4th grade essay writing

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101 Exciting 4th Grade Writing Prompts for 2023 (Free Printable!)

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Fourth grade is a time for students to continue to hone their writing chops as they put to use the skills they’ve learned and gain confidence in their abilities. We’ve collected this list of fourth grade writing prompts—including opinion, persuasive, informational, and narrative—to spur your students’ imaginations and get them writing!

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• Persuasive and Opinion Writing Prompts
• Descriptive and Expository Writing Prompts
• Narrative and Personal Writing Prompts
• Creative Writing Prompts
• Current Events Writing Prompts

Persuasive and Opinion 4th Grade Writing Prompts

Would you rather be good at sports or good in school? Why?

Would you rather have lots of money or lots of friends? Why?

What is your favorite subject in school? Why?

Are fourth graders ready to stay home alone? Why or why not?

Name two characters from different books that you think might be good friends. Why?

Which is more important for success, skill or luck?

Should kids be paid an allowance to do chores around the house? Why or why not?

Why are classroom rules important?

If you had a time machine, what era of history would you visit?

Why is math important?

Why is science important?

Should fourth graders have cell phones? Why or why not?

If you could open a store, what type of store would it be and why?

Which would you rather read: a scary story that gives you goosebumps or a funny story that cracks you up? Why?

What is the hardest thing about being a fourth grader?

If I were the ruler of the world, the first law I would pass would be … because …

If you found a backpack filled with dollar bills, what would you do?

Is it ever OK to tell secrets? Why or why not?

What animal makes the best pet? Why?

Is it better to spend an hour a day reading or an hour a day exercising? Why?

Descriptive and Expository 4th Grade Writing Prompts

If you had a YouTube channel, what would you talk about?

What’s the best book you’ve read recently? What was it all about?

If you won a million dollars, how would you spend the money?

Describe what you think of as perfect weather.

Describe how to build a birdhouse step by step.

Write five rules for staying organized.

What is the worst book you ever read?

Describe the physical appearance of someone in your family in detail.

Imagine you are in a hot-air balloon above your house. Describe everything you can see.

Describe how to play your favorite board game.

There’s an old saying: “The squeaky wheel gets the grease.” What do you think this saying means?

Describe your perfect day.

One of your little cousins is very nervous about starting kindergarten. What would you tell them to make them feel better?

Imagine you are an adult and describe your dream job.

Explain your morning routine in detail, from waking up to arriving at school.

Describe the perfect meal, including what you’d eat and where you’d dine.

Share what you do on a typical non-school day.

Explain the right way to do one of your household chores, like making your bed or cleaning your room.

Describe your favorite room at home in detail.

How do you prepare for a big test? Describe the ways you study or practice.

Narrative and Personal 4th Grade Writing Prompts

Share one of the stories your family has told you about when you were a baby.

What is the funniest thing that has ever happened to you?

Write about an adult you look up to.

What’s the nicest thing anybody has ever done for you?

If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

Write about a time you felt like quitting but didn’t. How did you keep yourself going?

Do you like nonfiction books or fiction books better? Why?

What makes your family unique?

What would you say is your greatest strength? Greatest weakness?

Are you a patient person? Why or why not?

What is something you’ve never done that you would like to try?

What is the weirdest thing that has ever happened to you?

Write about a time you tried something new and how you felt before, during, and after.

What is your earliest memory?

What’s your favorite holiday? What makes it so special?

Write about a time when you felt proud of yourself.

Tell the story of your favorite field trip of all time.

If you could relive any day in your life, what would it be? Would you want it to be the same or different?

What holiday is important to your family? Describe how you celebrate it together.

What’s the best gift you’ve ever gotten? How did it make you feel?

Creative 4th Grade Writing Prompts

If you met an alien, what three questions would you ask them?

Pretend you drank a magic potion that made you as tiny as an ant. Where would you go and what would you do?

Pretend you ate a magic pill that made you as tall as a redwood tree. Where would you go and what would you do?

Write a story that includes these five words: keys, spaghetti, uncle, jellyfish, spaceship.

What would the world be like if dinosaurs still existed?

If you could invent something new the world really needs, what would it be? How would it work?

Retell a classic story, making the villain the hero instead.

Imagine that one day you woke up and found everyone in the world could no longer talk. What would happen next?

Write a new chapter of your favorite book, with yourself as a new character.

Imagine you woke up one morning with a superpower, like invisibility or the ability to fly. Describe your experiences learning how to use that power.

Use these words to start a story: “When I opened the box that came in the mail, I never expected to find …”

Describe a world where it rains fruit juice and snows M&Ms.

Come up with the most ridiculous excuse possible for why you are unable to turn in your homework today.

Describe a world where all the adults are robots, but kids are still human kids.

Imagine a conversation between yourself and a talking animal.

Describe the kind of creature you’d create if you were a mad scientist. Would it be scary and mean? Nice and friendly?

Invent a new kind of candy. Give it a name, and write a commercial jingle for it.

Write about a day where kids are in charge instead of grown-ups.

Imagine you’re lost in a haunted wood, and tell the story of your escape.

Tell a story that ends with these words: “… and that’s how we all learned to fly.”

Describe a night in the life of the tooth fairy.

Current Events 4th Grade Writing Prompts

If you made a time capsule for this year, what would you put in it?

Describe something that you saw in the news recently and how it made you feel.

Tell about an event that happened recently at your school or in your town.

What do you think is one of the world’s biggest problems right now, and how would you solve it?

Read a news story about something happening in another country and summarize it.

Write a news article about something important that happened to you this week.

Create a poem about something in the local news right now.

Write a letter to the editor about a current issue, explaining your opinion.

Find a “good news” story, and share why it makes you happy.

What living famous person do you most admire and why?

What do you think kids today can do about climate change and global warming?

Learn about an endangered animal, and describe what we can do to help it.

What does the word “racism” mean to you?

What is one thing you would do to make your school or town a better place?

Choose an upcoming sports event, and explain who you think will win.

Describe a current fashion trend or something that’s very popular in your school right now, and how you feel about it.

What can we do to help people with different opinions get along with one another better?

Interview a grown-up you know, and write a news article about them.

What do you think is the best new song right now? The worst? Why?

Describe an event that’s happening in the world right now that you don’t understand. What questions would you ask a grown-up about it?

How do you use writing prompts with your students? Come share your ideas and ask for advice in the We Are Teachers HELPLINE group on Facebook .

Also check out 57 awesome 4th grade books you’ll want to share with students ..

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4th Grade Writing Prompts

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Students in fourth grade need varied practice developing their writing skills. According to the Common Core State Standards Initiative , fourth-grade writing should include opinion pieces, informative or explanatory texts, and narratives about real or imagined experiences. Additionally, a fourth-grade writing curriculum should include short research projects. 

