Writing Prompts for Grades K-5: The Great Big List

How to inspire young writers to expand their minds and capabilities

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Writing is a potent activity for young students who are still learning how to clearly articulate and communicate their thoughts.

When young learners express themselves through writing, they’re flexing mental muscles that improve critical thinking. Regular practice writing helps students to become comfortable expressing their ideas.

The process of composing thoughts in words causes a child to reflect more deeply on their ideas. This in turn helps young learners improve their ability to present facts and reasoning logically.

Many young students learn to enjoy the process as they get to discover more about new topics and their own passions and personalities.

Having great topics to write about is a critical ingredient in making the writing process flow smoothly. This is where the role of writing prompts comes in!

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Definition

Writing prompts are assignments that direct a student towards a specific topic. They’re meant to spark the writer’s imagination and curiosity, to get them excited about writing.

As the students explore writing prompts they will learn about themselves, their families, and the world around them. In a class setting, they can discuss topics with their fellow students and teacher to get inspired and generate new ideas.

All of these activities help them ultimately learn and master the art of storytelling.

That being said, it can be daunting to know where to begin if you don’t have any guidelines.

That’s why we’ve put together a comprehensive grade by grade list of age appropriate writing prompts starting at pre-k all the way through 5th grade.

This should give you and your child a great starting place for writing success throughout their entire elementary school curriculum!

The Anatomy of a Writing Prompt

Let’s take a closer look at the basic building blocks of writing prompts.

Writing prompts can be a single word, a complete paragraph or even a picture.

The essential is to spark an idea or to give students a starting point to focus on a particular topic to write.

The instructions are also very simple. The student is expected to stick close to the topic of the writing prompt and weave their writing around it. Outside of that core rule and absent any specific instructions, they can take a large degree of freedom to explore.

Obviously, it’s preferable for writing prompts to be topics that entice children. The prompt should allow them to write at an age appropriate level. It shouldn’t be an overly complex or boringly simple theme or the results could be underwhelming because writing could become a chore.

At its simplest, the chief goal that the writing prompt should fulfil is getting the child started in writing and providing a foundation for them to engage in that activity on a regular basis.

The Benefits of Using Writing Prompts

Guided by the gentle guard rails of writing prompts, children can follow their inspiration down a multitude of productive paths. They build up the ability to brainstorm with greater speed and put forward new ideas with less hesitation. As they master this skill they can even learn to include different types of writing styles.

There are many benefits of including writing prompts in a regular routine:

  • Kids develop confidence in their writing ability
  • Kids will learn to generate ideas and write on their own
  • Writing prompts give them exposure to different topics
  • Kids can build up a richer vocabulary by writing regularly
  • With more experience writing, kids will learn to write more meaningfully.

These are all clearly goals that will benefit our children.

We have mentioned writing prompts for kids in kindergarten; first, the second, third, fourth and fifth grade that will not only help them to learn the art of writing but will also help them to understand, grow, process, think and articulate their ideas and thoughts.

Drumroll

Let’s get started!

WRITING PROMPTS FOR KINDERGARTEN STUDENTS

Teaching your young kids how to get creative can be a challenging task! When they embark on their beautiful learning journey in kindergarten, it will be the very first time that they will be holding a pencil, crayon, sketch pen and notebook in their hand.

In school they will begin writing short words, practicing how to write the alphabet and will be reading their favourite stories.

With their minds abuzz, this is actually an ideal time to introduce them to writing prompts so that they become acquainted with the process.

Below are some tips to help see your kids succeed with flying colors.

What to Expect from Kindergarten Students

Don’t seek perfection

Now, you are going to get a mix of students; some of them are going to be skilled in essential words while some of them would have never touched the writing part. Therefore, don’t discourage them if they are not able to spell or write some words. Perfect grammar and spelling will come with time, but this is the correct time to build their foundation for writing.

