writing websites for elementary students

Free tools to make your students better writers and readers .

Quill.org, a non-profit, provides free literacy activities that build reading comprehension, writing, and language skills for elementary, middle, and high school students.

Writing Across the Curriculum: Quill's nonprofit mission is to now build both reading and writing skills through free, OER content across the curriculum. Over the coming years, we will be building a library of free ELA, social studies, and science activities that engage students in deeper thinking through writing prompts that provide immediate feedback.

9 million students have written 2 billion sentences on Quill.

Quill Reading for Evidence

Provide your students with nonfiction texts paired with AI-powered writing prompts, instead of multiple-choice questions, to enable deeper thinking.

Students read a nonfiction text and build their comprehension through writing prompts, supporting a series of claims with evidence sourced from the text. Quill challenges students to write responses that are precise, logical, and based on textual evidence, with Quill coaching the student through custom, targeted feedback on each revision so that students strengthen their reading comprehension and hone their writing skills.

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Quill Connect

Help your students advance from fragmented and run-on sentences to complex and well structured ones.

Using the evidence-based strategy of sentence combining, students combine multiple ideas into a single sentence. They then receive instant feedback designed to help them improve their clarity and precision.

Quill Lessons

The Quill Lessons tool enables teachers to lead whole-class and small-group writing instruction.

Teachers control interactive slides that contain writing prompts, and the entire class responds to each prompt. Each Quill Lessons activity provides a lesson plan, writing prompts, discussion topics, and a follow up independent practice activity.

Quill Diagnostic

Quickly determine which skills your students need to work on with our diagnostics.

The diagnostics cover vital sentence construction skills and generate personalized learning plans based on the student’s performance.

Quill Proofreader

Proofreader teaches your students editing skills by having them proofread passages.

Students edit passages and receive personalized exercises based on their results. With over 100 expository passages, Proofreader gives students the practice they need to spot common grammatical errors.

Quill Grammar

Students practice basic grammar skills, from comma placement to parallel structure.

Quill Grammar has over 150 sentence writing activities to help your students. Our activities are designed to be completed in 10 minutes so you have the freedom to use them in the way that works best for your classroom.

How Quill Works

Set up your classroom, without it.

You can quickly and easily set up your classroom in Quill by inputting student names or providing students with a unique code. If you use Google Classroom or Clever, you can automatically set up your classroom with one click.

Choose activities

Decide if you want your students to proofread passages, combine sentences, or complete a diagnostic. Use our ten minute activities as building blocks during your classroom instruction.

Use easy-to-consume reporting

Use our reporting to spot trends and identify growth opportunities. Monitor comprehension on specific writing standards.

Get immediate feedback for your students

Save time grading and watch your students correct their mistakes instantly.

Intervene where students struggle

See exactly where your students need intervention with our comprehensive reports.

Differentiate learning to meet the needs of all students

Assign specific activities for ELLs and students with learning differences.

Engage students with adaptive activities

Challenge students with questions that automatically adapt based on their previous responses.

Align with the Common Core Standards

Easily meet Common Core language standards with our aligned activities.

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Kids Learn To Blog

Blogging for kids

10 Best Writing Websites For Kids

By Dr. Patricia Fioriello

Although children spend most of their time in regular classes at school- pencils and papers, modern students also spend a lot of time in front of their computer screens as well. What if you had the opportunity to help your child or students practice writing in front of their computers instead of playing computer games all day long?

There are a number of student websites your child can use in class as well as home for their assignments and homework. Apart from allowing students to use them, most of these sites allow students to interact with others further enhancing their writing experience.

In this article, we show you the best writing websites for students; keep reading.

1. Scholastic Website For Children

This is a website that is essentially meant for parents, teachers and kids. Here, kids are free to write stories they feel inspire them to be better writers of adventure, science fiction, etc. The website is considered one of the best writing websites for kids because it helps them write what interests them in a way that is not only interesting but friendly for their age. This writing website is ideal for children in preparatory school. You can visit the website at: http://www.scholastic.com/ .

2. Fun English Games

This is another writing website for kids that can help your child become a better writer. The website has an easy user interface and colors your child will love. You can visit the website on http://www.funenglishgames.com/writinggames.html . This website is one of the most popular fun writing games for kids website on the internet.

