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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Lewis and Clark Expedition - RACES Writing Strategy Worksheets
Practice using the RACES writing strategy for text evidence with a Lewis and Clark Passage, graphic organizer, and worksheet.
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Roll to Create a Creature - Drawing Game
Use a die and a chart to create a creature to include in a narrative text or a comic strip.
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Boston Tea Party - RACES Writing Strategy Worksheet
Integrate reading, writing, and American history with a worksheet about the Boston Tea Party using the RACES writing strategy for text evidence.
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Leveled Paired Passage Worksheets-Mammals vs. Reptiles
Differentiate reading instruction with leveled nonfiction, compare and contrast passages, and worksheets.
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Christmas Writing Prompt Dice Game - Roll-a-Story
Roll a Christmas Writing Prompt and write a fun Christmas story with our printable Christmas Dice activities.
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Narrative Plot Structure Template
A template for students to use when planning the plot structure of a narrative text.
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Roll to Create a Christmas Story - Writing Prompt
Roll the die to generate a fun Christmas writing activity with a roll-to-create Christmas worksheet.
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Christmas Writing - December Writing Prompts
Inspire your students to write creatively with a set of 30 Christmas writing prompts for kids.
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Procedure Sequencing Activity - Snowman
A worksheet to use in the classroom when learning the sequence of a procedure.
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Amelia Earhart Constructed Response Worksheet
Use this passage, second grade writing prompt, and worksheet to help students write a constructed response paragraph about Amelia Earhart.
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Winter Writing Prompts for Beginning Writers
Celebrate winter and your growing writers with Winter writing worksheets for Kindergarten and first grade.
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Kids' Christmas Craft and Holiday Writing Prompts
Build an eye-catching Christmas bulletin board with holiday writing templates for your elementary students.
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How to Decorate a Christmas Tree - Year 1 Procedural Writing
Practice sequencing and writing procedural texts with an interactive ‘How to Decorate a Christmas Tree’ slide deck and differentiated writing prompts for 1st grade.
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Narrative Writing Planning Template
A template for students to use when planning a narrative text.
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Christmas Writing Prompts for Beginning Writers
Celebrate Christmas time and practice those writing skills with your young sentence writers.
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Developing Narrative Writing Skills - Grade 3 and Grade 4
An 18-slide editable PowerPoint template to use when teaching your students about the structure and language features of narrative texts.
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Summer Santa on Vacation - Christmas Writing Prompts
Inspire hilarious Christmas narratives with a printable set of Santa on Vacation writing prompt worksheets.
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Change My Mind - Thanksgiving Turkey Craft and Write
Explain why you still need to eat turkey on Thanksgiving with a fun Thanksgiving Turkey Craft and persuasive writing prompt.
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Types of Poetry - Anchor Chart Pack with Annotations
Introduce structured forms of poetry to your students with this set of 9 annotated poetry posters. .
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How to Build a Snowman - Procedural Writing Worksheets
Explain how to build a snowman with a pack of printable procedural writing worksheets
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Roll to Create a Haunted House Halloween Activity
Have some spooky Halloween fun with a Roll-to-Create Halloween Art activity.
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My Research Project - Pennant Banner
Create a pennant banner for students to record and display their biography research.
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Write About It! How to Cook a Turkey
Bring Thanksgiving dinner into the classroom with a group of leveled informational writing prompts about turkey!
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Readers Theater – Play Writing Template
A template for students to use when writing their own Readers Theater script.
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Biography Cube
Research and create an interactive biography for a historical figure.
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Persuasive Writing Planning Template
A planning template to use when writing a persuasive or opinion text.
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Opinion Texts Writing Task - Zoos Are No Place for Animals
A writing activity to help students construct a detailed and reasoned opinion text.
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Letter to Santa Template
Write a letter to Santa with a printable letter to Santa Template that includes fill-in-the-blank sections to help young students build their letter.
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Opinion Paragraph - OREO Planning Template
Help your students write well constructed opinion paragraphs using the OREO acronym with these planning templates.
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Christmas Paper Bag Puppets
Make paper bag puppets for Christmas fun with a printable paper bag puppet template.
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Reading and Writing Nonfiction Text: Tornado Worksheet Bundle
Enhance your students' comprehension, vocabulary, and writing skills using a high-interest reading passage about Tornadoes.
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Milton Hershey RACES Writing Strategy Worksheets
Bring National Chocolate Day into your classroom with a biography and RACES writing worksheet about Milton Hershey.
- Types of Writing Templates
- Types of Writing Worksheets
- Types of Writing Posters
- Types of Writing Games
- Types of Writing Word Walls
- 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