essay question examples for elementary students

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50 Essay Topics for Kids

Hi friends! A while back, after I did a post of story ideas for kids , I got requests for essay topics for kids. I thought it was a little out of my wheelhouse, though, since I’ve never taught children. But then I thought, wait a minute…I’m married to someone who used to teach middle school English! So I invited Mr. Donovan to guest post today. Take it away, honey…

For these, I tried to think about 5th and 6th grade writing topics, but the truth is, most of these writing prompts would also work for kids much younger, and some of them would work for older kids. If you’re a busy teacher or homeschooling parent, I hope you find good ideas you can use.

While this list focuses especially on persuasive writing, it offers a wide range of subjects. I think many students will feel strongly about them since they know about them firsthand, and they may have fun writing about them. Some prompts may encourage students to try to persuade through the use of humor and personal stories, while others may lead them to compare and contrast two things or use logic and/or ethical arguments to support their points of view. Hopefully, their strong feelings will lead student writers to experience persuasive writing as an essential tool for their success.[spacer height=”20px”]

Personal Narrative Essay Ideas

• The three things I can’t live without are…
• In the past year, I’ve changed in the following ways…
• A close call I once had occurred when…
• My favorite hour of the day is…
• I once got lost for a long period of time at…
• One thing I love to shop for is…
• The best sporting event I ever attended was…
• Here’s a time that I was scared but took a chance.
• Here’s what happened when I tried something for the first time.
• The thing I’m most looking forward to this summer is…
• A decision that was very hard to make for me was…
• The last time I laughed really really hard was…
• A time I was really proud of one of my parents/siblings was…
• Describe a favorite family photo and the story it tells.
• One time when I was having dinner with my family…

Persuasive Essay Ideas

• Why It’s Important To Be a Good Winner
• How to Make Friends and Keep Them
• To Be Successful, You Need To…
• How to Disagree With Someone Without Being Rude
• The Best Thing About This School Is….and Here’s Why
• The Best Place to Live Would Be…and Here’s Why
• Why It’s Important to Set Goals
• How to Prevent Bullying
• Students Should Be Allowed to Learn At Their Own Pace
• The Best TV Show On Right Now Is…Because….
• The Best TV Show Ever Made Is….and Here’s Why
• My Favorite Superhero Is…Because…
• Why My Favorite Sport Is the Best Sport
• Students Should/Shouldn’t Have Their Phones at School
• Our Country Would Be Better If We Passed This Law
• No One Should Ever Watch More Than Four Hours of TV, Movies, and Videos a Day
• Why It’s Time to Remove the Penny From Circulation
• It’s Likely that Extraterrestrials Exist
• Taking Photographs of People Without Their Permission Should Be Prohibited
• Telling A Lie Is/Isn’t Always Wrong

Compare and Contrast Essay Ideas

• Baseball and basketball have both similarities and differences.
• Here’s what I would and wouldn’t be willing to do for a million dollars
• The biggest differences between winter and spring are…
• Ways I’m alike and ways I’m different from my parent/sibling are…
• Cats and dogs may be very different, but they’re also alike in some respects.
• My two favorite bands compare and contrast in the following ways.
• Compare and contrast your two favorite superheroes.
• My two favorite restaurants are different in many ways.
• Though very different, the sun and the moon do have a few similarities.
• While my two favorite classes have key differences, they also have much in common
• Skating and running have a lot in common.
• Parent teachers and classroom teachers are different and alike in many ways.
• Poems and stories have some similarities and some differences.
• PCs and Mac computers have less in common than you might think.
• The book and movie version of my favorite story have a lot of similarities, but they’re different in some ways.

If you have other ideas for easy essay topics for middle school, let us know in the comments. And if you liked the list, please share them on Facebook, Pinterest, or Twitter—we appreciate it, and busy teachers might appreciate it, too!  Thanks for reading this, and have a great day!

– Gill Donovan

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11 thoughts on “ 50 essay topics for kids ”.

This is a great list for home schooling parents and self-paced learners. Thank you for sharing.

PS Please hit me back sometime with a comment on my blog http://www.naomiplane.com

Hi! Thanks, Naomi! I’ll stop by your blog in just a sec.

These are so great! Thanks for posting Mr. Donovan! This list can also be used to connect with grandkids. If I answer some of these questions about my own life, the answers will likely be something of interest to my grandchildren and wouldn’t it be great to have them write on the same topics for me to read. Thanks again for your experiences with young people that make greater connection possible.

Thanks, Jessie! Interesting take on the list! I suppose I could actually use the list to connect with my own nieces and nephews.

These are fabulous! I often simply want my children to practice handwriting, but I’m at a loss when they ask me what they should write. This takes care of two problems with one awesome solution! Thank you!! 🙂

Hi, Lisa! So glad you can use it in this way. Thanks for letting me know.

as a mom of three boys, I find the list insightful into the minds of kids.

Good to hear this–as I was working on it, I kept circling back to try to decide whether or not the subjects would appeal to kids. So thanks!

Having taught thirty-one years in elementary school (many of those years in 5th and 6th grade), this is an awesome list. I would have used some of these for sure. Teachers are the biggest thieves.?

When we had creative writing time in my class, I always wrote too. I wanted my students to know that I looked forward to this time. Teachers set the atmosphere. After a time, the kids quit asking, “How much do we have to write?” and instead asked, “Mr. Springer, can we write about this?” Giving students time to share is another key to putting a value on the written word.

Thanks, Pete Springer! As someone who taught 6th grade for a year, I know what a fine achievement it is to bring students to want to write in class and to feel comfortable enough to share their writing. Sounds like you taught some wonderful classes. Great to hear you’d have used these.

I have a essay website http://www.tamilsolution.com in tamil language and iam nearly out of content ideas, you give me a new list of essays for my website, thank you

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Student Writing Samples and Analysis for Elementary, Middle School, and High School: Complete Collection

How do you bring objectivity to teaching writing? Authentic student writing samples from state writing assessments are an excellent tool that helps teachers bring objectivity to teaching writing. Of course, it sure helps if the writing samples are accompanied by objective analysis, scoring, and commentary. You will find all of that and more on this page!