3. Boom Writer

This is another popular kid writing website. It allows your kids to not only develop and enhance their writing skills, but also helps them develop their vocabulary, reading prowess and peer assessment. The website is designed for kids and as such, most likely to attract them. In addition to the kid’s resources, the website has resources for books, educators and games for kids. You can visit the website whose address is boomwriter.com . If you are looking for a website where your kids can write stories, handle projects with classmates, and then this is the right website for you.

4. Edublogs

This is another website that allows your kids to get into blogging at an early stage. Your child can basically start a blog on their own to write about what interests them. Children can also share their blogs with other students, subsequently developing their writing skills. The website ID is here: http://edublogs.org/ .

5. Kidblog Website

This is another popular kids writing blog which functions almost the same as edublogs. The only difference this blog has is that, what your child writes is not available to the public. This blog while interesting, makes it harder to share your child’s work with others without access but makes for a good place for them to develop their writing skills. You can go to the website here: http://kidblog.org/home/ .

6. Story Jumper

This website allows your child to write their stories. It is a fun website because the character is someone kids love- story bird. You can visit the website here: http://www.storyjumper.com/ .

7. Kids On The Net

This is a rather older kids writing website that has been around for a while but makes a good choice for your child’s creative writing development. This website also contains links to multiple other websites your kids can horne their love for writing. The link to the website is http://www.kidsonthenet.org.uk/create/links.htm .

8. Net Rover

This is a website with writing games for children. Your kids could potentially use this website to not only learn how to be better writers, but also have fun. Their website is http://www.netrover.com/~kingskid/writing/Kids_Writing.html.

9. Visu Words

I like this writing website for children particularly because its graphics- kids will definitely love it. Their website is http://www.visuwords.com/ .

10. BBC’s Typing Tutor

If your kids spend hours at the computer, you could potentially make them do something beneficial like visit the BBC’s typing tutor website to help them become better writers. The writing websites for kids we are talking about here is http://www.bbc.co.uk/guides/z3c6tfr .

In conclusion, the internet is a rich resource your kids can use to become better creative writers, bloggers, fiction writers and so much more. The websites we have added on this list are either maiden websites where your kids will write directly; while some have aggregate resources your kids need to become better writers. Find one or two writing websites for kids to introduce to your child today.

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10 of the Best Sites for Student Writing

Imagine a world where writing is as easy as a gentle breeze, effortlessly carrying your words across the page. Like a warm embrace from a close friend, the best websites for student writing provide a haven where young minds can unleash their creativity and hone their skills.

Whether you’re a budding poet, a future novelist, or simply someone looking to improve your grammar and style, these virtual sanctuaries have got you covered. There’s been a lot of changes since we first created this list back in 2013 – you’ll want to read on to see how technology has progressed.

Table of Contents

6. read, write, think, 7. hemmingway editor, 8. storiumedu, 9. boomwriter, 10. writereader, frequently asked questions about online writing tools.

In this article, I will introduce you to a collection of online platforms that will transport you to a realm of literary wonder. From interactive story creation tools like Storybird and Story Jumper, to collaborative writing projects on Boomwriter and Storium.edu, there is something for every aspiring writer.

So join me on this literary adventure as we explore the best websites for student writing. Together, we will unlock the power of words and embark on a journey towards self-expression and discovery. Get ready to improve your student’s literacy skills,  unleash their inner wordsmith and embrace the beauty of the written word.

Key Takeaways:

• There are numerous websites available for teaching and learning writing skills, catering to different grade levels and interests.
• These websites offer a range of resources and tools, including writing prompts, interactive activities, free grammar checking to ward off errors, and collaborative writing projects.
• Some websites integrate coding or multimedia elements into writing, while others focus on specific genres like poetry or comic strips.
• Popular websites for student writing include Grammarly , Storybird , Writing A-Z , and Boomwriter , among others.

1. Grammarly For Education

Using Grammarly for Education is like having a personal writing assistant that not only checks for typos and grammar mistakes but also helps students improve their communication skills to become more confident writers. It is a popular website among students and educators, offering a wide range of features to enhance the writing process.