They will be curious learners

Remember how we used to be when we were kids? Always interested to know everything. At this age, the motor and sense organs of children have grown, and they are open to exploring the world. Therefore, be ready to use their curiosity to motivate them to learn creative writing.

They will be speaking short sentences

The kids that will be joining kindergarten will be comfortable in speaking short sentences; therefore, don’t expect long paragraphs from them as it will bore them.

List of Kindergarten Writing Prompts

  1. What do you want to be when you grow up?
  2. What is the most interesting animal?
  3. Is there somewhere you want to visit far away from where you live now?
  4. What is your favourite color?
  5. If you could be an animal, which animal would be and why?
  6. What’s your favourite place in the world?
  7. Once upon a time, there was a…..
  8. What do you like most about your dad?
  9. What do you like about Christmas?
  10. What does your family do on Christmas?
  11. What makes your mom special?
  12. If I were the school principal, I would…
  13. What do you think about when you visit the doctor?
  14. Who is your favourite teacher. Why?
  15. Do you like coming to school? Why or why not?
  16. What’s your favourite cartoon?
  17. What’s your favourite toy?
  18. Do you like reading? Why or why not?
  19. What is your favourite book?
  20. What is your favourite room in your home?
  21. What is your favourite type of food?
  22. Name your favourite dessert
  23. What is your favourite thing to learn in school?
  24. Tell me about one of your pets or one of your relative’s pets.
  25. What does the word family mean to you?.
  26. What is the best thing you have learned so far and why is it your favourite?
  27. Do you have a best friend? Describe them.
  28. What do you like most about the holidays?
  29. Which is your favourite season?
  30. What’s your favorite thing to do at recess?
  31. What did you do on your last birthday?
  32. Do you have a favourite day of the week?
  33. Why do kids have to go to school?
  34. What is your most awesome talent?
  35. Write about your best day and what made it so special.
  36. If I had three wishes, I would wish for…..
  37. Which is your favourite hobby?
  38. What do you love to do with your parents?
  39. Have you ever had an argument with a friend? How did it work out?
  40. Describe your home in three sentences.
  41. If I could change one thing about this world, I would change….
  42. What do you do before bedtime...
  43. What are some parts of your everyday routine...
  44. Can you think of a time when you helped someone. How did you feel?
  45. What do you do during your vacations?
  46. How do you know your parents love you?
  47. What is the best gift you have ever gotten?
  48. The best dessert is…
  49. What do you love about your school?
  50. Describe a memory with your grandparents.

Advice for Kindergarten Learners

  • Cover the basics before they dive into writing: Needless to say, before writing children should have a good mastery of the alphabet and sight words. You can find a comprehensive list of core sight words in the Ultimate Sight Words List.
  • Don’t hesitate to give them short simple writing prompts: Kindergarten students aren’t expected to be proficient at responding to complex questions, but the best way to teach them writing is to get them writing. Start with simple things first and then lead the beginner writers to complete the sentence.
  • Evaluate your students’ writing abilities first: You must evaluate your students’ writing abilities first. Let them choose any topic they want and let them write the way they want.
  • Don’t rush the process: It’s essential to take the process slowly for beginner writers because you don’t want them to associate stressful memories with their first writing experiences.

WRITING PROMPTS FOR FIRST GRADE STUDENTS (1st Grade)

First-grade students are just learning how to communicate their ideas via writing effectively. Writing prompts can expand their skills and spark their imaginations.

First graders are beginning to understand the difference between right and wrong and will know how to support their opinions with basic reasoning.

By this age, you should also be able to encourage a child to maintain a daily journal.

What to Expect from First Grade Students

  • Literary skills will begin to develop: Literacy skills are connected and include reading and writing. In kindergarten, they have already developed words and sounds. Now in first grade they can recognise rhymes and read simple books.
  • They will be imaginative: They have just graduated kindergarten where they spent time reading stories and poems so their imaginations will be brimming with new ideas and they’ll sometimes be into their own magical world.
  • They will be more excited to learn: As kids grow, they discover how big the world is and build up a desire to know more and more about the world around them. Take advantage of their curiosity and imagination as levers to build their writing skills.

