Persuasive Writing for Kids: Techniques and Writing Topics
Persuasive writing allows the author to share their ideas and persuade (or attempt to persuade) the reader to agree with them.
We are bombarded with persuasive writing every day. From political press conferences to why you need to buy fast food, it is something our children are exposed to constantly.
For this reason, teaching persuasive writing to children gives them the skills to navigate the world they live in and to make informed decisions about the information they receive.(1)
In this article, we are going to take a look at persuasive writing for kids and how we, as parents, carers, and tutors, can help them develop the essential skill of persuasive writing.
What is Persuasive Writing for Kids?
In the Australian Curriculum, kids begin learning persuasive writing techniques as early as Grade 3. Introducing these ideas and techniques early, and providing appropriate writing help for kids, positively shapes a child’s long-term educational success, and sets them up for success in the future.(2)
Elements of a Persuasive Writing Paper
So, what does a persuasive writing paper involve?
At a primary school level, students need to be able to clearly say what the topic of their paper is, which side of the argument they are on, and why they think that is the right side. This structure and approach to communicating an idea can be difficult for children to understand and put into practice.
Children tend to communicate through narrative, telling stories drawn from their own experiences to explain their points of view. However, with practice and easy-to-use structures, every child is able to understand and master this form of writing.
If you are interested in improving your child’s English grade or practising persuasive writing with them, there are some sample persuasive writing topics listed below.
Persuasive Writing Techniques For Kids
There are many techniques used in schools to help kids of all ages learn how to write persuasive papers, and these techniques can also be practised at home. We’ve included three techniques that you can use with your child to help them develop their persuasive writing skills.
Use a Writing Template for Kids
Templates are powerful tools that allow kids to physically see the structure of a persuasive writing paper and to organise their thoughts. Depending on the age of the child, you, or you’re childs’ tutor, might use a writing template that looks something like this(3):
To use this, or other templates, you would talk through each section of it with your child before beginning to write, making sure that they understand the structure and taking time to fill it out slowly.
Add-In Transition Words
After organising their thoughts and writing their persuasive paper, the next step for your child is to go back through the paper and add in transition words. These are words and phrases such as (4):
- For example
- Therefore
- In conclusion
- In my experience
- According to research
Your child may be unfamiliar with some of the phrases used in persuasive writing, but you can help them by talking with them about what each one means, and discussing where they would like to use it in their paper.
Help Your Child Edit
After writing their paper and adding in transition words, the final task for your child is to edit their work. Editing can be difficult, especially for younger children, and they may need a lot of support to read over their work again checking grammar, spelling, and sentence structure.
It can be a difficult task for us as adults too, but editing with your child has rich rewards. It allows them to see the value of doing good work to the best of their ability, teaches them editing skills that will be required of them throughout their schooling, and provides an opportunity to work together and discuss your child’s writing and opinions on a deeper level.
Persuasive Writing Topics For Kids
As children develop and mature, so do their abilities to write and think critically. We can see this reflected in the complexity of the topics provided by schools for persuasive writing papers. It’s worth noting, that while younger children may have a harder time developing a persuasive argument and using words related to the genre, this does not mean that they are incapable of writing a persuasive essay.
Listed below are some persuasive writing prompts organised by age groups. At the end of this article, you will find links with additional writing prompts for your perusal.
Year 3-5(5)
- Pets should be allowed in schools.
- School lunch breaks should be longer.
- We should all grow our own vegetables.
- The best dessert in the world is…
Year 6-8(6)
- Kids should be allowed to use their phones in school.
- The greatest book ever written is…
- The best way to define success is…
- Students should have a greater say in what they learn.
Year 9-12(7)
- What is a skill that everyone should have?
- What is the best show on television today?
- What is the media’s responsibility to the public?
- Do you believe our government should invest in space exploration? Why or why not?
Persuasive Writing For Kids Can Be Simple!
It may sound daunting at first, but persuasive writing for kids can be simple, and even fun as they engage with new ideas and possibilities.
Introducing these skills early, and building on them throughout school, is crucial for educational success and for success later in life. The more support children have in developing these skills at home the better, but the time and resources to do this are not always available for parents and carers.
If you’re concerned about your child’s persuasive writing skills, remember that there is always help available through programs run in schools and services such as A Team Tuition. With the right support, every student can master persuasive writing!
Are you looking to improve your child’s English and writing skills but unsure where to start? A Team Tuition is here to help. With our tried and true tutoring methods, we can help your child improve in any subject with at-home and online tutoring. Find a tutor near you today!
- “Persuasive Writing | Classroom Strategies.” Reading Rockets, 2022, https://www.readingrockets.org/strategies/persuasive_writing.
- Crowhurst, Marion. Persuasive Writing at Grades 5, 7, and 11: A Cognitive-Developmental Perspective. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association. 11 April 1983. Education Resources Information Center, American Education Research Association, https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED230977.pdf. Research Paper.
- “Persuasion Map.” Read Write Think, 2022, https://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/printouts/persuasion.
- “How to Teach Persuasive Writing for Children – Speech And Language Kids.” Speech And Language Kids, 4 November 2021, https://www.speechandlanguagekids.com/teach-persuasive-writing-children/.
- “15 Persuasive Writing Topics & Prompts for Elementary Students.” Journal Buddies, 14 February 2022, https://www.journalbuddies.com/writing-2/persuasive-writing-prompts-for-elementary-students/.
- “Persuasive Essay Topics (31 Ideas!) • JournalBuddies.com.” Journal Buddies, 25 September 2018, https://www.journalbuddies.com/writing-2/persuasive-essay-topics/.
- “Persuasive Essay Prompts • JournalBuddies.com.” Journal Buddies, 1 November 2020, https://www.journalbuddies.com/prompts-by-grade/persuasive-essay/.