With its advanced AI technology , Grammarly can detect and correct more mistakes than regular word processors, making it an invaluable tool for students looking to improve their writing. One of the key benefits of Grammarly for Education is its ability to provide suggestions for improved word choices. This helps students expand their vocabulary and develop a more sophisticated writing style. Additionally, Grammarly offers a plagiarism checker, ensuring that students are submitting original work and avoiding any potential academic misconduct.

Using Grammarly for Education can also help students develop their editing and proofreading skills . By receiving real-time feedback on their writing, students can learn to identify and correct their own mistakes, ultimately becoming more independent and self-reliant writers.  

With its user-friendly interface and comprehensive features, Grammarly for Education is an essential tool for kids of all ages and skill levels. It not only improves the quality of their writing but also helps them become more confident in expressing their ideas. By utilizing Grammarly for Education, students can take their writing to the next level.

With iWrite, students can unleash their inner creative geniuses and transform into writing prodigies at the click of a button! This incredible website offers a wide range of resources and activities for students in grades 1-8, allowing them to explore different forms of writing and develop their skills in a fun and interactive way.

Here are three reasons why iWrite is a must-visit website for student writers:

– Creative Writing Activities: iWrite provides a plethora of creative writing activities, from story starters to journal prompts, that inspire students to think outside the box and let their imagination run wild. These activities help students develop their storytelling abilities and encourage them to experiment with different writing styles and genres.

– Illustration Tools: iWrite also offers illustration tools that allow students to bring their stories to life. With the ability to create their own illustrations or choose from a library of images, students can enhance their storytelling by adding visual elements to their work. This feature not only engages students but also helps them develop their visual literacy skills.

– Interactive Feedback: One of the unique features of iWrite is its interactive feedback system. Students can submit their writing assignments and receive personalized feedback from teachers or peers. This feedback helps students improve their writing skills and provides them with valuable insights into their strengths and areas for growth.

3.  Magnetic Poetry

Immerse yourself in the world of magnetic poetry and let your creativity flow as you arrange words on the screen, creating captivating and heartfelt poems that will stir your soul.

Ideal for both introducing younger kids to poetry and engaging older students with the genre in a fun and creative way, this simple site is a digital form of the popular fridge poetry fridge phenomenon. Students are given a blank white screen and a group of ‘magnetic’ words to position how they choose, taking the pressure out of creating poetry and making it a fun and creative experience. New words can be added at any time if students get stuck, and the final result can be saved and shared with other students or parents.

Magnetic Poetry is a fantastic tool for students of all ages to explore the beauty of language and express their thoughts and emotions through poetry. Whether you want to write a love poem, a haiku, or a thought-provoking piece, this website provides an interactive and visually appealing platform to do so.

By playing with words and experimenting with different combinations, Magnetic Poetry encourages creativity and helps students develop a deeper understanding of language and its nuances. It also fosters a sense of belonging as you become part of a community of poets who share their creations and provide feedback to one another.

4.  NaNoWriMo Young Writers Program

The NaNoWriMo Young Writers Program offers an exciting opportunity for aspiring writers to participate in novel writing challenges and receive support from a community of fellow writers and educators.

NaNoWriMo, which stands for National Novel Writing Month, takes place every November and encourages students to write a complete novel of at least 50,000 words in just one month. The program provides resources, inspiration, and a supportive online community to help young writers achieve their writing goals.

Participants in the free NaNoWriMo Young Writers Program can track their progress, set personal word count goals, and connect with other writers through the program’s website. They can also access resources and writing prompts to help them stay motivated and overcome writer’s block.

Students can join virtual write-ins and participate in forums to share their experiences and receive feedback from their peers and mentors. In addition, the program offers classroom resources for educators to incorporate novel writing challenges into their curriculum.

By participating in the NaNoWriMo Young Writers Program, students not only have the opportunity to develop their writing skills, but also to become part of a supportive writing community. This sense of belonging can greatly enhance their confidence and motivation as writers.

So, if you’re looking to take your writing to the next level and join a community of passionate writers, the NaNoWriMo Young Writers Program is definitely worth exploring.

Explore PicLits, a captivating e-learning platform that combines stunning photography and creative keywords to ignite your writing skills and transport you to imaginative worlds.

