Help students enjoy writing with clear lessons and activities that simplify the writing process. As a writing tutor for university students, I see a lot of common mistakes that originate in early writing instruction. Grades 4–6 is an important time for students’ writing development, specifically in developing their own writing voices.
Correcting common mistakes in early writing instruction will benefit children as their writing progresses. Learning how to break down the writing process into simple steps will prevent students from getting overwhelmed by longer writing assignments as they get older .
Here are some things to focus on for writing in grades 4–6:
Organization
Organization is one of the most important pieces in writing longer paragraphs or essays. Well thought out planning and organization can make an essay really stand out.
- Preplan writing structure with graphic organizers – Graphic organizers help children plan out the structure and purpose of their writing so it has a consistent introduction, supportive statements, and conclusion. It also helps them stay on track during the writing process. Check out these free note-taking outlines and graphic organizers from Writing Fabulous Sentences and Paragraphs below:
Plan out paragraphs individually – Students should plan out paragraphs, whether they are separate from their overall outline or within it. Writing out topic sentences, claims, and supporting details will help them combine their paragraphs when they’re actually writing. This outline from Writing Fabulous Sentences and Paragraphs is a great example of how to help children organize information before starting the writing process.
- Write your body paragraphs first – While it may seem counterintuitive to start in the middle, the body paragraphs of an essay are the most important parts! The intro and the conclusion should reflect your whole essay and are often easier once an essay is written.
- Practice different types of writing – Narrative, informational, and persuasive writing are the three main types of nonfiction writing that students will learn in elementary school. Each style requires different types of organization; check out the graphic organizers for each kind below:
- Narrative Writing asks children to write a true story about a real event that happened to them.
- Informational Writing is written to inform the reader about a specific person or topic.
- Persuasive Writing is written to persuade others to agree with the writer and take action.
Grammar and Punctuation
Simple grammar mistakes, especially homophones and similarly spelled words, can be the deciding factor between a good essay and a great essay. Teaching these grammatical concepts early on will save students from making these mistakes in their writing.
- Then vs than – Then is used for time or sequencing, and than is used for comparison.
- I put on sunscreen, then jumped in the pool.
- I like mint chip better than vanilla ice cream.
- You’re vs your – You’re is a contraction of you are, while your is used to show possession.
- You’re the fastest runner in the class.
- You dropped your lunchbox.
- Their, there, they’re – Their is used for possession, there is used to show location, and they’re is a contraction of they are.
- The blue backpack is their backpack.
- That backpack over there is blue.
- They’re excited about their backpack.
- Two, to, and too – Two is the number or amount, to is a preposition, and too is used to say in addition or also.
- I have two brothers.
- I am going to the store.
- Do you want to come to the store, too?
- Affect vs effect – An easy way to remember this is: Affect is the action, and effect is the end result.
- The weather will affect our plans tomorrow.
- The weather had an effect on our plans.
- I vs me – I is used as the subject of the sentence, and me is used as the object or recipient in the sentence.
- I went to the store earlier.
- John got me ice cream at the store.
- It’s vs its – It’s is a contraction of it is, and its shows possession.
- It’s the first day of school tomorrow.
- The cat hurt its paw.
- Semicolon vs colon – Semicolons are used to join independent clauses. Colons are used to show something like a list or quotation is following.
- I need to go to the store today; I also need to go to the dentist.
- I need to get three things from the store: milk, ice cream, and bread.
- Properly using commas – Commas are used in a variety of ways in writing. They are used between items in a list, to separate dependent phrases and clauses that aren’t necessary to the sentence, or to join independent clauses. Here are a few examples:
- I need milk, ice cream, and bread from the store. (list)
- I have a friend name Robert, who goes to a different school. (dependent clause)
- I went to the store, but they were closed today. (conjoining comma)
- Eliminating run-on sentences – Being able to identify and correct run-on sentences will make students’ writing more concise. A few ways to break up run-on sentences are with semi-colons, commas with conjunction words, and periods.
- It’s the first day of school tomorrow; I need a new backpack.
- It’s the first day of school tomorrow, I need a new backpack.
- It’s the first day of school tomorrow, and I need a new backpack.
- It’s the first day of school tomorrow. I need a new backpack.
Other Tips and Recommendations
- First drafts are just a draft – Students often stress about their first drafts not being good enough, without realizing that a first draft is just that—a draft! It’s much easier to revise and edit a draft than to start from scratch, so embrace first drafts! Whether the draft is fully written, half prose/half outline, or just a detailed prewrite, it’s better than nothing!
- Substitute for more academic words – In first drafts, don’t stress about word choice and diction. As students revise and edit, encourage them to substitute for words like “really” or “very” and find synonyms that sound more academic or are more concise or descriptive. Provide students with a child-friendly thesaurus and challenge them to replace three words in their essay!
- Let students write about their interests – You can’t fake enthusiasm in writing! When students write about things they care about, it shows in their writing and makes essays or longer writing assignments more interesting for everyone.
- Write Often! – This can’t be stressed enough! The best way to encourage strong writing is to write often and in a variety of ways. From journaling to essay writing to poetry to freewriting—any type of writing will encourage students and improve skills. Check out these seasonal daily writing prompts!
20 October and Halloween-Themed Writing Prompts
Teaching the writing process is a long marathon throughout elementary school, beginning with simple sentences in first grade and ending with multi-paragraph essays by sixth grade. Guide students through this process with step-by-step lessons and practice. Encouraging correct grammar and punctuation, clear organization, and a love of writing will propel students forward in their writing as they continue through middle school and beyond.
For more writing tips and ideas check out: Ten-Minute Language and Writing Activities for Grades 4–6
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.