Opinion writing in grades K–6 is more than just persuasive essays. It lets kids express what they really think and see their ideas matter on the page. In this episode, we look at what makes opinion writing special: children sharing real opinions on topics they care about, building their sense of self, and bravely taking risks with their words. You’ll hear how opinion writing grows from simple preferences with pictures and labels to more thoughtful arguments that consider other viewpoints. We also share a list of mentor texts you can use to lift the level of your students’ opinion writing. Finally, we offer ways to celebrate students’ work, like author’s chair, hallway displays, family mailings, and online publishing, all focused on giving students a voice and the joy of sharing their opinions with real audiences.

Go Deeper 

• Doug Kaufmann
• Tracey Lafayette
• Beth Moore’s website for paper
• The New York Times’ Writing Contests

Books We Mentioned:

• 1,000 Awesome Things by Neil Pasricha
• Breakfast on Mars and 37 Other Delectable Essays: Your Favorite Authors Take A Stab at the Dreaded Essay edited by Brad Wolfe and Rebecca Stern
• Don’t Feed the Bear by Kathleen Doherty
• Can I Be Your Dog by Troy Cummings
• Eating to Save the Planet by Ann Broyles
• Our Favorite Day of the Year by A.E. Ali
• The Black Mambas by Kelly Crull

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• Melanie Meehan: meehanmelanie@gmail.com
• Stacey Shubitz: stacey@staceyshubitz.com

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For more about teaching writing, head to the Two Writing Teachers blog.