Many teachers evaluate their students’ writing progress by examining what they can get their students to produce as an end result. They look at what they can get their students to produce in a lesson, and they place great importance on what they can get their students to produce to place on a bulletin board. Certainly, I care about those things, too. But I primarily measure my students’ writing progress by examining and monitoring their independent writing. It’s not about what I can get them to do—it’s about what they do when left to their own devices.

We have three types of independent student writing:

1.   daily writing across the curriculum 2.   state and district writing assessments 3.   independent writing assignments

My purpose here is not to discuss independent student writing, but instead to explain why the following collection of objective, authentic student writing samples are so valuable and helpful. Usually, when we see samples of student writing (other than our own students’ writing), they are polished examples, and we have no idea of what went into creating them. How much time? How many drafts? Who guided the piece of writing? How much guiding? What forms of guidance?

In contrast, we all know exactly how these state writing assessment samples were created; we all know the exact writing situation in which these pieces of writing were created; we all know that no teacher had any influence on any of these pieces of writing once the assignment was given. This writing is what students produced when given plenty of time and left to their own devices.

An Awesome Collection of Released Student-Writing Samples with Analysis and Commentary

I have always linked to valuable collections of resources that I have come across that can help teachers teach writing and achieve success on writing assessments. Here are two of the best:

1.  Released Writing Prompts for State Testing

2.  State Writing Assessment Tools and Resources : This page contains links to all of these valuable resources from many state writing assessments: 1) released writing prompts, 2) scoring rubrics, 3) anchor papers, scoring commentary, student writing samples, 4) teacher guides and/or test directions, 5) and more!

Below you will find another collection of valuable resources—a collection of released student writing samples. Since creating Pattern Based Writing: Quick & Easy Essay , I’ve interacted with teachers from all over the country—and even the world. A kind teacher up in Oregon who is using Pattern Based Writing: Quick & Easy Essay sent me these links. She is thrilled that the number of her students scoring high on the Oregon State Writing Assessment has doubled since she began using the program.

This collection of released student writing samples has five great qualities:

1.   It includes writing samples for grades 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 10.

2.   It includes scoring analysis for every single essay in grades 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 10.

3.   It includes writing samples for four important genres: 1) expository, 2) narrative: personal, 3) narrative: imaginative, and 4) persuasive (starts in grade 5).

4.   It includes writing samples for five scoring levels: 1) low, 2) medium-low, 3) medium, 4) medium-high, and 5) high.

5.   In total, the collection contains about 325 pages of released student writing samples and scoring analysis!

Here’s the Collection!

Please Note: I used to link to the scoring guide and rubrics, but the files seem to have been moved. Truthfully, they are not necessary at all. Furthermore, you will find links to many excellent Six-Trait rubrics here , including the original Six Traits rubric from Oregon (where it all began).

This collection scores papers using the Six Traits of Writing: 1) Ideas and Content, 2) Organization, 3) Voice, 4) Word Choice, 5) Sentence Fluency, and 6) Conventions. Since the rise of the Common Core, Oregon has used a couple of different scoring models that use different traits, including a few genre-specific traits. However, this collection of student writing samples remains one of the best available.

•  Grade 3 Student Writing Samples and Scoring Analysis

•  Grade 4 Student Writing Samples and Scoring Analysis

•  Grade 5 Student Writing Samples and Scoring Analysis

•  Grade 6 Student Writing Samples and Scoring Analysis

•  Grade 7 Student Writing Samples and Scoring Analysis

•  Grade 8 Student Writing Samples and Scoring Analysis

•  Grade 9 There aren’t any.

•  Grade 10 Student Writing Samples and Scoring Analysis

Common Core Update: 686 Pages of K-12 Common Core Student Writing Samples

Are you interested in 686 pages of K-12 Common Core student writing samples? If you are, be sure to download this awesome collection! To be honest, I was surprised when I clicked on the link and discovered this wonderful bounty.

•  In Common: Effective Writing for All Students Collection of All Student Work Samples, K-12

Are You Interested in Paragraphs?

Now that you have your student writing samples, I pose this question to you: Do you want to understand how the best writers and the lowest scoring writers created their paragraphs on those writing samples? If you do, be sure to read the following two resources. The above collection of student writing samples played a role in both of these:

1.  Paragraph Length: How the Best Student Writers Create Paragraphs on State Writing Assessments   2.  The Ten Stages of Paragraph and Multi-Paragraph Mastery eBook

How to Use These Student Writing Samples to Teach Writing

“Habit #2: Start with the end in mind.” Stephen R. Covey – The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People

Primary Purpose: The primary purpose of these student writing samples is to help teachers become experts in analyzing student writing. Furthermore, these student writing samples help teachers figure out how to begin with the end in mind. Teachers must begin with the end in mind if they want their students’ writing to end up where they want it to be.

Furthermore, teachers can use these student writing samples in the classroom to teach students about creating, analyzing, and evaluating writing. Here are ten ideas to get you started:

1.   Choose and print out a few essays and commentary that you want to focus on.

2.   Examine the essays and commentary. What are your students doing correctly? What are your students not doing correctly? What do your students need to learn? Read the commentary and make a list of skills that you want to teach your students. Plan out how you are going to teach those skills.

3.   Use a Six-Trait rubric go over a number of essays with your students. (You will find links to many different Six-Trait rubrics here .) Teach your students what scorers are looking for. What makes for a high scoring essay and what makes for a low scoring essay? What went right with the high-scoring essays? What went wrong with the low-scoring essays?

4.   Create or find a few student-friendly rubrics . Have students score at least a few essays using these rubrics. Make sure your students understand the rubrics, and if you have the time, you may want to have your students help create a simple rubric.