List of First Grade Writing Prompts

  1. A special birthday for me would be…
  2. What is your favourite time of the day, and why?
  3. I am the happiest when...
  4. Tell me about one thing you do well
  5. Insects, insects everywhere!!! Describe what you see!
  6. I’m happy when…
  7. Noisy times and quiet times are…
  8. For lunch today I…
  9. If I were a raindrop, I’d…
  10. I like to make them because…
  11. I am always kind to because
  12. What if you grew a tail?
  13. What makes a person kind?
  14. No one knows that I….
  15. If I made dinner, it would be….
  16. What would you do if no one could see you?
  17. When you feel sad, what do you do to feel better?
  18. What do you like to do on your birthday?
  19. What do you do when you get upset about something at home?
  20. My favourite stuffed animal or toy is…
  21. What would happen if it actually did rain cats and dogs?
  22. If I could choose a different name, I would choose, and this is why…
  23. Let’s go __________. Describe your adventure in detail.
  24. If you could be a dessert what you want to be?
  25. This is how I think plants grow.
  26. Would you want to be an astronaut? Why?
  27. I am afraid to __________ because
  28. What is your favourite room in your home, and why?
  29. Describe your best day ever
  30. One day, I met a talking mouse….
  31. What if you could only bark instead of talking?
  32. Write about a scary night in the woods.
  33. You can not use your hands for a day. Tell what happens.
  34. You find a magic rock. What does it do?
  35. What does a super-fun day look like to you?
  36. Climbing trees is…
  37. I wish trees could.. because…
  38. I want to be a... when I grow up.
  39. The perfect place in the whole wide world is…
  40. What can you do to help you feel better when you’re feeling sad?
  41. Walking in the rain is…
  42. Describe your first day at school.
  43. Write about something new you learned.
  44. Write about your last picnic.
  45. Write about the time when you were bored, and how did you get over it?
  46. Write about your first bicycle ride.
  47. What would you be a pirate or a soldier?
  48. What would you do if the sky turns red and grass yellow?
  49. Do you want to be tiny or tall? Why?
  50. If you had the power to be a superhero what would you be?

Advice for First Grade Learners

  • Test their imagination: The first-grade students feel they are in a grown-up place now and feel like they can conquer the world. As they have just passed their kindergarten, their mind is all filled with fairytales don’t hesitate to give them imaginative writing prompts.
  • Focus on the emotional content: Writing prompts allow the students to understand their feelings better and this is the age when they should begin learning about morality. Don’t feel awkward while giving them emotional content to write.
  • Give them opinion-based titles: Writing prompts help first graders to learn how to express their views, therefore giving them opinion based writing prompts will not be an issue and should be considered.

WRITING PROMPTS FOR SECOND GRADE STUDENTS (2nd GRADE)

Is your child journaling yet? In second grade, you’ll notice the improvement in their writing skills, and they will show gains in their ability to present their thoughts, beliefs and reasoning more clearly.

Go ahead and use writing prompts as a fun way to interest your class and develop their language skills.

What to Expect from Second Grade Students

  • Expand in vocabulary: As the student has just graduated first grade, they will be well versed with the core components of language and will be recognising a large number of sight words.
  • Begin to concentrate and reason: By this age, children learn to focus on things and start giving reasons for their beliefs. They begin to form an opinion about what they know; therefore, you can test their writing skills with some reasoning topics.
  • Learn to create relationships between concepts: As their concepts expand, so does their ability to digest them and make connections between them. They know how to compare and contrast their ideas.

