Types of Writing Teaching Resources
Explore the different types of writing with your students this school year with printable RACES writing strategy worksheets, constructed response activities, graphic organizers and more teacher resources created by teachers for teachers.
This collection of curriculum-aligned teaching resources has been carefully reviewed by our expert teaching team to make sure every resource is classroom-ready — so we can make your lesson planning easier!
New to teaching the types of writing, or just looking for new ways to engage your students? Read on for a primer from our teacher team!
What Are the Different Types of Writing? 4 Main Writing Genres to Share With Students
If you're introducing the different types of writing — or different genres of writing — to your students, it can help to have some basic descriptions of each type at hand. That's exactly what our teacher team has put together for you!
When we sit down to write any text, we have a goal for writing. Sometimes we're looking to tell a story. Sometimes we want to share information. Other times a piece of writing is created to persuade the reader.
The goal or purpose of a text, as well as its audience, helps us determine what type of writing we need to create.
There are many different genres of writing that students will encounter as readers and writers over their lifetimes, but let's start with the four main types of writing that we cover in elementary and middle school.
1. Narrative Writing
Narrative writers tell stories, making up characters and creating different settings for their readers. The goal of this type of writing is to entertain the reader.
2. Persuasive Writing
If you're trying to convince a reader of something, you'll need to engage in persuasive writing. This type involves trying to convince a reader to take a specific action or to agree with your point of view.
3. Descriptive Writing
When we want to describe something to a reader, the type of writing we create is called descriptive writing. In this genre, we use vivid details to paint a picture in the reader's mind.
4. Informative Writing
If your goal is to create a piece of text that provides the reader with facts or instructions about a specific topic, the type of writing to choose is informative writing.
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Structure, Rhyme and Rhythm
A 60 minute lesson in which students will identify and investigate structure, rhyme and rhythm in poetry.
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Guided Writing - How To Make Fruit Salad
A 60 minute lesson in which students will jointly construct a simple recipe for fruit salad in small groups.
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Using a Stimulus - Independent Writing
A 60-minute lesson in which students will independently write an informative text using appropriate text structure, language, and features.
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Modeled Writing - How to Wash a Woolly Mammoth
A 60 minute lesson in which students will jointly construct a simple procedure about a familiar experience.
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Simon Says!
A 60 minute lesson in which students will explore action verbs, common nouns, and adverbial phrases in procedures.
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Procedural Texts - Language Features
A 60 minute lesson in which students will identify and explore the language features of procedures.
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Procedural Texts - Text Structure
A 60 minute lesson in which students will identify and explore the structure of procedures.
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Elements of Poetry
A 60 minute lesson in which students will explore the common elements found in poetry.
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Research Skills - Note-Taking
A 60-minute lesson in which students will take appropriate notes from an informative text.
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Instruct Me!
A 60 minute lesson in which students will explore how procedures provide instructions about completing a task.
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Applying Proofreading and Editing Skills
A 60-minute lesson in which students will learn and apply proofreading and editing skills.
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The Poet's Lament
A 60 minute lesson in which students will explore their preconceived ideas and attitudes towards poetry.
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Using A Fact File - Shared Writing
A 60-minute lesson in which students will use a fact file and scaffolding sheet to write an informative text in pairs.
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Poetry Defined
A 60 minute lesson in which students will develop an understanding of what constitutes poetry.
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Writing an Informational Paragraph - Modeled Writing
A 60-minute lesson in which students will write an informative paragraph.
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Building a Description Using Facts
A 60-minute lesson in which students will build a description of an animal, person or object using facts.
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Informational Texts - Language Features
A 60-minute lesson in which students will identify and explore the language features found in informational texts.
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Informational Texts - Text Structure
A 60-minute lesson in which students will identify and explore the structure of an informational text.
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Personal Recounts - Modeled Writing
A 60 minute lesson in which students will jointly construct a simple personal recount about a familiar experience.
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Fact or Opinion?
A 60-minute lesson in which students will identify the difference between a fact and an opinion.
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Adding Detail Using Emotion Words
A 60 minute lesson in which students will investigate how emotion words can add detail to a personal recount.
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Personal Recounts - Language Features
A 60 minute lesson in which students will identify and explore the language features of personal recounts.
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Face the Facts!
A 60-minute lesson designed to introduce the purpose of informational texts.
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Personal Recounts - Independent Writing
A 60 minute lesson in which students will independently construct a simple personal recount about a familiar experience.
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Personal Recounts - Shared Writing
A 60 minute lesson in which students will construct a simple personal recount about a familiar experience in pairs.
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Research Skills - Note Taking
A 60 minute lesson in which students will take appropriate notes from an informative text.
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Fact or Opinion?
A 60 minute lesson in which students will identify the difference between a fact and an opinion.
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Using Persuasive Devices
A 60 minute lesson in which students will identify and explore persuasive devices.
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Adding Detail Using Describing Words
A 60 minute lesson in which students will investigate how descriptive words, such as adjectives, can add detail to a personal recount.
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Using a Stimulus - Independent Writing
A 60 minute lesson in which students will independently write an informative text, using appropriate text structure, language and features.
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Action Verbs in Simple Past Tense
A 60 minute lesson in which students will investigate how action verbs can be expressed in simple past tense.
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Applying Proofreading and Editing Skills
A 60 minute lesson in which students will learn and apply proofreading and editing skills.
- Types of Writing Templates
- Types of Writing Worksheets
- Types of Writing Posters
- Types of Writing Games
- Types of Writing Word Walls
- Types of Writing Projects
- Types of Writing for Kindergarten
- Types of Writing for 1st Grade
- Types of Writing for 2nd Grade
- Types of Writing for 3rd Grade
- Types of Writing for 4th Grade
- Types of Writing for 5th Grade
- Types of Writing for 6th Grade
- Types of Writing for 7th Grade