5.   Compare and contrast the genres. This activity is a great way to show students different types of writing and different styles. Play the game, “Name the Genre.” What are the qualities and characteristics of the writing genre that you see in the sample essays? How can you tell it is a particular type of writing? (Note: “Name the Genre” is also an effective strategy to use with writing prompts, and in particular, with released writing prompts .)

6.   Have students compare and contrast essays that have different scores. Have students compare and contrast essays with the same scores but from different grades levels.

7.   Use the low scores to show your students how good their writing is. Use the high scores to show your students where they need to improve.

8.   Have students edit or build upon one of the sample essays. Take one of the low scoring essays and have your students transform it into a high scoring essay. You can do this with each genre of writing. Help your students see the similarities and the differences across different types of writing.

9.   Demonstrate how neatness matters. Some of the sample essays are messy. Even a few high scoring ones are messy. Discuss how difficult it can be for scorers to fairly assess messy writing. Note: Students will often see messy writing on a decent paper and think that the paper is a low scoring paper. Explain that while rubrics do help prevent this rush to judgment, they do not eliminate it. This exercise also helps illustrate how important rubrics are, and how students must, in one sense, write for the rubric.

10.   Show your students how all of the important writing skills that you have been teaching them are found in the high-scoring papers and are missing from the low-scoring papers.

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100 Best Opinion Writing Prompts for Elementary Students

Opinion writing prompts were always my favorite when the English teacher would ask us to write on a specific topic in school.

Not only opinion topics are great for finding out what your child or student likes when it comes to a certain topic but also get them to think outside of the box and get creative when writing.

Writing prompts logical, critical, and exploratory thinking .

These opinion writing prompts are also great for middle schoolers, high schoolers, and preschoolers .

Here’s a list of 100 opinion writing prompts suitable for elementary students:

• Dogs or cats: Which makes a better pet?
• Should zoos exist?
• Should animals be kept in captivity?
• Is it okay to keep exotic pets?
• Which animal is the best at camouflage?
• Should people keep fish as pets?
• Pizza or hamburgers: Which is the tastiest meal?
• Should students have a longer lunch break?
• Is breakfast the most important meal of the day?
• Should candy be banned from school?
• Do vegetables taste better when they’re fresh or cooked?

Technology:

• Is playing video games good for kids?
• Should kids have their smartphones?
• Is it better to read books or e-books?
• Should robots do chores for us?
• Is it important for kids to learn coding?
• Should homework be abolished?
• Is school uniform a good idea?
• Should schools have longer or shorter breaks?
• Is it important to have art and music classes in school?
• Should students have a say in what they learn?

Nature and Environment:

• Should we plant more trees to save the planet?
• Is recycling important?
• Should people use bicycles more often instead of cars?
• Is it important to protect endangered species?
• Should people use less plastic?

Sports and Activities:

• Which sport is the most fun to watch?
• Should kids be required to play a sport?
• Is it better to play outside or inside?
• Should everyone learn how to swim?
• Should schools have more field trips?

Family and Relationships:

• Should kids have a curfew?
• Is it important to spend time with family every day?
• Should kids be allowed to make their own decisions?
• Should siblings share a room?
• Should families have regular game nights?

Books and Stories:

• Which fairy tale character would you like to be?
• Should kids be allowed to read comic books in school?
• Should authors write more adventure stories?
• Is it better to read a book before watching its movie adaptation?
• Should kids write their own stories?

Health and Fitness:

• Is it important to exercise every day?
• Should kids be encouraged to try new sports?
• Is it better to cook at home or eat out?
• Should kids be allowed to have dessert every day?
• Should everyone learn how to cook?

Holidays and Celebrations:

• Is Halloween the best holiday?
• Should Valentine’s Day be for everyone, not just couples?
• Is it better to give or receive gifts?
• Should people celebrate their birthdays with big parties?
• Should there be more holidays during the school year?

Travel and Adventure:

• Should kids have more opportunities to travel?
• Is it better to go on a beach vacation or a mountain adventure?
• Should everyone learn how to speak another language?
• Should people explore outer space?
• Should kids have to earn a special trip through good behavior?

Movies and Entertainment:

• Which movie is the funniest of all time?
• Should kids be allowed to watch TV every day?
• Is it better to watch movies at home or in a theater?
• Should kids be allowed to watch scary movies?
• Should there be more movies about animals?

Community and Citizenship:

• Should kids volunteer in their community?
• Should everyone recycle and pick up litter?
• Is it important to vote when you’re old enough?
• Should kids learn about famous historical figures?
• Should kids be involved in making decisions in their neighborhoods?

Dreams and Imagination:

• If you could have any superpower, what would it be?
• Should kids be allowed to dream big?
• Is it important to have imaginary friends?
• Should kids be encouraged to write their own stories?
• Should there be more magical creatures in the world?

Art and Creativity:

• Is it important to take art classes?
• Should kids be allowed to create their own inventions?
• Is it better to paint or draw?
• Should kids have more opportunities to perform on stage?
• Should there be more public art in our city?
• Should kids learn how to play a musical instrument?
• Is it better to listen to music or make your own?
• Should schools have more music programs?
• Should kids have to practice their instrument every day?
• Should kids be allowed to sing in the classroom?
• Should kids be allowed to wear whatever they want to school?
• Is it important to follow fashion trends?
• Should everyone wear uniforms?
• Should kids be allowed to dye their hair any color?
• Should clothes be more comfortable or stylish?

Safety and Rules:

• Should kids always wear helmets when riding bikes?
• Is it important to follow rules even when no one is watching?
• Should kids be allowed to cross the street alone?
• Should there be stricter rules for using the internet?
• Should kids be allowed to walk to school by themselves?

Transportation:

• Is it better to travel by car or by plane?
• Should everyone use public transportation more often?
• Should there be more bike lanes in the city?
• Is it important to walk or bike to school instead of taking the bus?
• Should people use electric cars instead of regular cars?
• Should kids be allowed to earn money by doing chores?
• Is it important to save money?
• Should kids have their bank accounts?
• Should everyone learn how to budget and manage money?