With PicLits, you can enhance your writing abilities in a fun and interactive way. Here are three reasons why PicLits is a must-try website for student writers:

1. Engaging Visuals: PicLits provides a vast collection of captivating photographs that serve as inspiration for your writing. These visuals not only stimulate your creativity but also help you develop descriptive writing skills by prompting you to imagine and describe the scene.

2. Creative Keywords: Alongside the photographs, PicLits offers a selection of keywords that you can incorporate into your writing. These words act as writing prompts, guiding your thoughts and encouraging you to think outside the box. By using these keywords effectively, you can enhance the depth and richness of your writing.

3. Interactive Learning: PicLits is designed to be an interactive and collaborative platform. You can share your creations with others, receive feedback, and even participate in writing challenges. This fosters a sense of community and belonging, which can be motivating and inspiring for student writers.

Get ready to dive into the world of Read, Write, Think, an online resource that will take your writing skills to new heights!

Read, Write, Think is a high-quality education website that offers a wide range of interactive tools and resources for K-12 students. Whether you’re looking for writing prompts, interactive activities, or lesson plans, Read, Write, Think has got you covered.

One of the great things about Read, Write, Think is that it provides standards-based lesson plans that have been written and reviewed by educators. This means that you can trust the quality of the content and know that it aligns with your curriculum. The website also offers an app, so you can access the resources on the go.

Read, Write, Think is not just limited to writing. It also helps students plan essays or dissertations, providing them with a step-by-step guide to ensure they produce high-quality work. The website is user-friendly and easy to navigate, making it a valuable tool for both teachers and students.

Let’s dive into the powerful world of Hemingway Editor and discover how it can revolutionize your writing with its insightful feedback and style enhancements.

Hemingway Editor is an online tool that helps you improve your writing by highlighting errors and suggesting improvements. Here are two key features that make Hemingway Editor a must-have for any student writer:

– Clear and concise writing: Hemingway Editor helps you identify and eliminate unnecessary words, complex sentences, and passive voice constructions. By simplifying your writing, you can communicate your ideas more effectively and engage your readers.

– Readability and style enhancements: This tool analyzes the readability of your writing and provides suggestions to make it more accessible to your audience. It highlights long and hard-to-read sentences, excessive adverbs, and complicated language. By improving the clarity and style of your writing, you can create a more enjoyable reading experience.

Using Hemingway Editor can greatly enhance your writing skills and make your work more professional. It is a valuable resource for students who want to improve their writing and create compelling pieces.

Immerse yourself in the world of Storium.edu, an innovative collaborative writing game that will ignite your creativity and turn storytelling into an exhilarating adventure. Storium.edu is a unique platform that uses digital story cards as prompts to inspire and guide your writing.

Whether you’re a student or a teacher, Storium.edu offers a fun and engaging way to develop your writing skills and create captivating stories. The game works by presenting you with a set of story cards, each containing a different element or prompt. You can choose a card that appeals to you and start developing your story based on that prompt.

As you progress, you can invite other players to join your story and collaborate with them to create a cohesive narrative. This collaborative aspect not only allows you to learn from others but also fosters a sense of belonging and community.

Storium.edu encourages creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills as you navigate through different story arcs and challenges. The platform provides a safe and supportive environment for writers of all levels to explore their imagination and develop their storytelling abilities.

Boomwriter, a dynamic web-based publishing platform, offers a range of collaborative writing projects that will inspire your creativity and propel your storytelling skills to new heights.

With Boomwriter, you can embark on three different types of writing projects: StoryWriter, WordWriter, and ProjectWriter.

Under StoryWriter, you have the opportunity to co-author your own book. This project allows you to collaborate with your classmates in creating a captivating story. Each participant takes turns writing a chapter, building upon the previous contributions. It’s a great way to experience the joy of storytelling while honing your writing skills.

The WordWriter project, on the other hand, focuses on the power of vocabulary. You are given a story starter, and your task is to continue the narrative by incorporating engaging and descriptive words. This project encourages you to expand your vocabulary and make your writing more vivid and compelling.