These writing prompts offer diverse forms of inspiration for every student.

Opinion Essay Writing Prompts

In an opinion essay , students must state their opinion and back it up with facts and reasons . Ideas should be organized logically and supported by details.

• Best Friends Forever. Write an essay explaining what makes your best friend the best best friend. 
• Awesomeness.  Describe the most awesome thing about being in fourth grade.
• New Worlds. Would you rather help start a colony on a new planet or a city under the ocean? Why?
• School Food. Name one thing you would like to change about your school’s menu and explain why.
• Someday. If you could be a race car driver, an astronaut, or president of a country, which would you choose and why?
• Cityscapes . If you had a friend visit from another state, what is the one place in your city you would insist he or she had to see? What makes this place so special?
• Shipwrecked. You find yourself stranded on a deserted island with only three items in your backpack. What would you want those items to be and why?
• Flat Earth. Some people still believe that the Earth is flat . Do you agree or disagree? Include supporting facts.
• Extra! Extra! Name one class, sport, or club you wish your school offered and explain why it should be available.
• Seasons. Which season is your favorite and why?
• One-star . What is the worst book you have ever read and what made it so terrible?
• Fandom. Who is your favorite TV, movie, or music star? What makes him or her the best?
• Progress.  Identify a way in which you would like to improve as a student this school year. Explain why you would like to get better and list some steps you can take to make it happen.

Informative Essay Writing Prompts

When writing an informative or explanatory essay, students should introduce the topic clearly, then develop the topic with facts and details. When explaining a process, students should outline the steps in a logical order.

• Bullied. Explain how you would handle being bullied and the steps you would take to stop a bully.
• Mad Skills. Describe an unusual talent, hobby, or skill that you possess.
• Cuisine. Describe a food that is unique to your family or area of the world to someone who has never tasted it.
• Role Model. Think of a person who has made an impact on your life and describe the role they’ve played.
• Pay It Forward. What is one thing you would like to do—either now or in the future—to make the world a better place?
• Packing. Explain the most effective way to pack for a trip to ensure that you have everything you need.
• Wild Kingdom. Of all the animals wild or domesticated, write about your favorite. Include interesting facts about this animal in your essay.
• Gaming. Explain how to play your favorite video or board game to someone who has never played it before.
• Problematic. Describe a problem you’re facing and three ways you could possibly solve it.
• Extreme Weather. Choose an extreme weather condition or a natural disaster such as a tornado or a volcanic eruption. Explain its causes and effects.
• Sweet Treats. Explain the process of making your favorite dessert.
• Learning Styles. Think of the way you prefer to learn, such as by reading, listening, or doing. Explain why you think you learn best that way.
• Edison. Thomas Edison said that he didn’t make mistakes, he just learned 10,000 ways not to make a light bulb. Describe a mistake you made and the lesson you learned from it.

Narrative Essay Writing Prompts

When writing narrative essays about real or imagined experiences, students should use descriptive details and logical sequence. They can use dialogue and sensory details to develop their essay .

• Microscopic Details. Imagine being microscopic. Describe an adventurous trip through your body.
• Alone. You find yourself locked in your favorite store alone overnight. Where are you and what do you do?
• Homeless. A friendly stray dog follows you home from school. What happens next?
• Time Travel. Imagine you could travel back in time to when your mom or dad was your age. Write an essay about your relationship with your fourth-grade parent.
• Mismatched. Write a story about someone your age. The story must include a giraffe, a mouse, a flying carpet, and a large birdcage.
• Pet Peeve.  Recount a moment when something really got on your nerves. Describe the experience and why it irritated you so much.
• Surprise! Think of a time your teacher surprised your class. Describe what happened and how the class reacted.
• Special Moments. Think of a specific day or event that you will always remember. What made it so special?
• Travel Through History. Imagine you could travel back in time to live through one event from history . Describe the event and write about your experience.
• The Most Terrible Day. Write an essay about a day when everything went wrong. How did the day start and end, describe the experience.
• Road Trip. Write about a favorite family vacation or road trip. Where did you go? What made it special?
• Funny Pet Tricks.  Can your pet do a funny or unusual trick? Describe it.
• President. If you could be president for a day (or the principal of your school), what would you do?

Research Project Essay Writing Prompts

Fourth-grade students should also complete short research projects using books, magazines, and online sources . Students should take notes and provide a list of the sources they used in their research.

• New Puppy. You want a new puppy. Do some research to determine the best breed for your family and write about it.
• Battles . Research and write about what you consider the most significant or famous battle in history.
• Famous People. Choose a famous person from history or science and write about their lives and contributions.
• Animal Kingdom. Select an animal to research. Include facts about its behavior, habitat, and diet.
• Countries. Choose a country. Investigate its culture and holidays, and find out what life there is like for kids your age.
• States. Pick a state you’ve never visited. Learn three to five unique facts about the state to include in your essay.
• Inventions. What do you think is the greatest or most useful invention of all time? Find out who invented it and how and why it was invented.
• Native Americans. Choose a Native American tribe. Learn about where they lived, their culture, and their use of natural resources in their area.
• Endangered Species. Research and write about an animal that is endangered. Include facts about why it is endangered and any changes that people can make to help increase its population.
• Fine Arts. Learn more about an artist or composer. Include facts about their life and death and most well-known works.
• Authors. Research an author whose books you enjoy. Include facts about what inspired him or her to start writing.
• Dig Deeper.  Research something you’ve studied in history, science, or literature but would like to know more about.
• State Standouts. Choose a famous person from your state. Learn about his or her life and contributions.
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100 Fun Writing Prompts for 4th Grade: Journal Prompts

• Journal Writing Prompts
• Descriptive Writing Prompts 
• Fiction Writing Prompts 
• Opinion Writing Prompts
• Funny Writing Prompts 
• Informative Essay Writing Prompts
• Animal Writing Prompts 
• Poetry Writing Prompts 
• Narrative Essay Writing
• Emotion Writing Prompts 

Writing help stimulates and organize thoughts in children. They make them better off expressing whatever they have in their mind and feel a little less burdensome.

But, how do we inspire young children to write?

Writing Prompts are a perfect genesis for developing writing habits in kids. They brew creativity, vocabulary, a sense of expression and so much more in them.

Without much ado, let’s get straight to the list of 4th grade writing prompts.

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Here are more learning resources for your 4th grader to aid to their learning!

100 Fun Writing Prompts for 4th Grade

10 Journal Writing Prompts

It is important to develop self-expression in kids, which can be made possible through regular journaling. For kids as young as 4th graders, journalling can boost the flow of ideas and spark reflective communication in them. Refer to the list of 4th grade journal prompts and get your students on a writing fling. 