Feel free to use these prompts to spark creativity and encourage thoughtful opinion writing among elementary students! “Opinion Writing Prompts for Students

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20 Prompts for Opinion Writing That Motivate Kids

When using prompts for opinion writing, students can express themselves and share their beliefs.  This automatically makes them more invested in their writing.  Read on to learn more about opinion writing including mentor texts, ideas, and assessments.  Plus you will find 20 prompts that will be sure to motivate and engage kids!

What is an Opinion Writing?

Opinion writing is used to convince or persuade the reader. The writer states their opinion and gives reasons to support it.  Facts or statistics can be used to provide supporting evidence. 

Examples for Opinion Writing

There are lots of helpful examples for opinion writing.  Below you will find a list of mentor texts for kids.  It’s beneficial to immerse students in the genre before and during a writing unit.  These books model effective writing strategies that can be incorporated into lessons.

Opinion Writing Mentor Text:

• I Love Insects by Lizzy Rockwell
• The Perfect Pet by Margie Palatini 
• The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt 
• Hey, Little Ant by Phillip and Hannah Hoose
• Red is Best by Kathy Stinson
• I Wanna Iguana by Karen Kaufman Orloff 
• Earrings by Judith Viorst
• The Great Kapok Tree by Lynne Cherry

How to Teach Opinion Writing

It’s important for students to form their own opinions and understand their feelings.  So often kids just follow the opinion of someone else whether it be a parent, sibling, or friend.  Now is the time for kids to firmly state their opinion and not waver from it.  

Writers will need to give reasons for their opinion and provide supporting examples.  The number of reasons will depend on the grade level and the student’s abilities.  For first graders, you might require only one reason while third graders may need three reasons.  Decide what works best for your learners and create modifications as needed. 

Opinion Writing Outline

Below you will find an acronym to help students plan their opinion writing. They just need to remember the word OREO. It stands for opinion, reasons, examples, and opinion (restated again). For each reason given, a sentence follows with evidence or an example. This is a more detailed approach to writing a response. It works well for the upper grades or advanced students. Depending on the level, some writers may just be working on providing reasons and will later develop the skill of using supporting examples.

The example below uses one reason with supporting evidence. For each reason, the student should write an example. The acronym might look like OREREO for two reasons or OREREREO for three reasons. A little confusing, but you get the idea.

Example: Do you think teachers should give students homework?

O – In my opinion, students should not have homework.

R – They work so hard all day at school and need a break. 

E – Instead of focusing on more work kids should be able to go outside and play, do a sport, or do other fun activities.  

O – In conclusion, students work all day at school and should not have to do homework.

Sentence Starters

As students write, it may also be helpful to use sentence starters. Teachers can project these on the board, put them on an anchor chart, or print a version for writing notebooks. I also like to do a mini-lesson where I ask the kids what types of sentence starters work well for opinion writing and we create the list together. This process helps them retain the information better and they are more likely to apply it to their own writing.

Ideas for Opinion Writing

There are so many fun and creative ideas for opinion writing.  Kids really get into this writing unit because they feel that their opinion is valued and they are eager to share their knowledge.  It’s really empowering for them!

As an activity, the teacher can present a topic to the class and have students choose a side.  Then kids can debate and state their opinion with reasons.  This is always an exciting way to get the creative juices flowing and it will translate into their writing when they have to support their opinion.

Another idea is to use prompts for opinion writing. This engages the students and helps them get started. Prompts can be assigned by the teacher or students can choose from a list or choice board. Feel free to use the sentence starters below to generate ideas for writing prompts.

• Would you rather . . . 
• Which is more important . .  
• Do you prefer . . . 
• What is the best . . .
• What is your favorite . . . 
• Should . . .
• Imagine if . . . 

Prompts for Opinion Writing

Opinion writing prompts can be created by the teacher or the students. Sometimes students come up with better prompts than I ever could. Plus kids love knowing that a peer created the prompt they are going to write about. If you’re looking for some ideas, the list below has 20 motivating and engaging prompts for kids! Also, check out this blog post to learn more about narrative writing prompts: 20 Prompts for Narrative Writing That Spark Creativity

20 Motivating and Engaging Prompts:

• If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life, what would it be?  Give 3 or more reasons why.
• Should students be able to pick their own seats in class?
• Think of a present you really want.  Now convince someone to buy it for you.
• What is the best pet someone can get?
• Would you rather live somewhere that’s extremely hot or cold?
• Which sport is the best?  Give reasons to support your opinion.
• If you could visit any place, what would it be and why?
• Would you rather live on a rural farm or in a busy city?
• Imagine you could be the President for a day.  What would be the most important thing to do first?
• Which is more important?  Being a good speaker or a good listener?
• If the weather is nice, should kids be able to have their classes outside?
• Do you think kids should have more technology time or less?
• If you could see the world through colored glasses, which color would you choose and why?
• Should kids get money for doing chores or should they just do it to help out at home?
• Convince your teacher to get a class pet.  Tell which animal would be the best choice and why.
• Would you rather visit the moon or a planet?  Explain why.
• If there could only be one season, which would you choose?
• Should kids get to choose their own bedtime?
• Would you rather give a present or receive it?
• Imagine you could create the best dessert ever!  What would it be and why?

Opinion Writing Rubrics

After students have completed their writing, teachers are left with the difficult task of assessing it.  Assessments should be accurate and aligned with the Common Core Standards.  They also need to be helpful for the teacher and the students.  

This is when writing rubrics become extremely helpful as formal assessments. They can be used for benchmarks, progress reports, report cards, and conferences. Rubrics may also be shown to students in advance so they know what the expectations are and how they will be assessed.  

Below you will find three types of opinion writing rubrics.  Check out this blog post to learn more about student-friendly, teacher-friendly, and time-saving rubrics: 3 Types of Writing Rubrics for Effective Assessments

Opinion writing has the ability to engage and empower kids.  Students will be able to explain their thinking by giving reasons and examples.  Mentor texts, sentence starters, writing prompts, and rubrics are all helpful to use in the classroom. I know your kids will love writing and sharing their opinion pieces.