List of Second Grade Writing Prompts

  1. What is your favourite thing to do while you are playing indoor games?
  2. Go for a morning walk and write about your experience.
  3. Write about your favourite trick you would love to play with your parents.
  4. What is your most wild dream?
  5. Where do you want to go on your next vacation?
  6. Make a list of groceries you think you should pick up from the grocery store.
  7. Which is your favourite movie, and why?
  8. How do you want to spend your summer?
  9. What do you want to learn in second grade?
  10. What would you do if you didn’t go to school?
  11. What is your favourite sport, and why?
  12. What scares you the most?
  13. Imagine you get a magic wand for one day, what would you do with it?
  14. What is your favourite food, and why is it so good?
  15. Do you know how to cook anything?
  16. Does anything ever make you angry?
  17. What do you love the most about bathtime?
  18. When was the last time when you were kind to someone? How did it feel?
  19. What is the funniest thing you have heard?
  20. What did you do today?
  21. What kind of pet do you think the teacher should bring to the school and why?
  22. What kind of pet do you want and why?
  23. If you could be an animal for a day, what kind of animal would you want to be?
  24. Which cartoon character do you want to adopt and why?
  25. What is your favourite outdoor activity?
  26. If you could be president for a day, what would you do?
  27. How did your parents choose your name?
  28. Describe yourself in your own words.
  29. Write about a superpower you want to have and why it’s important.
  30. Do you have anyone that you look up to? What’s special about them?
  31. What do you enjoy doing when you’re not in school?
  32. If you were a teacher which subject would you teach?
  33. What’s the best thing to do on a hot summer day?
  34. What to do on a snowy wintery day?
  35. What do you wish for on your birthday when you blow out the candles? Do birthday wishes come true?
  36. If you could be a movie star, which movie would you love to star in?
  37. Do you like to dance? What’s your favorite kind of dance?
  38. If you had to eat one type of food for the rest of your life, what would it be?
  39. Which is your favourite kind of music?
  40. Would you rather live in a city or farm?
  41. Write a story about an invisible man.
  42. Write your unique talent, and why does it make you unique?
  43. If you had the power to stay the same age forever, which age would you choose?
  44. Narrate the story of your life with an added twist of your own.
  45. Ask your grandparents to tell you an interesting story about their life, then tell it in your own words.
  46. Do you believe in dinosaurs? Which is your favourite kind and why?
  47. What would the ultimate amusement park be like?
  48. Do you get scared in the dark? Why?
  49. How do you handle a fight with your friends?
  50. What is your favourite thing about going shopping?

Advice for Second Grade Learners

  • Try to make it fun: Second-grade students are already busy filling their minds with new knowledge everyday. Writing is an opportunity to take a break from that and let their creative juices flow, so try to slow things down and make it fun.

WRITING PROMPTS FOR THIRD GRADE STUDENTS

By the time students reach third grade, they start understanding the importance of writing. They should be getting better and better at spelling and will begin to identify different types of sentences and writing styles.

What to Expect from Third Grade Students

  • They know about paragraphs: Students in third grade learn about the paragraph structure and know-how to complete the story.
  • They know how to divide a story: Students in third grade learn how to divide a story. They know how to include an introduction, a solution to the problem and a conclusion.
  • Encourage them to maintain a journal: Third-grade students should keep a regular writing journal. A journal lets them document their everyday activity and improves their writing skills.

List of Third Grade Writing Prompts (3rd Grade)

