Everyone has an opinion, even elementary students. Use that to your advantage and learn how to teach opinion writing in first grade and kindergarten! Let's take a look:
If you've ever offered a tray of cookies to a classroom full of elementary students you know they each have an opinion. Some insist on the chocolate chip cookie while others really want the peanut butter cookie. Others will turn up their nose to anything except the sugar cookie! Opinion writing can be one of the most interesting genres of writing that you teach because everyone has their own opinion.
What is opinion writing?
The definition of opinion writing is when an author gives their opinion about a topic and then supports it with facts and examples. The idea of stating their opinion is relatively easy for a young child. They either like something or they don't. The challenging part of teaching a kindergarten or first-grade student how to state their opinion is showing them how to write it in a step-by-step manner.
Common core standards ask students to write opinion pieces that introduce the topic or name the book being written about, express an opinion, supply a reason, and provide some sense of closure. Let's take a look at how to help students achieve this goal.
Step 1 – Build background knowledge for opinion writing
It's important that students understand what it means to state their opinion. A great way to show this is by using mentor texts that give good examples of opinions. One of my favorite books to use for this is The Day The Crayons Quit. In this book, a box of crayons goes on strike and writes letters to their owner telling all the reasons they are quitting. It's a great example of opinion writing that students can understand.
Some other great opinion writing mentor texts are:
Don't Let The Pigeon Drive The Bus
Step 2 – Choose a topic
The first thing you need to do when teaching students how to write their opinion is to choose a topic. It's important that you pick a subject that is important to kids. It will be much easier for them to express their opinion if they actually care about the topic that you're discussing. What are some topics that kids are interested in? TV shows, food, video games, toys, holidays are a few examples that you can pick from.
If you're allowed to use food in your classroom, that can be a great place to begin for opinion writing. An example would be to have students choose from 3 flavors of ice cream – chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry. Give each child a small scoop and let them enjoy it. When you're finished, they can write why their ice cream was the best.
Here are some of my favorite ideas for how to teach opinion writing:
Step 3 – Create an opinion writing anchor chart
Once you've introduced the concept of an opinion to your students and decided on a topic, use an anchor chart to help them understand this type of writing. I like to use the OREO model with my students. I tell them that they must begin by giving their Opinion, give a Reason, some Examples, and then finish by stating their Opinion again.
Need an opinion writing anchor chart for your classroom? Click here to grab this free OREO anchor chart.
Step 4 – Model
Next, model for your students exactly how to write an opinion. Show your students how to refer to your OREO anchor chart to help them remember all the parts included:
Use a large piece of chart paper and show students exactly how to begin by stating your opinion and giving a reason for that opinion.
Next, show students how to give 2-3 examples of why you feel the way you do. As you're writing remind students that you are starting each sentence with a capital letter, leaving spaces between your words and putting a period at the end of each sentence. Show students how to use an exclamation point if you have a particularly strong feeling about the topic.
Finally, show students how to complete their writing by restating their opinion.
Step 5 – Independent Writing
Now it's time for students to write their own opinion on the topic. It's a good idea to remove your example before the students begin. You want your students to write their own opinion, not just copy your example. Be sure to leave your OREO anchor chart where students can see it to remind them of the different parts to include in their writing.
When students are first learning how to write their opinion, it's a good idea to use a writing template to help them get started. Students can follow the prompts on the template to remind them to state their opinion, give a reason, some examples, and restate their opinion.
As students become proficient in this type of writing they won't need the aid of a template. These templates are great because they're differentiated for your struggling, on-level, and advanced learners, meeting the needs of everyone in your classroom.
As your students are working, walk them through the process the first few times they try opinion writing. Take them step-by-step as they write their opening opinion, reason, examples, and closing opinion. Walk around the room and check to make sure every child understands and give help as needed.
Step 6 – Illustrations
Finally, have your students draw a picture to go with their writing. You can even have students make a simple craft to illustrate their opinion.
These differentiated writing templates include opinion, informational, narrative, and friendly letter writing templates with built-in rubrics that are perfect for kindergarten and first-grade writers. Click here to take a closer look.