Did you grab your Free Writing Prompt Guide yet?  Writing prompts are perfect for morning work, writing time, centers, or as a homework assignment.  It will save you tons of time and energy. So click the link and grab the guide to get started!

Genre Based Prompts

Related Articles:

• 20 Prompts for Narrative Writing That Spark Creativity
• 7 Ways to Introduce Opinion Writing
• Opinion Writing Ideas and Resources
• 3 Easy to Implement Tips to Teach Opinion Writing

Angela Sutton

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Thanks for sharing. These are my favorite type of writing prompts to give to my students to see how creative they can get.

Yes! These kinds of prompts definitely get the creative juices flowing. The students always love to share their opinions with the class. Happy writing!

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Essay for Primary School: Simple Guide for Kids [with Samples]

The age of primary school students ranges from 5 to 11 years. At this stage of education, children start developing their writing skills. They make their first steps to analyzing and proving their points of view. Besides, they study how to write an essay for elementary school.

Correctly preparing all types of homework, from creative to persuasive writing, is something they should learn how to do. Surely, they need assistance in completing the first tasks. Right now, we will present to you the essentials of a good essay for primary school:

• A captivating topic;
• A precise and clear thesis statement;
• Several introductory sentences;
• Several supporting sentences;
• A strong concluding part.

If now you are looking for some hints for writing primary school essays, you have come to the right place. Especially considering the fact that children may approach the task in a variety of ways depending on how they prefer to study (which is easy to find out by taking a learning style quiz for kids). Below, our team has prepared tips and tricks for kids to nail their primary-level academic papers.

💡 How to Write an Essay for Primary School

An essay is one of the first written assignments you may get. So, we advise you to pay special attention to what your teacher says. Before assigning such a task, they give you explanations for preparing a primary school essay.

Usually, elementary school essays are meant to fire up kids’ imagination and expose their writing skills. No matter what the purpose is, you should approach the task with care.

What should an essay for primary school include?

• A captivating topic ; Selecting a topic is the first thing you will do after you get your assignment. Carefully examine the task’s details and think about something appropriate for your elementary level. Brainstorming your ideas is an excellent place to start.
• A precise and clear thesis statement; Make sure your thesis statement is accurate and brief. Without a clear thesis, your essay will not have a central idea and will be hard to develop. A precise statement tells the reader what your writing is about. Besides, it exposes how good your grip on the central idea is.
• Several introductory sentences; A great introductory paragraph can help you grab your readers’ attention. You can start by including a quote, telling an anecdote, or asking a question. In the introduction, the author also identifies the purpose of the essay and the topic. The paragraph ends with a thesis statement and prepares the reader for the supporting sentences.
• Several supporting sentences; This part of your essay will include the position you presented in the thesis statement. It will either offer an idea or defend it. It can be done in several ways: you can include reasons, examples, and supporting points.
• A strong concluding part. The conclusion wraps up the essay, but it emphasizes all the principal points you have argued throughout your essay. It is the last chance to sway your reader by explaining why the topic is relevant to them. Ending your essay with a strong concluding part shows that the thesis statement has been defended.

Essays for primary schools do not require research or analytical data. All you need is to present your ideas on the specified or chosen topic. Mind the proverb, “the written word remains” while writing your first elementary level essay.

The thing is:

The essay structure explained above will work for assignment kids will face in elementary school, middle school, high school, and up to college level. Teaching kids to write a traditional five-paragraph essay is essential for their academic success. It helps explain to them how to argue their ideas in a coherent and structured manner.

If you need more help with writing essays or with essay proofreading , you are welcome at our site.

✨ Topics for Primary School Essays

See the primary school essay topics that are manageable for an elementary level. It should be interesting for a kid but also informative and engaging for the readers.

These topics will get an A+ for your next school assignment:

• Our world in 50 years;
• My first day at school;
• Future profession;
• My summer holidays;
• My journey through primary school;
• When I grow up… etc.…

You can find a good topic but have no idea how to write a good paper on it. These five essay prompts can be helpful if you need some inspiration.

• What is your favorite day of the week, and why? Think about a day of the week you enjoy the most. Why do you like it? Most of us wait for weekends to rest and spend time outside and with our families and friends. If that’s your case, describe how your usual Sunday looks and explain why you enjoy it.
• What do you like the most about winter? This is another great topic to consider, especially for creative writing. Everyone can pick at least several things they enjoy about winter. Whether it’s the snow, the winter sports, the holidays, or the winter break, write about something you like. It’s a fun and engaging topic for everyone.
• Who’s your hero? All of us have a person they admire. It can be your father, your friend, or a celebrity. Think about the qualities or their actions that make them so special. You can try to tell a little bit about their biography and explain how they influenced you.
• What’s a good friend? You probably have a best friend. In this essay, you can try to explain what qualities do you personally appreciate in them. If you haven’t found a best friend yet, you can try to think about what kind of people you enjoy interacting with.
• Your biggest dream. People are born with the ability to dream. What is your biggest dream? Is it to learn how to drive a boat or visit savanna and see the big five? This essay lets your imagination and your creativity run wild.
• The car I dream about.
• Explain what friendship means to you.
• Describe your parents.
• How do you understand happiness?
• Write how you help your classmates with autism to feel included.
• The most important event of my childhood.
• Discuss why physical activity is important for children and what types of activity you like best.
• Do you like to take part in competitive sports?
• Explain why you like or don’t like figure skating.
• A person who inspires me: my mother .
• What dog would you like to have?  
• Describe your visit to Disneyland or any other theme park.
• My travel to Dresden.
• What challenges did you face in primary school?
• Do you believe in online-friendship?
• What do you do when you feel stressed?
• Tell about your puppy and how you take care of it.
• The reasons my teacher is the brightest figure in my life.
• Describe the kindergarten you went to and explain why you liked or didn’t like it.
• How did you deal with bullies in the kindergarten.
• How I won the fight by losing it .
• Write about your favorite primary school teacher.
• Why everyone should have a pet .
• Explain how you interact with other kids at school.
• Tell about the most exciting event in your life.
• Explore how eating healthy food can help you to do better at school.
• Describe your first visit to a museum.
• The difference of being a child in the past and today. 
• Write about your trip to Yellowstone National Park and what you liked the most about it.
• What makes a good parent?
• How does your dream home look like?
• Do you remember what difficulties you faced while learning to write?
• Tell about your favorite holiday.
• What do you like about Christmas?
• How I learned to ride a bicycle.
• Describe the lessons you have in primary school and which of them is your favorite.
• Write about your physical education teacher.
• Discuss the pre-school education facility you’ve visited.

