the alien
   
   • Making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich
   • Watering plants
   • Taking the dog on a walk
3. Make sure students know that they’re including every detail, because the alien doesn’t know what anything is!
   
   • Example: Pick up the cylinder container with a blue wrapper and a thick, light brown substance inside. This is called peanut butter. Pick up the silver, pointy tool next to the container. This is a knife. etc.
4. Have fun with this! This activity can be very fun and surprisingly difficult. It can be adapted for any age student.

Though it may be difficult to engage kids in narrative writing, there are so many ways to make it more fun and interesting for students and teachers. Activities like the ones listed above will make creative writing less challenging and more enjoyable. Encourage your students to write just as they would tell a story to their friends, with lots of details, jokes, and descriptors!

For more writing lessons and tips check out: How to Teach Figurative Language: Similes and Metaphors for Grades 3–6.

 

 

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Christine Wooler has experience working with children as a youth soccer coach and summer camp counselor. She is currently studying English Literature and journalism in college. She enjoys exploring educational topics that help students have fun while learning.