1. What is a secret dream of yours? What can you do now to reach it later in your life?

2. What kind of a friend do you think you are? List three things where you can improve and become a better friend.

3. What is one thing that your teacher does that you don’t like? How would you like her to do that instead?

4. What is your favorite thing about being in the class?

5. Recount the best picnic you had with friends. Where did you go? What part did you enjoy the most?

6. Make a list of 30 things that you love about your life.

7. Who is your inspiration and why?

8. If you are allowed to make a single wish, what would it be?

9. Write about your favorite hobbies

10. Write about the best gift you have received. What made you love it so much?

10 Descriptive Writing Prompts 

Somewhat similar to 4th-grade journal writing prompts, Descriptive prompts can be a great tap into creativity. When you want to keep your students busy with writing in a way that builds a love of details in them, here are the writing topics for 4th graders that you shouldn’t miss.

1. Write about 3 places that would like to travel to. Why and with whom?

2. Imagine your new classmate starts school today. What would you do to welcome them?

3. Describe a mistake you made and what you learned from it.

4. Your uncle overseas wants to know about your city. Write a letter to him describing your city- the famous monuments, eateries, parks, and more.

5. If you get to become a teacher for a day, which subjects will you teach and why?

6. Who inspires you in the family, and why?

7. Share your experience about a time when something unexpected happened.

8. Describe your favorite classmate. What is one more thing(s) that you would want to learn from him/her?

9. What is your favorite outfit? Why and where would you wear it?

10. You have found a lucky object. Share the little details about it.

10 Fiction Writing Prompts 

What is life without fantasy and fiction? Precisely, nothing. Fiction is a powerful tool to pen down the flow of ideas without having to follow a particular format. It not only fuels creativity but improves writing skills and concentration. So, if you are planning to assay your student’s imaginative power, use these writing prompts for 4th grade.

1. Last night, you traveled into space. What did you see?

2. Put yourselves in the shoes of a mad scientist who just discovered a fruit. How does it look it? Narrate its journey from the innovative lab to the market.

3. In your favorite fairy tale, a prince decides to be a villain instead of a hero. Write the chain of events that unfold.

4. One day, you wake up to see that your elder brother has been turned into a horse by an evil witch. Build a story around the scenario.

5. On a lonely stormy night…Continue the story.

6. You have acquired a superpower to turn invisible whenever you like. Narrate the events of how and where you would use this superpower.

7. You were transported into the last story you read. Where are you? How would the story change with your presence?

8. Imagine you got a chance to climb up the ladder to the clouds. Write what you see there.

9. You woke up to find out that you have grown wings. How would your life change?

10. “Do not be angry” I told myself. But, as I looked down… Complete a story.

10 Opinion Writing Prompts

Supporting critical thinking and vision, Opinion writing prompts can be instrumental in shaping the thought process in young minds. More often than not, even the senior students are not aware of how many strong opinions they hold. Therefore, it becomes crucial to let kids practice how to present their arguments in their development years. Here’s a list of opinion writing prompts for 4th grade to kickstart their writing journey.

1. Should recess time be longer in schools? Why, or why not?

2. Should 4th graders receive pocket money from their parents? Why, or why not?

3. Share the best pizza eatery in your town. Why do you think it’s the best?

4. With the annual function coming up, your school wants to invite a famous personality to deliver an inspirational speech or presentation. Who do you think will be the best fit?

5. Would you rather be a class topper, a fine artist, or an excellent sportsperson?

6. Do you think smoking should be banned? Why, or why not?

7. Share your opinion on students bringing a cell phone to school.

8. Should everyone exercise every day? Share your opinion.

9. If you were to plan the school lunch menu, what will you include?

10. Is homework a good practice for learning? What do you think?

10 Funny Writing Prompts 

Do you see your kids getting bored of writing on general topics? Don’t worry, refer to our list of fun writing prompts for 4th grade! Funny Writing Prompts are a great icebreaker to stir up the imagination and interest in students. Moreover, teachers can let students read aloud their fun stories in class. Get ready for a giggle-packed writing period with writing prompts for 4th grade!

1. Your homework was eaten by a dog. Write a story to convince your teacher.

2. Write a story using 5 words: funny, bird, sleep, guitar and pajamas.

3. Imagine you woke up and saw a giant sleeping next to you. Narrate the story.

4. Create a story where chocolate cake is the main character.

5. The rabbit jumped on the moon and the dish ran away with the spoon. Build a humorous story.

6. Imagine your best friend cannot stop sneezing and farting throughout the day. What do you think the day would look like to him?

7. Imagine someone cast a spell on your mother. She could talk nothing but only meow. How would your life change? What can you do to break the spell?

8. Everyone around you turns into a robot. How would you spend your day?

9. What would happen if you ate a cookie and became a dwarf? Narrate the scenario.

10. I never thought my cat would laugh… Continue the story.

10 Informative Essay Writing Prompts

The essence of Informative Writing prompts lies in how well students can convey particulars about an object, a personality, or an event to the readers. As much as they improve their writing skills, the prompts compel the young minds to think critically, and fetch cues from their memory and learning.

Check out the writing ideas for 4th grade kids on the list to make your work a little easier!

1. Write the importance of water in our lives. How can we save water?

2. What are traditions? Which one do you like the most and hate the most in your family?

3. Imagine you are a city tour guide. What are the best places to visit in your city?

4. What is the most interesting book you have ever read? Write a book review.

5. Write a ‘how to play’ guide for your favorite game.

6. Recollect the times you were in quarantine. Write an interesting story about how you overcame tough times.

7. How should we take care of our younger siblings?

8. You are at a farm with your family. Write all that you see around you.

9. Imagine you just experienced an earthquake. What was the first thing you did? Narrate the details.

10. You have become a store manager for a day. Write about all the responsibilities and tasks that you undertook throughout the day.

10 Animal Writing Prompts 

We all agree that animals fit naturally into our stories. That’s because humans share an unbreakable bond with animals. So, why not have a writing session that features animals? This will surely infuse some excitement and divergent thinking in the classroom . Here’s some animal creative writing prompt for 4th graders!

1. Write some interesting facts that you know about animals.

2. How would it be if you woke up doing ‘meow meow’ one morning? Write a story.

3. Imagine dinosaurs taking over the world. What do they make humans do?

4. What if you are in a forest and a lion starts talking to you? What would the conversation be like?

5. If you were allowed to pet 5 animals, which one will you choose and why?

6. ‘A camel was walking in the desert but suddenly…’ Construct an interesting story.

7. Write a story about the friendship of a pigeon and squirrel living on the same tree.

8. Imagine you are swimming in the Indian Ocean and a shark arrives. What will you do?

9. Is the zoo a good place for animals? Why, or why not?

10. If you could have a superpower to turn into any animal, which animal would you become to save a girl who’s been kidnapped? Why?