Sometimes such prompts can help you better than primary school essay writing samples. First of all, it gives you a direction by leaving you with the questions that only you can answer. Second, it shows you a variety of topics and themes available. Nevertheless, we still encourage you to look at some simple essays for primary school for better results.

All in all:

Essays are the most common academic paper that might seem easy to a writer. Our free tips will help you to get through any kind of paper. Still, if you are stuck on essay writing, you can always ask us for help!

Thank you for reading the article! Share it with peers and leave a comment below to let us know your opinion.

Further reading:

• Essay Topics for Grade 8, 9, 10, 12
• What Does an Excellent Essay Look Like?
• 1000-Word Essays: Quick Answers
• Breaking Down the Types of Essays
• A Complete Guide to Essay Writing
• How to Write a Good 5 Paragraph Essay
• The Basics of Effective Essay Writing: Becton Loveless, Education Corner
• 50 Writing Prompts for Elementary School Children: Janelle Cox, ThoughtCo
• Student Writing Models: Thoughtful Learning K-12
• Elementary Archives: JournalBuddies.com
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Being a primary school teacher of English language, I have discovered that many students leave primary school without basic essay writing skills. This is because as teachers, we do less to help and guide the learners in this aspect. We do less because we lack the knowledge and ability to guide the learners perfect this writing skills yet it is considered the production stage of language learning. Kindly help me. Guide me further so that I can also guide my learners.

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49 Opinion Writing Prompts for Students

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One of the most common essay types is the opinion, or persuasive, essay. In an opinion essay , the writer states a point of view, then provides facts and reasoned arguments to support that viewpoint. The goal of the essay is to convince the reader to share the writer’s opinion.

Students aren't always aware of how many strong opinions they already hold. Use the following opinion writing prompts to inspire them to start thinking and writing persuasively.

Prompts About School and Sports

School- and sports-related topics often elicit strong opinions in students. Use these writing prompts to kick off the brainstorming process.

• Ch-ch-ch-changes . What is one thing about your school that needs to change? Is bullying an issue? Do students need longer breaks or a dress code? Choose one vital issue that needs to change and convince school leaders to make it happen.
• Special guest. Your school is trying to decide on a famous person to give a speech or presentation to students. Who do you think they should choose? Write an essay to convince your principal.
• Oxford or bust. Is the Oxford comma essential or obsolete?
• Scribble scrabble. Do students still need to learn cursive handwriting?
• Co-ed conflict. Would students perform better if more schools were single-gender rather than co-ed? Why or why not?
• Participation awards. Should there be winners and losers in sports, or is participation the ultimate goal?
• Homework overload. Write an essay to convince your teacher to assign less homework.
• Sports. Which sport (or team) is the best? What makes it better than the others?
• No slacking . Write an essay persuading a fellow student to do their homework.
• Class trip. This year, students get to vote on where to go for a class trip. Write an essay convincing your fellow students to vote for the place you’d like to go.
• Superlatives. Which would you rather be: a top student, a talented athlete, or an accomplished artist?
• Virtual athletes . Video games competitions are often aired on TV and treated like sports competitions. Should video games be considered sports?
• Class debate. Should classes that students may not use or that don’t interest them (such as physical education or foreign language) be required?

Prompts About Relationships

Friendships, dating, and other relationships can be both rewarding and exasperating. These writing prompts about relationships will help students explore their feelings about both the positive and the negative moments.

• Snitch. Your best friend tells you about his plan to cheat on a test. Should you tell an adult? Why or why not?
• Give it a chance. Your best friend is convinced that she would hate your favorite book, even though she's never read it. Convince her to read it.
• Friendships vs. relationships. Are friendships or romantic relationships more important in life? Why?
• Driving age. What age do kids start driving in your state? Is that age too old, too young, or just right? Why?
• Truth or consequences. Your best friend asks your opinion about something, but you know that a truthful answer will hurt her feelings. What do you do?
• Who chooses? Your best friend is visiting, and you want to watch TV together, but his favorite show is at the same time as your favorite show. Convince him that your show is a better choice.
• Fun times. What is the most fun thing you and your best friend have ever experienced together? Why does it deserve the top spot?
• Dating. Are long-term dating relationships good or bad for teens?
• New friends. You want to spend time with a new student at school, but your best friend is jealous. Convince your friend of the importance of including the newcomer.
• Be mine. Is Valentine’s Day worthwhile or just a scheme for the greeting card and chocolate industry to make more money?
• Debbie Downer. Should you cut ties with friends or relatives who are always negative?
• He loves me not. Is it really better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all?
• Elders. Should you respect your elders merely because they are older, or is respect something that must be earned?

Prompts About Family, Pets, and Leisure Time

The following writing prompts related to family, furry friends, and free time will help students reflect on preferences, ethics, and integrity.

