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.