10 Poetry Writing Prompts 

In a world where classic literature has been lost under social media slang, poetry is still a breath of fresh air. Moreover, poems for kids can be really helpful in improving creative writing skills. They not only learn the real rules of literature and grammar but find joy in expressing themselves. Jump into the poetic world with these 4th grade writing prompts.

1. Write poetry about your first day in 4th grade.

2. Write a haiku about your favorite ice cream.

3. ‘Silvery sweet sound’… Continue the poem.

4. ‘There was once a wise man who told me’. Write a limerick using this line.

5. ‘I met a funny little man…’ Write an interesting poem.

6. Write poetry about Mother Earth.

7. ‘When the winter snow begins to fade…’ Continue the poem.

8. ‘The story is strange, as you will see, The weirdest thing ever happened to me.’’ Write a poem to describe the weirdest scenario you have been in.

9. ‘I woke up one morning with a mermaid tale’. Write a poem.

10. ‘Snow slips down swiftly’. Write a haiku.

10 Narrative Essay Writing

One of the widely practiced 4th grade writing prompts, Narrative writing is all about expressions and stories. It encompasses the beginning, middle, and end of a narrative. Whether it’s a personal incident or a fact or a fiction, it’s sure to spark a joy of creativity in young ones. Here are some ideas that you can use as 4th grade narrative writing prompts.

1. Suppose you become a school principal for a day. Write about what changes you will make in the school.

2. You have to describe your family members to someone who has never met them before. How will you do it?

3. If you had a chance to keep an extra chair at the dining table tonight, whom would you invite and why?

4. What is your favorite memory from 3rd grade? Share details about it.

5. What is one thing that makes you feel sad? How do you overcome this sadness?

6. Write about your favorite holiday meal.

7. When did you score poorly on a test? What did your parents say?

8. Write about your experience at a summer camp. Would you go this year again?

9. If given a chance to visit another planet, where would you go and why?

10. This year my goals are… Write about what all you want to achieve by the end of the year.

10 Emotion Writing Prompts 

Just as adults need an outlet to express their bubbling emotions, so do kids! Journalling is a powerful tool, facilitating reflection and critical thought. While journalling might be a difficult step for most kids, writing prompts can support their creative outlet. It can aid them in expanding their own ideas, articulating their feelings, and boosting their confidence. Look at some interesting fourth grade journal prompts that kids will love!

1. Write a letter to your 15-year-old self.

2. What are 10 things you and your best friend are good at?

3. Describe your favorite time of the year. What activities do you do during this time? Who do you spend it with?

4. Imagine you found a genie who promises to grant you 3 wishes. What wishes would you make?

5. Write about a time you felt a strong emotion- be it happiness, sadness, anger, etc. What made you feel that way? What did you do to control it?

6. Suppose it is your mother’s birthday next week. How can you make it memorable for her? What planning will you do?

7. Do you know about your strengths and weaknesses? Write 5 each.

8. You have to thank 10 people today. Who will be on your list? How will you be thankful to them?

9. When someone compliments you, how do you respond to it?

10. Write about all the times you have felt happy in the last week.

12 Ways To Help 4th Graders With Writing

When it comes to giving a creative push to 4th graders, there can be nothing better than writing prompts. Since young students face more hurdles in following a structural approach to writing, prompts can help kids relieve that pressure. Consequently, they can enjoy flexibility in writing, allowing more room for creativity and imagination.

While kids may benefit immensely from writing prompts, it cannot be made possible without a mentor’s encouragement and support. Here are some of the creative ideas around 4th grade writing prompts that you can explore with kids:

• Encourage recollecting past experiences to stir up the writing process
• Give them friendly instructions
• Talk through building imaginary scenarios
• Respond actively to their communication and prompts
• Curating problem prompts and discussing the probable solutions
• Sharing classic tales or retelling them to fit the current scenario
• Jotting down facts to build creative prompts
• Emphasizing on development of opinionated argument
• Inspiring to write in a variety of styles
• Providing comprehensive support to build the writer’s confidence
• Highlighting authentic grammar rules and spelling
• Use of digital tools to create prompts

The above list is not exhaustive, and there’s always enough room for creativity.

To ease things for you, here are three steps you can consider while using writing prompts:

Step #1: Introduce the statement or topic to the students to steer the creative writing ship

Step #2: Encourage students to make a personal connection with the prompt given, and brainstorm the key points with them

Step #3: Convey the purpose of the writing assignment- an essay, a paragraph, or any other form of writing. Instruct the students using sufficient information to better equip them with writing cues.

Summing Up…

Young kids need support to build writing skills as much as adults do. Writing prompts can be a perfect anchor to get set kids on a writing spree. We hope the above 4th grade writing prompts can serve the enjoyment and purpose of your class! Good Luck!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How can i improve my child’s writing skills using elementary prompts.

It is imperative to build focus in kids as young as 4th graders. Unfocused writing can become troublesome for them in the future. To improve focus, emphasize using basic prompts that encompass their favorite things- toy, place, picnic memory, cup, etc. Make a list of all that they like and ask them to write small details about them. Let them practice these as much as they want. This way, sticking to a single topic, will surely help them stay clear and focused until they start with longer essays.

How do I keep a tab on my child’s progress in writing?

Writing prompts are in themselves a great tool to help teachers and parents measure the progress of the kid. The best way to see whether the kid has improved or not is to let them practice with the elementary prompts daily. You must skim through them, and politely pinpoint the grammatical or punctuation errors. 

However, do not be too harsh on them while communicating their mistakes to them. Remember, all good things take time! Moreover, do not compare your child’s progress to any other child. All children have different capacities and speeds to grasp things. Target steady growth!

How can I make writing prompts a fun activity for the class?

There are endless possibilities to creatively support the use of 4th grade journal prompts. You can divide the students into small groups and pin a challenge of writing prompts between them. Furthermore, teachers can make use of attractive resources like flashcards, worksheets, etc. to add a spark of enthusiasm and fun to the class. 

Since little appreciation and kind words go a long way, you can keep exciting rewards for the kids who perform exceptionally. There’s so much that you can do to unleash the creative side of your 4th graders.

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4th grade writing

by: Jessica Kelmon | Updated: August 4, 2022

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In fourth grade, study skills play an important role in your child’s writing. Kids do research using multiple sources. They also learn to take notes on what they research, read. and hear. And even stories are more advanced, with more developed characters who show their feelings and react to what happens. And perhaps most important, your child is expected to analyze a book’s structure, logic, details, and evidence in their writing. It’s all pretty impressive!

Building 4th grade study skills

This year taking notes is an important skill. Fourth graders are expected to use books, periodicals, websites, and other digital sources to conduct research projects — both on their own and as part of group work with peers. Your child should keep track of all the sources they check — noting what they learn, the name of the source and page number or url so they can find it again and create a source list or bibliography later.

Also, taking notes while reading fiction will help your child when it comes time to analyze what they’ve read or to give an in-depth description of a character, setting, or story event drawing on specific details.