• Self-reflection. This time, you're the one who needs convincing! Write an essay to persuade yourself to start a healthy habit (or kick a bad habit).
• Paper wars. Should toilet paper hang with the loose end resting on the top of the roll or hanging from the bottom?
• Movie vs. book. Choose a book that has been made into a movie. Which version is better, and why?
• Weekend wanderings . Do you prefer to stay home on the weekends or get out and do things around town? Write an essay to convince your parents to let you do what you prefer this weekend.
• Sweepstakes. A travel agency is hosting an essay contest to give away an all-expenses-paid trip to the one place in the world you’d most love to visit. Craft a winning essay that convinces them they need to choose you.
• Zoo debate. Is it ethical to keep animals in zoos? Why or why not?
• Presence of pets. Should there be limits on the types of places pets can go (e.g. airplanes or restaurants)? Why or why not?
• Inspiring stories. What is the most inspiring book you’ve ever read? Why is it so inspiring?
• Dollar discovery. You find a $20 bill in the parking lot of a crowded store. Is it okay to keep it, or should you turn it in to customer service?
• Vacation day. What is the very best way to spend an unexpected day off from school and why is it the best?
• Digital or print? Is it better to read books in print or digitally? Why?

Prompts About Society and Technology

The people and technology around us have a significant impact on our lives. These writing prompts encourage students to consider the effect that society and technological advances have on our day-to-day lives.

• Reverse technology. Pick one technological advancement that you think the world would be better off without. Explain your reasoning and persuade the reader.
• Out of this world . Do aliens exist? Why or why not?
• Social media. Is social media good or bad for society? Why?
• Emoji. Has the use of emoji stunted our ability to express ourselves in writing, or does it help us identify our emotions more precisely?
• Auto safety. Have advancements like self-driving cars, blind spot indicators, and lane departure warning systems made driving safer, or have they just made drivers less attentive?
• Exploration Mars. Write a letter to Elon Musk convincing him that you should be part of a colony to Mars.
• Fundraisers. Is it okay for kids to stand outside stores and ask shoppers for money for their sports teams, clubs, or band? Why or why not?
• Inventions. What is the greatest invention ever made? Why is it the best?
• Important cause. In your opinion, what global problem or issue deserves more attention than it currently receives? Why should more time and money be invested in this cause?
• Minimalism. Does living a minimalist lifestyle make for a happier life? Why or why not?
• Gaming gains. Are video games generally a positive or a negative influence? Why?
• Rose-colored glasses. Is the current decade the best era in history? Why or why not?
• Paper or plastic. Should plastic bags be outlawed?
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177 Questions to Inspire Writing, Discussion, Debate and Reflection

Here are all of our Student Opinion questions from the 2019-20 school year. A New York Times article, interactive feature or video is the jumping-off point for each question.

By The Learning Network

Each school day, we publish a new Student Opinion question. The questions explore everything from family, school and friendships to race, gender and social media. Not surprisingly, this past year, many of our Student Opinion prompts also touched on how the coronavirus pandemic affected nearly all aspects of our lives.

During the 2019-20 school year, we asked 177 questions, and you can find them all below or here as a PDF . The questions are divided into two categories — those that provide opportunities for debate and persuasive writing, and those that lend themselves to creative, personal or reflective writing.

A New York Times article, interactive feature or video is the jumping-off point for each question, and students can view each linked Times article without a digital subscription.

These questions are used by some teachers as a way to spark class discussion and debate, while other teachers use them as an entry point for practicing narrative or persuasive writing. Our Student Opinion questions offer an authentic audience for student voices as well as a way to encourage students to engage with current events and peers from around the world.

We also have a free, on-demand webinar that offers other ideas on how to use our writing prompts in the classroom for everyday low-stakes writing practice across the curriculum.

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Few skills are as critical to educational success as essay writing for elementary students, and kids can get a leg up on their craft by exercising their skills in a variety of ways. Learning the basics through simple practices ensures that children understand what makes an essay effective and successful, and prepares them for further development in high school, college and beyond.

Below are five ways that will foster growth and aptitude in essay writing for elementary school students.

The allure of choice

A great way to encourage enthusiastic essay writing is by allowing kids their individual choice of a book assignment for a literary-style piece, or letting them choose an inspiring idea, either from a list or from their imaginations, for a narrative assignment. Following format and structure is still important, but the freedom students have in covering a topic of their choice may result in excellent work.

A question and answer period

Critical thinking is essential for long-term success in any field, especially writing. Teachers can help students develop this skill by hosting a question-and-answer period after students have read a book or written an essay and read it aloud to the class. Promoting confidence in the writer is also crucial. The questions students ask advance critical thinking about point of view, comprehension and analysis, which strengthen the author’s abilities for every type of essay, including expository, narrative and comparative.

Independent proofreading

Learning how to revise work is a process that takes years to master. One excellent way of teaching proofreading and revision command is returning essays after a few days so students may rework them for a second grade. A fresh look, with or without suggestions for improvement, often reveals the flaws missed on the first draft.

Variety is the spice

Repeating format and structure exercise rules for writing multiple times may cause students to lose interest. To rouse interest, incorporate the full spectrum of essay styles, narrative, persuasive, comparative and expository in assignments. Writing in each format helps students solidify their understanding.

The value of outlines

Enforcing rules and standards is extremely helpful for unmotivated writers struggling to complete open-ended assignments. Providing examples and requiring outlines for every written project focuses efforts and clarifies expectations. It also streamlines the process of writing and breaks it down into manageable sections. Once kids realize that writing is as much about organization as it is inspiration, they swiftly begin honing their technique.

There are many many tips available that are helpful for teaching elementary students how to effectively write a standard essay. These five suggestions are a great start, with plenty of room to delve further into style, structure, inspiration and tone.

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Home — Essay Samples — Life — Childhood Lessons — My Experience in Elementary School

My Experience in Elementary School

• Categories: Childhood Lessons Elementary School

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Published: Mar 20, 2024

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Short Essay for Elementary

Short essay generator for elementary.

Elementary students are already taught how to make essays in preparation for their high school lives. They are trained how to construct a good essay that might be good enough to be samples used for essay competitions and other related activities. If one of your assignments involve writing short essays , you might feel the ease. It seems like an easy task, right? The truth behind that is it can be harder than you think. Essays allow you to express you own thoughts and what you feel about a particular situation. It is best for a student to be trained as early as possible because knowing how to talk about something, may it be orally or written, is really essential. It helps you to become a good communicator.