Lastly, the ProjectWriter project allows you to work on various types of writing, such as poetry, plays, and even non-fiction pieces. You can choose from a selection of prompts and create your own unique piece of writing. This project allows you to explore different genres and experiment with different writing styles.

Boomwriter provides an interactive and collaborative environment for students to develop their writing skills. It’s a platform that fosters creativity, teamwork, and a love for writing. So why not give it a try and see how Boomwriter can take your writing to the next level?

I am thrilled to have discovered WriteReader, a web-based literacy platform that has completely transformed many classrooms. Founded in 2012 by Janus Madsen, Babar Baig, and Ulrik Jensen, WriteReader offers an array of incredible features that have revolutionized the way teacher manage classrooms and facilitate remote learning.

One of the standout aspects of WriteReader is its quick classroom management capabilities. With just a few clicks, one can easily monitor students’ progress, provide feedback, and track their growth. This has saved me a tremendous amount of time and allowed me to focus more on individualized instruction.

In addition to its classroom management capabilities, WriteReader also excels in providing remote learning opportunities. Especially in today’s digital age, this feature has been an absolute game-changer. It has allowed me to seamlessly transition to online instruction and ensure that my students are still receiving a high-quality education, regardless of their physical location.

What truly sets WriteReader apart is its multimodal book creation platform. This feature empowers my students to become authors while simultaneously practicing various language skills. It has been incredible to witness their creativity and confidence soar as they craft their own stories. Furthermore, the platform aligns perfectly with the Science of Reading practices, making it an invaluable tool for evidence-based reading and writing instruction.

I am also grateful for the support that WriteReader provides. The platform offers templates that make it easy for me to create and share books with my students. Additionally, their customer service team is always available to assist me via phone and email, ensuring that I have the support I need to make the most of this incredible platform.

It’s worth mentioning that WriteReader has received numerous accolades and partnerships that further highlight its success and innovation. From partnering with Egmont, one of Scandinavia’s largest publishing houses, to being selected for Intel’s EdTech Accelerator Program, WriteReader has truly made a name for itself in the education industry.

How does Grammarly for Education differ from other writing aids?

Grammarly for Education differs from other writing aids by offering more comprehensive grammar and spelling checks. In fact, it corrects more mistakes than word processors. Additionally, it provides improved word choices, making it an invaluable tool for students looking to enhance their writing skills.

What are the specific features and benefits of the iWrite website?

The iWrite website offers a range of resources for teaching and exploring different forms of writing. It provides free online creative writing and illustration activities for grades 1-8, making it a valuable tool for students looking to improve their writing skills.

What is unique about the Magnetic Poetry website and how does it engage students with poetry?

The Magnetic Poetry website engages students with poetry by allowing them to position magnetic words on the screen, creating their own poems. The poems can be saved and shared, encouraging creativity and collaboration in a digital format.

How does the NaNoWriMo Young Writers Program support young writers and educators in novel writing challenges?

The NaNoWriMo Young Writers Program supports young writers and educators in novel writing challenges by providing resources, guidance, and a supportive community. It encourages students to set goals, write daily, and complete a novel in a month.

What are your favourite online tools for student writing? Let us know below!

Laura is a writer and recent Cambridge graduate with particular experience in the area of education technology. She has worked with a variety of different education companies and is active in the 'edtech' community on Twitter, so she prides herself on always being in touch with the latest developments and exciting new tools in e-learning.

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Effective writing skills are essential for students to excel in both their academic and professional lives. As middle school English/Language Arts teachers, you play a crucial role in shaping your students' writing abilities.

Teaching grammar can be a daunting task, but it doesn't have to be boring! One of the trickiest challenges in English grammar for both teachers and students alike is understanding the difference between "who" and "whom." Fear not, Language Arts teachers, as we embark on a journey to make this learning adventure enjoyable!

Empower students in crafting impactful thesis statements! Teach specificity, address counterarguments, and use peer feedback for compelling essays.

Differentiated grammar instruction empowers diverse learners. Flexible grouping, multimodal learning, scaffolding, and peer collaboration are key strategies.

Student Interactives

 student interactives .

Engage your students in online literacy learning with these interactive tools that help them accomplish a variety of goals -- from organizing their thoughts to learning about language -- all while having fun.