Check out this related worksheet: •  Finding key points

bttr, better, best!

Last year’s prewriting step — planning — becomes more essential in your child’s writing process this year. Before your child sits down to write, they should use their organized notes to help create the structure of whatever they’re writing. While planning , your child may brainstorm ideas for a story or decide how to organize facts into a cohesive set of points. The more knowledge your child builds during the prewriting stage, the easier it will be to write. Encourage reading and rereading, taking notes, finding additional sources, discussing aloud how new knowledge fits in with what your child knew before, and visually organizing what they plan to write about. After the first draft is written, the teacher and possibly other students will offer feedback: asking questions to elicit new details or clarify an argument or suggest new sources of information. They should check that there’s a clear introduction and conclusion, and that the order of points or events makes sense. Your child will then do a revision (or two), adding, reordering, and refining their writing to show deep understanding.

After making revisions, your child does a final edit focusing on spelling, grammar, punctuation, and strengthening word choices. These steps — planning, writing a first draft, revising, and editing the final piece — help fourth graders understand that research, organizing, clarifying ideas, and improving grammar and presentation are all essential to strong writing.

See what your fourth grade writing looks like

Fourth grade writing: opinion pieces

Your child’s opinions always need to be supported by evidence. Persuasive writing should start by clearly introducing an opinion on a topic. To support their opinion, kids need to present their argument, which is a list of reasons why they hold that opinion. Each of their reasons needs to be supported by facts and details (a.k.a. evidence). After presenting all of their research-supported reasons, kids should close their arguments with a concluding statement or paragraph that sums up how their evidence supports their opinion.

Check out this example of good fourth grade opinion writing: • “ Zoos should close ”

Fourth grade writing: informative writing

This year, your child’s informative writing gets more organized, with headers, illustrations and even multimedia components to support specific points. To begin, your child should introduce the topic. Then they should use facts, definitions, details, quotes, examples, and other information to develop their topic into a few clear, well thought-out paragraphs. Your fourth grader should use advanced linking words (e.g. also, another, for example, because ) to form compound and complex sentences connecting their research and ideas to the point they’re making. Finally, to wrap it up, your child should have a conclusion — either a statement or, if necessary, a section labeled conclusion.

Check out these three examples of good fourth grade informational writing: • “ John Cabot and the Rediscovery of North America ” • “ Big Book of Evolution ” • “ Book report: A Tale of Despereaux ”

Can your fourth grader write an informational essay?

Fourth grade writing: narratives

A narrative means writing a story. This year your child will be expected to use storytelling techniques, descriptive details, and clear sequences to tell compelling tales. Whether inspired by a favorite book, real events, or your child’s imagination, your child’s story should use dialogue, descriptive words, and transitional language. Look for precise language and sensory details that bring characters to life. Finally, your child should keep pacing and sequence of events in mind. The events should unfold naturally, bringing the story to a natural conclusion. Are surprise endings okay? Sure… so long as the details and events plausibly lead there.

Check out this related worksheet: •  Putting sentences in order

Gettin’ good at grammar

You may want to review all those parts of speech your child learned last year because fourth grade grammar is expected to be quite accurate. Your child should know relative pronouns (e.g. who, whose, whom, which, that ), relative adverbs (e.g. where, when, why ), adjective ordering (e.g. short dark hair and small red bag ), descriptive prepositional phrases (e.g. in the air, down the block, on the grass ), progressive past, present, and future verbs (e.g. I was walking, I am walking, I will be walking ), and verbs used with other verbs to express mood or tense (aka modal auxiliaries, e.g. can, may, must, should, would ). Also, your child needs to master the distinctions between frequently confused words like to , too , and two and there , their , and they’re . Finally, your child should be able to recognize and correct run-on sentences.

Check out these related worksheets: •  Prepositions •  Compound sentences •  Punctuating a paragraph •  Its or it’s?

Learning to use language precisely

This means:

• Recognizing and explaining common idioms (e.g. bending over backwards )
• Distinguishing between similes and metaphors (e.g. quiet as a mouse and the sun is a yellow beach ball ).
• Identifying and using synonyms and antonyms
• Using increasingly specific words in writing (e.g. glamorous instead of pretty, pre-dawn instead of morning, quizzed instead of asked )

Your fourth grader should now be using relevant academic words in informational writing and research reports. Although accurate spelling should be the norm in fourth grade, when faced with spelling more academic words, your child should use a dictionary and thesaurus (print and digital versions).

Check out these related worksheets: • 4th grade weekly spelling lists • Making metaphors • Simile or cliché?

Sharing their work

Most classrooms will encourage (if not require) kids to use technology to produce and publish their writing. Your fourth grader should be able to type up to a full page in one sitting. While teachers should be there to help, your child should be doing the work. Students will also be expected to interact with peers about each other’s work. What might that look like? Your child might read a classmates’ published work online and comment on it, or cite a peer’s work when answering a question in class.

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Writing Prompts for 4th Grade: Fostering Creativity

Most teachers would agree that unleashing 4th graders' imagination through writing is crucial, but can be challenging.

This article will provide an abundance of creative writing prompts for 4th grade to foster imaginative thinking and writing skills.

You'll discover prompts across narrative, descriptive, opinion and essay writing, including historical adventures, natural disasters, character dialogues, imaginary worlds and more. There are also sample writings and effective strategies to implement these prompts.

Unleashing Imagination with Writing Prompts for 4th Grade

Creative writing is an important part of a 4th grader's development. It helps build critical thinking skills , enhance vocabulary, and gives students an outlet to express their thoughts and ideas. As an educator, implementing engaging and thoughtful writing prompts is key to nurturing your students' creativity.

Understanding the Role of Creative Writing in Grade 4

Creative writing allows students to tap into their imagination. As 4th graders begin thinking more abstractly, creative writing provides an opportunity for them to stretch their minds. Benefits include:

• Strengthens ability to develop stories and express ideas
• Allows students to explore interests more deeply
• Builds vocabulary and language skills
• Develops planning, organizing, and editing abilities
• Boosts creativity and imagination

By giving students open-ended creative writing prompts, they can engage with topics that excite them. This leads to more involvement in the writing process.

Effective Strategies for Implementing Writing Prompts

Here are some tips for successfully integrating creative writing prompts into your 4th grade curriculum:

• Set clear expectations - Discuss the goals of creative writing and what you hope students will get out of the experience. Establish guidelines for length, format, etc.
• Inspire ideas through class discussions - Have students brainstorm prompt ideas together. Capture their thoughts on the board.
• Give students options - Offer a choice of several prompts or let them develop their own based on interests.
• Allow time to organize ideas - Before writing, have students map out key points. Outlining helps them structure their thoughts.
• Encourage creativity - Stress that creative writing has no right or wrong answers. The goal is to tap into imagination.