  1. Write your favourite summer pastime activity.
  2. What do you want to learn during your vacations?
  3. Where do you want to go on vacation with your family?
  4. Write a story about waking up on a rainy day during your summer vacation.
  5. Mention your favourite cooking recipe.
  6. Do you love gardening? Tell us what you love gardening?
  7. Is there a family tradition that you follow? Tell us about it.
  8. Make a short list of your favourite books and describe what you like about them.
  9. Write a story about your future.
  10. Do you like jokes? What are your favourite tricks?
  11. Which is your favourite toy? Would you share it with your friends?
  12. Why is it important to treat others nicely?
  13. Do you remember your dreams? Can you share your favorite?
  14. If you had to fly to the moon with a character from a book who would it be?
  15. Which cartoon character would you choose as a pet?
  16. Think of someone who you consider as a hero, what makes them a hero?
  17. Describe your best day and make up a story around it.
  18. If you get the opportunity to live anywhere in the entire world, where do you want to go?
  19. Imagine one day you go out, and everything turns into candies and chocolate. What is the first thing you would do?
  20. I am very proud because…
  21. Describe your family vacations.
  22. Write about a time when you were way too excited.
  23. Write about the time when you were totally embarrassed.
  24. How do you get ready in the morning for school every day?
  25. Rewrite the story of snow white with your own perspective.
  26. Rewrite the story of three little pigs.
  27. Describe your favourite season and what you like about it.
  28. What is your favourite thing to have for breakfast?
  29. Write a letter to an imaginary friend in another country.
  30. Write about your favourite animal.
  31. Describe your best friend and what you like about them.
  32. If you won the lottery what would you do?
  33. Describe your favourite Halloween costume.
  34. Describe what a perfect day means to you.
  35. Would you like to pet farm animals? Why?
  36. Which do you like better? Fruits or vegetables? How are they different?
  37. If you could meet a famous person who would you choose to meet? What would you talk to them about?
  38. What makes you unique and why?
  39. What does courage mean to you?
  40. Do you like fishing? Why?
  41. Write a letter to your younger self.
  42. Write a letter to your future self.
  43. What are you grateful for today?
  44. Suppose you are a writer for a prominent newspaper. Who you would want to interview.
  45. Have you ever lost something that was very important to you? How did you feel and what did you do?
  46. How do you take care of your pets?
  47. What is your favourite holiday and why?
  48. Describe a day in your life be like if you were a famous movie star.
  49. If you had one wish what it would be and why?
  50. Imagine you come to school and your best friend gets turned into a frog by a witch. What would you do? Narrate a story.

Advice for Third Grade Learners

  • Be creative: Students in third grade have an open mind to a new world with endless possibilities. Therefore, let the kids explore and enjoy expressing their ideas in front of everyone.
  • Focus on building their writing skills: A third-grade student can develop excellent writing skills while practising the writing prompts.

WRITING PROMPTS FOR FOURTH GRADE STUDENTS (4th GRADE)

For fourth grade students who are just getting comfortable in their own skin. As they are getting older, writing prompts can help them explore their deeper thoughts.

Writing prompts can lay the ground for students by giving them a reliable foundation to express themselves.

What to Expect from Fourth Grade Students

  • Students will be independent: Fourth graders are more independent and will not require a lot of your attention. Kids will be busy with many different subjects in school and with the home-based projects, but they will love doing these activities.
  • They will have more complex ideas: By fourth-grade, a child can be expected to have complex thoughts, and they can write essays with different sentences and punctuation marks correctly.

List of Fourth Grade Writing Prompts (4th Grade)

