First grade is an exciting time for young writers. Having conquered basic handwriting and spelling skills, they’re ready to start using all those words and writing rules they’ve learned to start sharing ideas and stories of their very own. But the writing muse is fickle, and the process itself isn’t always as straightforward as it seems.
That’s where writing worksheets come in. Graphic organizers can go a long way towards helping young authors more clearly see and understand things like structure and flow, and keep their writing on point when it’s time to start drafting. These 1st grade writing worksheets will help your students stay on track and stay motivated, no matter what subject they’re writing about.
#1. The Opinion Writing Worksheet
For more vocal students, opinion writing gives them a creative and productive outlet through which they can vent and share their thoughts with others. For shy students, opinion writing gives them the opportunity to speak up about their own beliefs without having to speak out loud. In both cases, it’s also an excellent first step towards the more advanced process of persuasive writing. This 1st grade opinion writing worksheet works well as both a brainstorming device and a visual representation of how to structure an opinion piece, including an opening statement supported by two relevant reasons and a solid conclusion.
PROJECT IDEA
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Of course, the best way to share your students’ ideas with a wider audience is to publish their work. My 3 Wishes by Mrs. Naugle’s class is a prime example of how student opinion writing can also make for a beautiful classbook. They put their own twist on the typical opinion writing structure by each choosing three wishes, and then providing one main reason for each wish. The result? A creative and unique classbook full of ideas they’re proud to share with the world.
#2: The Informative Writing Worksheet
Informative writing presents its own unique set of challenges to young students still learning the ropes. It can be all too easy to get distracted and go off on a tangent or get discouraged by how much information there is to process. This informative writing worksheet for 1st graders helps your students organize their thoughts and stick to the main facts, while fun tips from the bees in the margins provide important reminders about things like what is and isn’t a fact.
PROJECT IDEA
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Mrs. Riedling’s class honed their informational writing skills by publishing their very own educational classbook, Dinosaurs! Each student chose a different species to write about, including three or more fun facts about their favorite dinos. Publishing your own students’ informational writing doesn’t just teach your students even more about the writing process—it’s also their chance to teach their friends and peers something new!
#3. The Narrative Writing Worksheet
Everyone enjoys a good story—and few enjoy them more than kids. Engaging narrative writing exercises are the bread and butter of motivating students to write creatively and effectively. But even professional authors struggle sometimes with getting their stories out of their heads and onto paper. Perhaps the most helpful support you can give your students during this process is a visual guide. This narrative writing worksheet helps your students identify the four fundamental elements of a story—characters, setting, a problem and a solution—during the planning stage. This ensures that they’re telling a complete story, one they’ll be as excited to share as their classmates will be to experience it.
PROJECT IDEA
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Narrative writing is, perhaps, the most obvious choice if you’re looking to create and publish a book project with your class. Mrs. Durbin’s class turned their own narrative writing activity into an impressively creative and collaborative project with their classbook, Turkey Goes to School. Instead of writing separate stories, Mrs. Durbin’s students worked together to identify the basic elements of their story and then took turns contributing a few paragraphs each to the narrative itself.
Bonus Worksheet: The Writing Process Checklist
When exploring the full writing process with your students—from first draft through final edits to the finish line of publication—you and your class may also find it helpful to use a checklist to keep track of overall progress. This writing process checklist helps illuminate the process in a fun, easy-to-follow format, and can be used for any type of writing activity, whether your students are sharing opinions, facts or fictional tales. Simply have your students color in each checkmark as they complete each stage of the process!
Writing Worksheets for 1st Grade Authors
A vital part of learning to write effectively involves learning how to organize thoughts and choose the appropriate structure for the type of writing involved. Luckily, for each type of writing activity, there’s a writing worksheet that can guide your 1st grade students. Like training wheels on a bike, these graphic organizers will help your students practice the basics until one day, they’ll be able to use what they’ve learned without thinking twice. And, by choosing to publish their work in a classbook, you’ll be able to show them just how far they’ve come—and give them a long-lasting memento of their training wheel days to look back on fondly in the future.
For more inspired worksheets, lesson plans and other creative resources for your 1st grade classroom, check out our online teacher’s lounge and be sure to sign up for your free publishing kit today!
Image sources: Lead image via Shutterstock; Images 1, 2, 3, 4 via Studentreasures