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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Sequence a Procedural Text – Cut and Paste Worksheets
Use these procedural writing examples to teach your students about sequencing instructions in a logical order.
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Describing Animal Adaptations - Informative Writing Prompt Worksheets
Write to describe animals and their adaptations with a printable pack of informative writing worksheets.
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Polar Bear Craft Template
Pair a polar bear craft and informational writing to create a fun winter animals bulletin board.
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Exaggeration and Hyperbole Interactive Activity
Explore hyperbole examples with your students using this digital game perfect for lesson warm-ups or lesson wrap-ups.
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Letter to Santa Printable - Upper Grades
Write a letter to Santa on fun printable Santa letter templates.
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Design a Donut Persuasive Writing Interactive
Explore persuasive writing with this fun donut-themed interactive activity.
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Dog or Cat? Persuasive Writing Project
Help students plan out persuasive writing with this very common argument, which is best dogs or cats?
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Firefighter Report Writing – Fact File Activity Pack
Engage your class with firefighter report writing activities that combine expository writing practice with real-world learning about community helpers.
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OREO® Opinion Writing Poster
Help students remember the structure of opinion texts with this fun OREO® acronym.
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Time Order Words - Transition Words Word Wall
Help your students demonstrate the passage of time in their writing with 35 time-order transition word cards.
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Roll to Create a Silly Book Title - Differentiated Writing Activity
Have some fun with a hands-on Read Across America activity using a die and chart to create a silly book title and storybook.
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Wheely Wonderful Words – Emotional States Vocabulary
A word wheel of synonyms and similar words used to describe emotional states.
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Opinion Writing Teaching Slides
Teach your students about the structure and language features of opinion texts with an interactive teaching slide deck.
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Poetry Terms - Word Wall Display
Display and discuss terms related to poetry and figurative language with a set of 30 word wall cards.
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How to Decorate a Christmas Tree - Kindergarten Writing Worksheet
Practice kindergarten writing skills with a Christmas procedural writing prompt.
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Holiday Messages - Printable Christmas Cards for Kids
Four holiday-themed Christmas cards for kids to make and send to loved ones, veterans, and other community members.
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Persuasive Letter Writing Anchor Chart
Explore persuasive letter writing with your students using this annotated anchor chart illustrating the format for persuasive letters.
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United States Patriotic Symbols - Holiday Worksheets
Build and write sentences about patriotic holidays in the United States with a group of six holiday sentence-building worksheets.
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Roll to Create a Thanksgiving Feast - Creative Writing Prompts for Kids
A fun, hands-on Thanksgiving activity using a die and a chart to create a narrative text.
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Fall Vocabulary Cards and Writing Center
“Fall” into writing stations with a Fall word display and fall writing prompts for first grade.
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French and Indian War - Brochure Project Template
Create a graphic summary of the French and Indian War with a brochure template.
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Westward Expansion Close Reading and Writing Pack
Enhance your students' close reading strategies, vocabulary, and writing skills with a Westward Expansion reading passage and accompanying activities.
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Henry Ford Worksheet- RACES Writing Strategy
Provide students with Social Studies and Writing instruction using the RACES strategy for constructed response paragraphs.
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Urbanization Constructed Response Worksheet
Use this nonfiction constructed response worksheet to teach your students about urbanization.
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Declaration of Independence- Constructed Response Passage Worksheet
Blend reading, writing, and historical concepts with the Declaration of Independence worksheet.
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Industrial Revolution Worksheet - Constructed Response
Blend reading, writing, and history concepts surrounding the Industrial Revolution with a constructed response worksheet and graphic organizer.
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Soccer vs. Football -Differentiated Paired Passage Worksheets
Differentiate reading instruction with nonfiction texts, compare and contrast activities, and response to text writing opportunities.
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Moving West- Constructed Response Writing Worksheet
Teach your students how to write a good constructed response and integrate grade level Social studies concepts with a Westward Expansion-based Constructed Response worksheet and graphic organizer.
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Let's Research! Digital and Print Poster Project Templates
Conduct, organize, and display research about books, people, planets, animals, states, and countries with a versatile set of printable and digital poster templates.
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My Nobel Peace Prize – Upper Grades
Encourage students to think about how they could make the world a better place with our Nobel Peace Prize writing template.
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10 Fun Facts Writing Template
Use this template to distinguish between fact and opinion when studying informational or biographical texts.
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Biography Anchor Chart with Annotations
Use this biography anchor chart to introduce your students to the structure and language features of biography writing through an annotated example.
- 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