  1. What makes you happy and cheerful no matter what your mood is?
  2. Describe what the perfect pet would be like.
  3. Any funny secret that makes you giggle all the time? Share with us.
  4. What would you do if you find out that your neighbour was a werewolf?
  5. Tell us your favorite spot for summer holidays.
  6. Share your favorite part of history? What do you like about it?
  7. Rewrite your particular song talking about your school. Express your likes and dislikes with us.
  8. Are you excited when it’s almost your birthday? How does it feel? Write a poem about it.
  9. Do you like homework? Why or why not?
  10. Can you tell us the name of the most exciting book you ever read? What did you love about it?
  11. What is the best thing about your family?
  12. Explain the worst school lunch you can imagine. How do you and your friends react to it?
  13. You wake up one morning and find that your pets can talk. Write a short story about it.
  14. How did you find your best friend at school? How long have you known one another?
  15. Do you have any secret you’ve never shared? What have you had to do to keep it a secret? How does the secret make you feel?
  16. What is the best quality that you like about yourself?
  17. What makes you feel better when you’re upset? Express yourself in the form of a poem or a story for feeling better.
  18. Do you like sports or video games? Which one do you like to play the most? Why?
  19. You’re walking on a path through the countryside and suddenly it splits into two directions. Write a poem about how you choose which way to go.
  20. Why do things break? Give some examples of things in your life that have broken. How does that make you feel?
  21. How would you feel if you woke up one day with bird wings instead of arms? Would that be a good or bad thing? What would you do?
  22. Who is the best singer in the world? Why do you like him/her?
  23. Any particular thing you do at home to make your family happy. Do they like it?
  24. If you had one wish what would you ask for? Why?
  25. When was the last day you were home sick? What does it feel like?
  26. Is it tough to be friends with your school friends after arguing? How do you fix it?
  27. What is your favourite hobby? When was the last time you were able to do it?
  28. What do you like the most about your parents?
  29. Do you like rainy days? Why or why not?
  30. If you ever got a chance to visit any country, where would you go? What would you like to do there?
  31. Are boys and girls different from each other? What do you think about it?
  32. What is the most exceptional food? Why do you like it?
  33. Make a list of 5 things you would love to do every month. Write down a short note on it.
  34. Tell us your parents’ three best qualities. Why do you like them?
  35. Do you know when your parents get upset? How does that make you feel?
  36. Do you know how to cook? If yes, what have you cooked? Explain the steps involved in it.
  37. Write a poem about the last time you got hurt. How long did the pain last?
  38. Do you find homework useful for learning? Why or why not?
  39. Your dog turns into a human, and you’re the only one who can see it. What would you do?
  40. If you were the ruler of this planet, how would you live your day?
  41. When was the last time you did poorly in a test? What did your parents say about it?
  42. One day you are blessed with a special ability to understand what dogs say when they bark. What would you do and would you tell anyone about it?
  43. What makes you go to school every day? Do you like it? Why or why not?
  44. Do your parents let you choose your own clothes when you are shopping or do they pick them for you?
  45. Imagine you are going on a trip with your friends for a day.
  46. What is the best gift you’ve ever received? Do you still like it? Why or why not?
  47. What is the hardest part of 4th grade?
  48. The first page of your book disappears every time you open the book, and you see a single word. It’s the same thing with every book you try to read. What is the name and why does it keep appearing?

Advice for Fourth Grade Learners

  • Spice up the grammar game for them: You can help students brainstorm nouns, adjectives, verbs and make a list of them and prepare a chart to put up in the class.
  • Teach them with visuals: You can teach them how to use different writing and grammar rules with the help of visuals.

WRITING PROMPTS FOR FIFTH GRADE STUDENTS (5th GRADE)

When children enter fifth-grade, they are on the cusp of a transition towards a higher level of maturity and responsibility. Some may find the numerous changes that this transformation brings challenging.

Writing prompts can help reduce the stress from their shoulders by allowing children to explore their thoughts and feelings in a safe and more abstract context.

What to Expect from Fifth Grade Students

  • Excellent problem-solving skills: They will be mature enough to think critically and have developed significant problem-solving skills. Therefore, you can expect them to write on such issues.
  • Good writing skills: Fifth graders are more developed writers and can leverage many kinds of writing styles. Also, they can write a variety of topics using definitions and facts. You can also expect them to write narratives such as dialogues, emotions and thoughts.