Setting the Stage for Creative Writing

The writing prompts covered aim to spark creativity across three styles:

Narrative - Students develop storytelling skills. Prompts inspire the use of description, plot building, and character development.

Descriptive - Prompts allow students to practice describing people, places, objects or events using vivid sensory details.

Opinion-based - Students state their perspective and support it with reasons, facts and examples. Prompts inspire logical reasoning.

Preview of Creative Writing Topics for Grade 4 with Answers

Providing sample responses for some prompts guides students. It allows them to compare their writing style, perspective and ideas. Sample answers also spark further thought and creativity.

What should a 4th grader be able to write?

By the end of 4th grade, students should have a solid grasp of basic writing skills that will enable them to express their ideas creatively. Here are some of the key writing milestones 4th graders should reach:

Writing Skills

• Understand parts of speech like nouns, verbs, adjectives
• Compose a structured paragraph with a clear topic sentence, supporting details, and concluding sentence
• Use proper punctuation including commas, apostrophes, and quotation marks
• Write with proper spelling, grammar, and sentence structure
• Organize ideas logically in writing

Types of Writing

Some examples of writing 4th graders should master include:

• Structured Essays : With an introduction, body paragraphs, conclusion
• Creative Writing : Stories, poems, plays that spark imagination
• Opinion Pieces : Take a stance and back up viewpoint with reasons
• Informative Writing : Research reports on topics like science, history

Sample Writing Prompts

Here are some example prompts to encourage 4th graders to write creatively:

• Imagine you could have any superpower. What would it be and why?
• Write a story about someone who discovers something special in their backyard.
• Do you think kids should have chores? Why or why not?
• Describe your perfect day. What would you do from morning to night?

With the right prompts and guidance, 4th grade writers can unlock their creativity and grow their skills substantially by the end of the year. The key is providing engaging topics tailored to their interests and skill level.

What is the story writing prompt for Grade 4?

Writing prompts can be a great way to get 4th grade students excited about creative writing. Here are some effective story writing prompts to try in the classroom:

Describe something that you saw in the news recently and how it made you feel.

This prompt helps students connect current events to their own lives and emotions. Some questions to scaffold this prompt:

• What recent news story caught your attention? Why?
• How did it make you feel? Why did you have that reaction?
• If you could talk directly to the people involved, what would you want to say?

Tell about an event that happened recently at your school or in your town.

This taps into students' own immediate experiences and lets them tell a factual story. You can have them recount a field trip, assembly, game, or community event.

Some scaffolding questions:

• Set the scene - where and when did it happen? What were you doing beforehand?
• What happened first? Next? Last?
• How did people react? How did it end?
• What did you learn or how were you changed?

What do you think is one of the world's biggest problems right now, and how would you solve it?

This prompt lets students grapple with global issues and envision creative solutions. They can pick issues like poverty, pollution, endangered animals, war, etc.

• What global problem concerns you and why? Give some background details.
• Who is affected and how? Why does it persist as an issue?
• Brainstorm possible solutions. Choose one to explain in more detail - how would it realistically work?
• What difference could it make if implemented?

Following a scaffolded discussion, students can then write a story integrating their thoughts and solutions.

What are some amazing creative writing prompts?

Here are some fun and engaging creative writing prompts to get your 4th grade students excited about writing:

Describe Your Perfect Day

• Imagine you woke up and could do anything - where would you go, who would you meet, what would you do? Let your students' imaginations run wild as they describe their perfect day.

If I Had a Magic Wand...

• If your students had a magic wand and could make anything happen, what would they do? Turn a bully into a frog? Get an endless supply of candy? This silly prompt sparks creative ideas.

Write a Letter to Your Future Self

• Have students write a letter to their future selves, predicting what their life will be like in 5, 10 or 20 years. They can describe their imagined future career, family, hobbies, travel adventures, and goals.

You're a Superhero - What Are Your Powers?

• Unleash your students' inner superheroes! Have them develop their superhero name, costume design, special powers, sidekick, and arch nemesis. Then describe a short adventure.

You Find a Mysterious Box

• Students imagine they find a mysterious box on their way home from school. What's inside? This prompt encourages creativity as they describe the box, their reaction to discovering it, and what happens when they open it. The possibilities are endless!

Focusing creative writing prompts on imaginative ideas, as opposed to formulaic essay structures, allows 4th graders to fully engage their minds and express themselves. Try out a few of these prompts to foster creativity in your class!

What are the four writing prompts?

Writing prompts are a great way to get 4th grade students excited about writing while building critical skills. Here are four types of prompts that can foster creativity:

Descriptive Writing Prompt

Describe the best party you have ever attended. This allows students to use vivid sensory details and figurative language.

Expository/Informative Writing Prompt

Describe the process of making your favorite meal. This structures writing logically and sequentially.

Narrative Writing Prompt

If you could be in charge of the world for one day what would you do? This sparks imagination through storytelling.

Opinion/Persuasive Writing Prompt

What is the best pet to have? Why? This builds reasoning and evidence to support claims.

Mix up these four types of prompts to keep writing fresh and engaging. Encourage students to use dialogue, emotional appeals, facts and reasons, natural disaster metaphors, references to inspirational figures like Thomas Edison, and other creative techniques in their essays. Provide samples of excellent 4th grade writing for models.

Set aside regular time for writing prompts. Establish a routine where students develop their essays, you give constructive feedback, and they revise their work. This consistency, along with creative topics, builds essential writing skills.

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Narrative writing prompts: crafting stories in 4th grade.

Narrative writing prompts encourage 4th grade students to let their imaginations run wild while developing essential storytelling skills. As students craft tales filled with suspense, adventure, and compelling characters, they enhance their ability to construct cohesive plot lines and lifelike narratives.

Adventures with Historical Figures: A Tale with Thomas Edison

Challenging students to blend facts and fiction, this prompt asks them to write a story featuring famed American inventor Thomas Edison as a character. After researching key events and inventions in Edison's life, students can build an imaginative adventure tale involving the inventor. This allows them to develop their creativity while reinforcing knowledge of history.

Surviving a Natural Disaster: Imaginative Resilience

This prompt requires students to write a first-person narrative about living through a natural disaster like a hurricane, flood or earthquake. As they vividly describe facing and overcoming adversity, students build suspense while exploring themes of courage and resilience.

Dialogues and Drama: Mastering Character Interaction

By asking students to write scenes featuring dialogues between two or more characters, this prompt focuses on enhancing their ability to write expressive, impactful conversations. As students consider factors like tone, motivation and personality while crafting dialogues, they gain stronger command of language.

4th Grade Writing Samples: Learning from Examples

Exposing students to high-quality narrative samples written by their own peers allows them to analyze effective storytelling techniques. Noticing elements like descriptive language, pacing, narrator perspective and more in exemplary samples helps students incorporate such best practices into their own narratives.

