Back-to-school writing prompts are an excellent avenue to building excitement for learning, building class community, and a great way for a class to know one another.
Writing Prompts for Back-to-School
Here are three back-to-school writing prompts to get your students excited about learning:
- Tell me about yourself. using the “One In a Million” All About Me Flipbook.
- How will you rock this school year? A perfect companion for the read-aloud book, “We Will Rock Our Classmates” by Ryan T. Higgins.
- Write about one topic that has made you the happiest. For this writing prompt, I use the old-school vibe writing craft, “Be Happy,” which will create an eye-catching writing display for your classroom.
So, let me tell you a little more about each writing activity you can plan for the first month of school.
A Favorite Read-Aloud Writing Prompt
One way to get your students excited about back-to-school and learning is to incorporate fun, and engaging writing prompts and activities. A great way to do this is by using a read-aloud book like We Don’t Eat Our Classmates by Ryan T. Higgins.
So, to help guide you through making the most of this popular book, I have created a balanced literacy unit to save you some time and energy. The We Will Rock Our Classmates Book Companion is full of ELA writing prompts and lessons to deepen students’ learning. (And it’s already done for you!)
Otherwise, before reading the book, introduce the concept of writing prompts to your students. Explain that a writing prompt is a sentence or question that will help them start writing. Tell them that during the story, you will pause to ask them questions based on what they are hearing. These questions will be their writing prompts.
Then, as you read the story, stop after each significant event and ask your students the questions you prepared. Be sure to encourage them to be creative in their responses.
After they have finished writing, invite volunteers to share their answers with the class. Not only will your students have a blast with this activity, but they will also be practicing their writing skills!
You can learn more in this blog post here if you’d like to read about my favorite strategies to use in my writing lessons.
A Get-to-Know You Back-to-School Writing Activity
One way to get to know your students and help them get to know each other is by doing a “Get to Know You” writing prompt and activity.
For the last few years, I have been using the “One in a Million” Flipbook. The top cover has an adorable slice of watermelon with the title. The whole lesson goes a little deeper than most get-to-know-you activities. In this situation, we are celebrating student differences inside and outside by making this analogy to a watermelon. Then, I make the main point of being taught that we are all special in our unique ways.
To do this, you will need to prepare a list of questions for your students to answer. I like to ask things like, “What makes you unique?” and “What are your passions?”. Therefore, the questions you choose will depend on your student’s age and ability level.
Once your students have finished answering the questions, invite them to share their responses with the class. This also is a great way to get to know your students and help them feel more comfortable in their new environment.
Watermelon analogy to ourselves:
- What do you look like on the outside? (outside of watermelon and our outer appearance)
- What are you like on the inside? (discuss feelings/emotions)
- Write three fun facts about yourself. (the seeds are details found within the watermelon)
- What are your goals for this school year? (another seed found within)
After your students have finished answering the questions, have them illustrate their answers. Then, hang their papers up around the room and invite everyone to walk around and read them. This is an excellent way for students to get to know each other and feel comfortable in their new classroom!
An Adorable Writing Prompt and Craftivity
Another back-to-school writing prompt that will get your students excited about learning is the “Be Happy” Opinion Writing Craftivity. The writing prompt is about one topic that has made you the happiest.
For this activity, you will need to provide each student with a copy of the “Be Happy” printable. Once students are finished cutting and gluing the pieces, students will write about the one topic that has made them the happiest. This is an excellent opportunity for students to reflect on the positive things in their lives and start the school year off on a happy note!
The writing lesson teaches the essential features of opinion writing and walks your class through the writing process. For students needing differentiated writing support, there is built-in scaffolding and student support to ensure every student is successful.
The “Be Happy” writing craft is a great way to get your students back into the swing of things and start the school year off positively!
To do this craft, you will need the following:
- Construction paper
- Scissors
- Glue
- Markers or crayons
Instructions:
- Students cut and glue a yellow smiley face above the lined writing paper.
- Then, the students color the title in any creative fashion they wish.
- Students complete each step of the guided opinion writing lesson.
- Display the finished projects in your classroom or hallway!
Your students will love this craft, which will also be a great way to get to know them better!
Summary of Back-to-School Writing Prompts
Back-to-school is an exciting time for students and teachers alike. It’s a time to reflect on the past year and set goals for the coming one. It’s also a great time to get kids writing! Writing prompts are a great way to get to know one another, and the “Be Happy” writing craft is perfect for starting the year off on a positive note! So get back-to-school writing with these fun and engaging activities!
Are your students struggling and making very little progress in writing? Or maybe they’re unmotivated or a reluctant writer? If so, I’ve got your back.
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-Melissa
