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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Plan Your Own Adventure - Writing Template
Students use a template to help them plan stories with alternative pathways for their friends to read.
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Fairy Tales Text Type Poster With Annotations
A poster about fairy tales, including an annotated example.
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Interview Text Type Poster With Annotations
A poster about interviews, including an annotated example.
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Choose Your Own Destiny - Writing Template
Students use a template to help them write stories with alternative pathways for their friends to read.
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Literary Recount Text Type Poster With Annotations
A poster about literary recounts, including an annotated example.
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Resilience Acrostic Poem Worksheet
Have students write a resilience poem to help them understand the meaning of this crucial social-emotional skill.
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Describing Fairy Tales Settings: A Writing Activity
Guide students to describe fairy tale settings using visual prompts and scaffolded writing activities.
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Write a Shape Poem Worksheet
Set your students up for success when writing a concrete poem with this set of scaffolded, easy-to-follow worksheets.
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Write a Haiku Poem Worksheet
Set your students up for success when writing a haiku poem with this set of scaffolded, easy-to-follow worksheets.
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Write an Ode Worksheet
Set your students up for success when writing an ode with this set of scaffolded, easy-to-follow worksheets.
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Write a Cinquain Poem Worksheet
Set your students up for success when writing a cinquain poem with this set of scaffolded, easy-to-follow worksheets.
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Write a Ballad Worksheet
Set your students up for success when writing a ballad with this set of scaffolded, easy-to-follow worksheets.
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Write an Acrostic Poem Worksheet
Set your students up for success when writing an acrostic poem with this set of scaffolded, easy-to-follow worksheets.
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Poetry Anchor Chart With Annotations
Use this poetry anchor chart to introduce your students to the structure and language features of poems through an annotated example.
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Simple Informative Texts - Writing Scaffold
A simple scaffolding worksheet to use when writing informative texts.
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Build an Animal Fact File – Cut and Paste Worksheets
Use this set of 5 writing prompts to assess your students’ informative writing skills.
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Write a Diamante Poem Worksheet
Set your students up for success when writing a diamante poem with this set of scaffolded, easy-to-follow worksheets.
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Picture Writing Prompts
These picture writing prompts are a great way to help students develop their writing skills. A visual writing prompt can be generated at random or chosen specifically.
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Random Story Starter Generator
Use the random writing prompts for kids in our short story generator widget to inspire your students creativity and boost their writing skills.
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Celebrating Poetry Month in the Primary Grades – Weeks 4 and 5
Celebrate National Poetry Month in the primary classroom with this planning guide and set of resources.
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Celebrating Poetry Month in the Primary Grades - Week 3
Celebrate National Poetry Month in the primary classroom with this planning guide and set of resources.
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Celebrating Poetry Month in the Primary Grades - Week 2
Celebrate National Poetry Month in the primary classroom with this planning guide and set of resources.
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Celebrating Poetry Month in the Primary Grades - Week 1
Celebrate National Poetry Month in the primary classroom with this planning guide and set of resources.
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Writing an Opinion Piece Unit Plan - Grade 5 and Grade 6
This English unit addresses the genre of opinion writing; specifically, how to write an effective opinion piece.
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Developing Opinion Writing Skills Unit Plan - Grade 3 and Grade 4
This English unit addresses the genre of opinion writing; specifically, how to write a well-structured opinion piece.
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Experimenting with Poetry Unit Plan - Grade 5 and Grade 6
This English unit addresses the common elements of poetry and explores how these may be applied to shape poems, limericks, odes and simple ballads.
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Exploring Procedural Texts Unit Plan
This English Language Arts unit has been designed to introduce procedural texts to younger students. It addresses the purpose, structure and language features of instructions and recipes.
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Exploring Informative Texts Unit Plan - Year 1 and Year 2
This English unit has been designed to introduce the informative genre to younger students; specifically, the purpose, structure and language features of information reports.
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Developing Informational Writing Skills Unit Plan - Grades 3 and 4
This writing unit addresses the informative text type; specifically how to write a well-structured informational text.
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Writing Informative Texts Unit Plan - Year 5 and Year 6
This English unit addresses the informative text type; specifically, how to write a well-structured informative text.
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Developing Narrative Writing Skills Unit Plan - Year 3 and Year 4
This English unit addresses the narrative text type, specifically, how to plan and write an engaging story.
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Exploring Narrative Texts Unit Plan - Year 1 and Year 2
This English unit uses fairy tales to introduce the narrative text type to younger students. It addresses the structure, characters and language features of a narrative.
- 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