4+ Short Essay for Elementary Examples

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What is a Short Essay?

A short essay is just a typical type of essay that aims to give detailed descriptions of a particular object, even or phenomena, or issue. You can do this by making a comparison or presentation of anything that associates to the object that you opt to describe. Writing short essays could be challenging at times since it is hard to share your thoughts about an issue especially if you are no longer familiar with it.

There are no specific steps in writing short essays. Aside from it is considered as a literary genre, it also requires talent and artistic expertise. Its writing could be simplified as follows:

Choice of subject – this is an essay that could simply address a topic in a way that it can generate more interest to the readers. The topic should be narrow as possible.

Documentation – this means documenting ourselves reading and looking for different reliable sources that would give us a complete thought of the topic.

Preparation – before you start writing, know first the outline of your essay . This will serve as your essay skeleton that tells you what your next move is.

Writing – express your ideas clearly and logically. Make sure that you are stating what you really intend to say.

Short Essay Format

All of the short essay writings consist of the following:

Introduction – this includes the thesis statement and your strategy on how you are going to catch the attention of your target readers.

Body of Paragraph – this is where you are going to share your thoughts about your chosen subject, event and the like. Think of some ways where your readers can engage themselves. This can be in a form of providing an image into the texts.

Conclusion – your conclusion should be approximately fifty (50) words that summarizes all your main points or ideas. Do not present new ideas.

Short Essay Example

This is a Georgetown Short Essay about Favorite Class

“ At St. Albans, especially in our later years, we are given the freedom to choose from a vast array of classes. Using this freedom, I have selected classes which have personal significance to me, regardless of difficulty or appearance on my transcript. However, from these classes, one holds an extraordinary amount of value to me. This course is A.P. Omnibus History, a combination of American and European history. There are several reasons for my great interest in this class. First, I am fascinated by the cyclical nature of the past. I see these recurring political, economic, and social trends as a means of looking forward into the future, while allowing us to avoid the mistakes of the past. Second, history teaches many lessons about the nature of human behavior, both past and present, providing insight into the actions, desires, and aspirations of those around me. Finally, it lays a solid foundation for several disciplines, including political science, economics, and international relations, three fields of great interest to me. ”

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How long is a short essay.

A short essay would vary. It can have 250 words, 500 words or 800 words maximum depending on what is being required. Mostly, it will only consist of 500 words.

What are the three forms of structure in a short essay?

The three forms of structure are the deductive, inductive and framed. Deductive means exposing the thesis and then develops an argument. Inductive means exploring an argument and then recomposing the topic for conclusion. Framed means you start by presenting your thesis, discuss your argument and then elaborates your thesis again.

What qualifies as a short length essay?

A short length essay means that it is only written in short. The guidelines were all just the same except for the length.

When writing an essay, you have to put yourself in your readers’ shoes. It is still important to do research as it will still be useful to gather some facts. Always make you essay authentic as possible and don’t forget to cite your sources . This will add credibility to your work.

Text prompt

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Short Essay for Elementary on your favorite animal and why you like it

Short Essay for Elementary on what you want to be when you grow up

• Grades 6-12
• School Leaders

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50 Questions To Ask Elementary Kids To Check In and Get To Know Them Better (Free Download!)

Who is your best friend and why?

Getting to know the students in your classroom can be tricky. It can be even tougher to connect when you’re teaching online. Despite the challenge, it’s more important than ever to find ways to check in and strengthen your relationship. Not sure where to begin? Here’s a list of 50 questions to ask elementary kids throughout the year. 

(Want this entire set of questions in one easy document? Get your free PowerPoint bundle by submitting your email here, so you’ll always have them available!)

1. What can I, as your teacher, do to help you this year?

2. What do you want me to know about you?

3. What does a typical day look like for you?

4. If you could be invisible for a day, what would you do?

5. What is something that makes your family special?

6. what is your best quality or greatest strength.

7. What do you like best and least about school?

8. If you could change one rule that your family has, what would you change?

9. What do you enjoy doing with your family?

10. What is the best gift you have ever given? Why was it so special?

11. What are three things that you do every day?

12. If you were a teacher, and the kids in your class would not listen to you, what would you do?

13. Are you a good friend? Why do you think so?

14. How would the world be different if animals could talk?

15. What is the hardest thing about being a kid?

16. What superpower would you like to have and why?

17. If you could make one rule that everyone in the world had to follow, what rule would you make? Why?

18. How do you like to study?

19. Where is your favorite place in the world?

20. If you could change your name, would you? If so, what name would you choose?

21. If you could give one gift to every single child in the world, what gift would you give?

22. What do you want to be when you grow up?

23. What do you love?

24. What are you most afraid of?

25. What is something you do that bothers other people?

26. Tell me about something happening in the world that concerns you.

27. Tell me about something happening in the world today that excites or inspires you.

28. What do you know how to do that you can teach to others?

29. Are you organized or messy?

30. Tell me about a funny or scary adventure you had with a friend.

31. What is the funniest thing that ever happened to you?

32. Who is your best friend and why?

33. How would you change the world if you could?

34. If you could move anywhere, where would you live?

35. If you could be any animal, what would you be?

36. What’s your favorite type of food?

37. What would you change about today?

38. What are you looking forward to learning about this year (week, month)?

39. If you could be someone else for a day, who would you be and why?

40. What is your favorite season and why?

41. What would peanut butter be called if it wasn’t called peanut butter?

42. What’s your favorite book or movie?

43. How do you handle your emotions when you’re upset?

44. If you could be any age, what age would you be?

45. Can you remember a time when you had a really good day?

46. What made you laugh today?

47. What is one thing you couldn’t live without?

48. What is something you want to learn how to do?

49. What does it mean to be a good friend?

50. What is one thing that you like about yourself?

Plus check out this Free Checklist to Keep Your K-5 Reading Intervention Sessions on Track .

If these questions to ask elementary school kids inspired you, join our WeAreTeachers HELPLINE group and come talk with the very teachers who suggested them!

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