Using writing prompts in a common way to teach writing. Writing prompts can be valuable, but shouldn’t be your entire instruction. Today, I am going to share with you three tips when it comes to use writing prompts, PLUS I am going to help you grab 60 free writing prompts for the entire year!
Early Finishers
When you are working on a masterpiece, or a long writing assignment, you will ALWAYS have students that get done early. Writing prompts can be perfect for that!
So, let’s say on Monday and Tuesday you are working on rough drafts, you will inevitably have a few students who finished their rough draft before the others. These students can work on a writing prompt! It is a great way for them to continue writing even if they think they are “done”!
Centers
Do you do reading centers?! If not, you should!
One great center is work on writing! During this time kids should be free writing and writing about anything they want to. But you are going to have a few students who don’t succeed with that open type of assignment. So, every few weeks I love to throw a writing prompt into that rotation to really allow the students to feel mastery!
Homework
Whether you do nightly homework or STAR Homework (read about that here) you can always add a writing prompt to a homework assignment. The prompt makes it super easy for the students to do it individually and typically can be very engaging and fun to them!
Holiday Writing
Prompts over the holidays are just plain fun, simple as that. Kids love them and teachers love reading them. If you are celebrating a holiday then you can take a break from your masterpieces that you are working on to simply write on a fun prompt!
Do you want 60 free writing prompts for the entire year?!
Head here and grab those free writing prompts!
Hannah Wilde
I am so glad you’re here! I love helping 3rd-5th grade teachers by providing ideas, engaging resources, and professional development they need. I am a literacy coach who is here to help lessen the workload for teachers while making them more confident! I want students to be continually engaged in a rigorous environment!