Descriptive Writing Prompts: Painting Pictures with Words

Descriptive prompts can help 4th graders practice using sensory details and descriptive language in their writing. Here are some ideas to get students imagining and describing vivid scenes.

Bringing Characters to Life: Descriptive Details

• Imagine a new student joining your class. Describe what they look like and their personality using lots of descriptive adjectives.
• Describe your best friend so clearly that a stranger could recognize them. Use details about their appearance, style, personality, quirks, and anything else that makes them unique.

Exploring Imaginary Worlds: Descriptive Writing for Grade 4 PDF

Here is a downloadable PDF with descriptive prompts focused on building fantastical settings:

4th Grade Descriptive Writing Prompts PDF

The prompts in this PDF encourage students to describe imaginary places using strong sensory language that engages the reader's imagination.

Capturing Moments in Time: Describing Events

Ask students to describe an event or scene in vivid sensory detail, as if capturing a photograph with words. Prompts could include:

• Describe your perfect birthday party. Use sights, sounds, smells and other descriptive details to bring the event to life.
• Imagine you could travel anywhere in the world. Describe your destination using all five senses - what do you see, hear, feel, taste, and smell?

Descriptive Writing Techniques and Examples

Here are some descriptive writing techniques to share with students:

• Similes and metaphors - compare things using "like" or "as"
• Adjectives - describe nouns with colorful descriptive words
• Alliteration - repeat the same first letter or sound
• Onomatopoeia - use words that imitate sounds

Provide examples of descriptive passages from literature to illustrate effective techniques. Analyze the word choices and descriptive language with students.

Using vivid sensory details in their writing helps students paint clearer pictures for the reader. These descriptive prompts will get their imaginations active and enhance their skills.

Opinion Writing Prompts: Expressing Views and Arguments

Opinion prompts encourage 4th graders to develop persuasive writing skills by articulating their viewpoints and supporting them with logical reasoning. As students construct opinion-based essays, they learn how to effectively convince readers of their perspective.

Crafting an Opinion Essay: From Start to Finish

When introducing an opinion essay, first explain the basic structure to students:

• Start with an opening paragraph stating their viewpoint clearly. Help them come up with a strong thesis statement.
• In the body paragraphs, ask them to provide facts, examples, expert opinions, statistics, etc. to convince readers. Teach students how to find reliable sources and cite references.
• Conclude by restating their viewpoint assertively and urging readers to agree with their perspective.

Then provide thought-provoking prompts for them to write full-fledged opinion essays, putting this structure into practice.

Debating Current Issues: Encouraging Critical Thinking

Creating prompts around current events and issues teaches students to form educated opinions on real-world topics. Provide prompts that spark friendly debates around themes like:

• Should mobile phones be allowed in elementary schools?
• Should students wear uniforms at school?
• Should physical education be mandatory every day at school?

Urge them to consider multiple perspectives before stating their own views. This builds critical thinking abilities.

Persuading Peers: The Art of Argumentation

Craft prompts that let 4th graders try convincing their classmates about everyday issues like:

• Why we should have longer recess breaks
• Why dogs make better pets than cats
• Why pizza is the best food ever

These fun, friendly debates boost their persuasive writing skills.

Using Evidence to Support Opinions

When students simply state opinions without logical facts, prompt them to defend their views by asking:

• What evidence supports your opinion?
• Can you back your view with expert opinions or scientific research?

This reiterates the importance of using evidence over unfounded personal beliefs.

Developing Essay Writing Skills in 4th Graders

Helping students develop strong essay writing skills at an early age sets them up for academic success. As educators, we can provide 4th graders with the fundamentals to craft clear, coherent essays.

Essay Writing Basics: Structure and Flow

When introducing essay structure, explain the key components:

• Introduction - Contains a hook to grab interest, background context, and a clear thesis statement.
• Body - Includes 2-3 paragraphs elaborating on the thesis with supporting details, facts, examples, etc. Use transition words to connect ideas.
• Conclusion - Summarizes main points and reinforces the thesis statement.

Model writing a basic 5-paragraph essay to demonstrate proper structure and flow from introduction to conclusion.

Enhancing Coherence: Transition Words and Phrases

Teach students transitional phrases to effectively move between ideas and paragraphs, improving coherence. Useful examples include:

• To add information: additionally, besides, furthermore
• To compare: similarly, by contrast, however
• To sequence: first, second, third

Have students highlight transitions in example essays, discussing how they are used.

Refining Writing: Editing and Revising Techniques

Strategies to improve essay clarity and readability:

• Read aloud to catch awkward phrasing
• Check formatting of paragraphs, fonts, etc.
• Simplify language by replacing complex vocabulary with simpler words
• Add descriptive details through imagery, analogies, examples etc. to illustrate points

Practicing with Prompts: Building Confidence and Skill

Regular practice responding to diverse essay prompts allows students to expand skills. Tailor prompts to curriculum topics students are covering to make connections. Establish a weekly writing prompt routine. Assess growth by comparing earlier and later writing samples.

With scaffolding and consistent practice, 4th graders can gain essay writing proficiency to communicate ideas clearly.

Conclusion: Reflecting on the Journey of Creative Writing

Creative writing prompts can play an invaluable role in developing essential skills for 4th grade students. By encouraging imagination, self-expression, and critical thinking, they set the stage for future writing success.

In this article, we explored various types of creative prompts that spark ideas and get young writers actively crafting stories, poems, dialogues, and more. When students repeatedly practice creative writing, they build confidence and comfort with sharing their thoughts and ideas. Over time, these exercises strengthen their vocabulary, sentence fluency, and other language arts abilities.

As educators, we want to nurture our students' creativity while also developing their composition skills. An effective balance of structure and freedom in writing tasks allows room for imagination as well as skill-building. While creative prompts open doors to new perspectives, targeted drafting and revision activities hone technique.

By blending imaginative prompts with formal instruction, we can send 4th graders on a rich journey toward masterful writing. Our aim is for students to discover their unique voices while also learning to organize, clarify, and polish their work. When creative expression drives the writing process, young authors remain engaged and find joy in developing their skills. By keeping this spark lit, we equip students to meet 5th grade writing standards while pursuing their passions.

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4th Grade CCSS: Writing

For fourth graders, this Common Core area helps students gain mastery of writing skills by working collaboratively and producing written texts, understanding syntax and vocabulary, and organizing their ideas. Among the complete standards for this grade, fourth graders will be asked to: write opinion pieces, explanatory texts, narratives, be able to effectively write introductions, supporting details, developed ideas, reasons, and conclusions to fully realize a piece of writing, properly use illustrations, formatting, and multimedia to enhance a text, use dialogue, and descriptions of emotions and thoughts to show the response of characters to situations, use transitional words to link events in a narrative, with some adult guidance use appropriate technology to publish writing, demonstrate keyboarding skill, understand writing for specific audiences, go through the process of writing, editing and revision for their written work.