List of Fifth Grade Writing Prompts (5th Grade)

  • Can you tell the difference between a privilege and a right? What is it?
  • Who is the most reliable person you trust the most in your life?
  • Should video games be created by kids or by adults? Why?
  • Do you like technology devices? Why or why not?
  • Write about the most exciting thing you’ve ever done.
  • Which is the language you feel is the most important to learn other than your native language?
  • Pick up a current politician of your choice. Explain the things that could make them a better leader.
  • How good are you at focusing on things, or do you have a problem keeping your mind on one thing?
  • Do you like or dislike the fact that some cartoon characters don’t wear pants? Why or why not?
  • Write about a moment when you did not succeed to keep a promise. What did you do to make up for it?
  • Write a how-to-guide on how to make friends in 5th grade. Share your experiences in finding the best way.
  • How often do you remember your dreams? Are they important to you?
  • When was the last phone call you made? Tell us about it.
  • What is so unique about your family? Do you find it exciting or boring?
  • If you were an emotion, which one would you want to be and why?
  • Do you remember a quote from a book or famous person? What was it? How does it influence you?
  • Can you remember the first moment you ever felt sadness?
  • Share a movie or a TV show that you found scary when you were younger? Do you still feel terrified about it? Why?
  • What are the things you would do if you had only one week to live? Why?
  • If you could go back or move ahead to any grade in school, which grade would you like to be in?
  • Do you feel it is important to give back to your community? Why or why not?
  • Can you write some rap lyrics to describe any of the countries on Earth?
  • Do you know, who made the first map? How did they make it?
  • If you got a chance to live on a planet other than Earth, which one would it be?
  • What would you like to see if you get the chance to go back in time?
  • What do you know about where energy comes from?
  • What is the coolest fact you know? Have you shared it with others? Where did you learn it?
  • What would you choose, an extra hour of playtime or an extra hour of sleep in the morning? Why?
  • Which is the most useless part of the human body? Why do you feel that way?
  • How do you manage when you need to spend time with someone you don’t like?
  • Do you feel people can ever live on another planet in the Milky Way galaxy?
  • What does responsibility feel like? What does it mean to you?
  • Would you choose an extra arm or an extra leg? Why?
  • Who is the first friend of your life? How did you make friends with him/her?
  • Make your own particular song into the national anthem for a country of your dream.
  • Do you remember the moment when you did something because everyone else around you was doing it? How did you feel about it now?
  • Would you want to become a zombie or a robot?
  • What would you name it if you get a chance to rename your country? Why?
  • Which is the one place you feel the most at home? How did you come to know the place?
  • If your school had a Magic School Bus that could take you anywhere, where would you want to go on a trip?
  • Write a gossip conversation between your socks and your shoes.
  • What would you wear, the clothes chosen by your teacher or the ones picked up by your mom? Why?
  • What is your strangest habit? How did you develop it?
  • If you get a chance to invite a celebrity to your house, who would it be? Why?
  • Pick your favourite emoji and write a backstory about its life.
  • What are the qualities in you that make you a good neighbour?
  • Write the most loving memory of your favourite holiday destination.
  • How can you connect with your ancestors?
  • Make a story about being an explorer who discovers a new continent.
  • Find a friend and interview one another to know about each other’s childhoods. Then write a short story about growing up in your friend’s house.

Advice for Fifth Grade Learners

  • Explain the topic: At this time children should be able to write longer essays. You can encourage them to write more in depth writeups by discussing and explaining the issues before they begin writing.
  • Give them more perspective based topics: Fifth-grade students should be taught to use their own perspective and unique ideas and help them to incorporate them in the writeups.

THE BOTTOM LINE

Writing prompts are assignments that direct a student towards a specific topic. They’re meant to spark the writer’s imagination and curiosity and to get them excited about writing.

No matter which grade a child is in, writing prompts will help them grow a love for exploring their writing abilities.

The writing prompts we have shared for each grade have topics that are appropriate for every stage of writing and will help spark interest in writing from the very basics to more complex themes.

Parents and teachers should aim to inspire young students to write in their own style. No matter the age of the child, it is important to begin encouraging them to write early.

It can be daunting to know where to begin if you don’t have any guidelines.

In this post, we’ve put together a comprehensive grade by grade list of age appropriate writing prompts starting at Kindergarten all the way through 5th grade.

These writing prompts should give you and your child a great starting place for writing success throughout their entire elementary school curriculum!

LINKS & RECENT POSTS

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