Autumn: The Scarecrow’s Surprise Writing Prompt

Students will further develop their creative writing skills with this Autumn writing prompt activity. This is a great worksheet to keep your students’ creativity flowing!

Classroom Reporter: Interview with a Classmate

“Classroom Reporter: Interview with a Classmate” is the perfect way to introduce students to their classmates and learn more about one another.

Father’s Day Writing Prompt: He’s the Best

Your students will have fun writing about their father in this “He’s the Best” writing activity.

Fourth of July Writing Prompt: What Freedom Means to Me

Teach your students about freedom in America with this fun Fourth of July Writing Prompt printable worksheet.

Haiku: Write Your Own!

This worksheet features the Japanese poetry style haiku.

Kwanzaa Candles: Who Lights First? Writing Prompt

It’s the first night of Kwanzaa and the entire Thompson family has gathered for the celebration. It’s almost time to light the candles, and the question comes up: who should light the candles tonight? Write a story about how the Thompson family decides who will light the candles. This printable holiday writing prompt is ideal for 3rd – 5th grade, but can be used where appropriate.

Main Idea Graphic Organizer

Learning how to properly structure an essay can be difficult. With this Main Idea Tree, students will create an outline that allows them to better understand the different parts of a five paragraph essay. Students will be asked to write their introduction, a main idea, three topic sentences, three supporting details for each topic sentence, and a conclusion.

Main Idea Tree

Use this image of a large tree to help your students understand the components of a paragraph. With this worksheet, students will be asked to write a main idea and follow it with three supporting details. What a great way for students to visualize the importance of the main idea in a paragraph!

My Goals for the New Year

This writing prompt about New Year’s goals is a wonderful way to help your students practice their writing skills.

Native American Heritage: Create Your Totem Pole

In the box on the worksheet, design your own totem pole. Make sure it represents you and your interests. Then in the writing space, describe your totem pole and explain how it illustrates you. This printable Native American Heritage Month activity is ideal for 3rd – 5th grade, but can be used where appropriate.

New Year’s Reflections

Encourage your students to look back on the events of the past year and look forward to the ones ahead with this New Years reflection worksheet.

The Lost Dreidel Writing Prompt

The Goldberg family has lost their Hanukkah dreidel! Write a story and tell how you think the Goldberg family should solve their problem. This printable Hanukkah writing prompt activity is perfect for keeping students engaged in class while learning about the holiday.

Using Story Elements: Plan a Story

Planning a story can be tough. This activity helps students break things down so that it’s easier to envision and write the story. A great beginning writing activity for 3rd – 5th graders.

What Happens Next? Halloween Surprise Activity

Keep learning fun during the holidays with this Halloween Reading Comprehension Activity. Students will be asked to read a passage and then answer the given questions about the story. This worksheet is great for use both at home and in the classroom.

Write a Description: Melting Snowman

With this unique winter activity, help your students further develop their writing skills.

Write Rhyming Couplets

Time for some poetic rhyming couplets!

Writing Limericks

This activity lists opening lines for two limericks. Students write the other lines to complete the limerick, remembering which lines that need to rhyme.

Writing Prompt: A New Plant in Spring

Students choose from the letters on a Spring flower and write words that start with a vowel. A fun way to practice vocabulary and anticipate the warm days to come!

Writing Prompt: She’s the Best

Students write about a special sister, grandmother, mother, or friend!

Back to School Diamante Poem

Teach your students a fun way to write diamante poems using our new back to school worksheet.

How to Write a Fourth Grade Essay

Karen hollowell.

If you are a fourth grade student, you are just beginning to learn about composing an essay. You began writing words and short sentences in kindergarten and first grade, and learned how to combine sentences into a paragraph in second and third grade. In fourth grade, you will learn how to combine paragraphs into a composition. A basic essay is made of five paragraphs that discuss one topic. These paragraphs introduce, support, and conclude your information, but should do so in a way that another reader can easily understand.

Explore this article

• How To Write A Fourth Grade Essay
• Choose a topic
• Write the introduction
• Write the body of the essay
• Write the conclusion
• Proofread your essay

1 How To Write A Fourth Grade Essay

2 choose a topic.

Choose a topic. Sometimes the teacher may give you a list of topics, or you may have to brainstorm ideas. When deciding on a topic, focus on a specific subject. For example, if you want to write about dogs, choose one breed of dog or discuss characteristics of dogs that make them good pets.

3 Write the introduction

Write the introduction. This is the first paragraph of your essay. It will contain two or three sentences that tell the reader what you will be discussing in your composition. (Ref. 1.)

4 Write the body of the essay

Write the body of the essay. The body is usually three paragraphs that include details supporting your topic. For example, if your essay is about your favorite character in a novel, each paragraph should discuss one aspect of the character that relates to why he or she is your favorite.

5 Write the conclusion

Write the conclusion. The ending paragraph is similar to the introduction, but you do not use the same words. The conclusion needs to summarize the main point of your essay. For example, a conclusion for an essay about your favorite character in "Huckleberry Finn" might be written like this: "Jim is my favorite character in this novel because he remained brave even though he faced many dangers. He was also a good friend to Huck and helped him to see how bad slavery was."

6 Proofread your essay

Proofread your essay. Your teacher will probably guide you through this process until you know the procedure. Usually you will read your essay after you have written it to be sure the sentences support the topic. Delete or add details as necessary at this time. Then check for grammar mistakes like subject/verb agreement and spelling errors. It is also a good idea to get a classmate or someone at home to read your essay. They may be able to see things that you missed. They can also tell you if your writing was easy to understand.

• 1 Sample Five Paragraph Essay

About the Author

Karen Hollowell has been teaching since 1994. She has taught English/literature and social studies in grades 7-12 and taught kindergarten for nine years. She currently teaches fourth grade reading/language and social studies. Hollowell earned her Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Mississippi and her Master of Arts in elementary education from Alcorn State University.

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Narrative Writing for Grade 4

Narratives tell stories.

These worksheets and writing prompts focus on creative and effective story writing for kids . 

Writing hooks : 5 ways to get your reader's attention

Plot structure : 5 stages of plot structure

Creating settings : place, time and environment of a story

Character development : create character traits through Q&A

Show, don't tell! : actions and details rather than exposition

Sensory details : writing about what characters see, smell, taste, feel & hear

Descriptive writing : create a complete mental picture of a scene

Small moments writing : write in great detail about a specific moment

Point of view : first, second and third person

Writing personal narratives : organize and write a personal recollection

Narrative writing practice : tying together characters, setting and plot

Narrative writing prompts : creative prompts for grade 4 students

Narrative writing worksheet for grade 4

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