Grades 3 - 12

Student Interactive Type: Organizing & Summarizing

Compare & Contrast Map

Grades 3 - 6

Student Interactive Type: Inquiry & Analysis

Animal Inquiry

Grades 6 - 8

Student Interactive Type: Learning About Language

Flip-a-Chip

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Grades K - 12

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• Kindergarten K

5 Free Interactive Writing Websites

by California Casualty | Educators | 0 comments

Online writing tools can engage and assist students in the writing process. These 5 free, interactive websites will help students brainstorm, organize, write, edit, and revise. And the best part? They’re all free to use! interactive writing websites

Interactive Writing Websites

• Student Interactives (ReadWriteThink.org)

Engage your students in online literacy learning with these interactive tools that help them accomplish a variety of goals—from organizing their thoughts to learning about language—all while having fun.

Quill provides free writing and grammar activities for elementary, middle, and high school students.

• Grammarly.com

Grammarly corrects hundreds of grammar, punctuation, and spelling mistakes. This is while also catching contextual errors, improving your vocabulary, and suggesting style improvements. Come for the best-in-class grammar checking, stay for the added polish that will keep your text clear, mistake-free, and effective.

• BoomWriter.com

At BoomWriter, the mission is to immerse students, teachers, parents and administrators in an interactive learning experience, both in and beyond the classroom. Students develop their creative writing skills and understanding of literary elements. They can apply, share, and assess vocabulary knowledge in a fun and interactive way. Plus, they have the ability to demonstrate their nonfiction writing skills in information and explanatory, argument/opinion, scientific, or narrative focused projects.

• VisuWords.com

Look up words to find their meanings and associations with other words and concepts. Produce diagrams reminiscent of a neural net. Additionally, learn how words associate.

Just For Fun

• MagneticPoetry.com

Play Online! Create poems and share them with your friends!

• Writing Games (FunEnglishGames.com)

Check out these fun writing games for kids. Enjoy a range of free activities, resources and practice exercises related to writing letters, stories, newspapers, debates, advertising and instructions. The games are perfect for challenging students who enjoy interactive learning online. Find a topic that suits you and improve your English by completing as many of the educational challenges as you can.

Our Education Blogger is a public school teacher with over a decade of experience. She’s an active NEA member and enjoys writing about her experiences in the classroom.

This article is furnished by California Casualty, providing auto and home insurance to educators, law enforcement officers, firefighters and nurses. Get a quote at 1.866.704.8614 or www.calcas.com .

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Common college freshmen fears: how to overcome them, how to fix it when brightness is not changing on windows 10, motherboard chipset: what it is and what to look for, brain hemispheres and learning: everything you need to know, samsung galaxy tips and tricks you need to know, top ten marketing tips for business owners with limited capital, how to successfully get a higher education while working a full-time job, ways to help and improve stuttering issues, elevating user experience with address autocomplete api, 10 of the best grammar and writing apps for elementary school students.

At last count, there were over 80,000 educational apps available to teachers. There are apps for everything: literacy, STEM, productivity, audiovisual, etc. There are apps which improve accessibility for students with different learning challenges, i.e. text to voice, voice to text, etc.

While many of these may be a dream come true for educators, the dizzying array of choices is also a nightmare. Teachers just don’t have time to filter through thousands of apps to find the one that works best for the needs of their students. To help, we started to create curated lists of the best apps in a variety of education related categories. In this installment, we will present the best grammar and writing apps for elementary school students.

• Story Builder – Story Builder is an app from the same company that produces Sentence Builder.
• Write About This – Write About This is an app that addresses all genres of writing throughout elementary school, engaging students and making them feel excited about writing!
• Grammar Jammers – An addictive way for students to learn basic grammar skills.
• Handwriting Without Tears: Wet-Dry-Try – Allows students to practice writing numbers and letters on a virtual chalkboard.
• Little Bird Tales – Create simple digital storybooks empowering, even for younger kids.
• No Red Ink – The site uses the students’ self-reported interests to build sentences that pretest, practice, and evaluate students’ grammar knowledge and acquired learning.
• Sentence Builder – Winner of the 2010 IEAR Language Arts App of the Year, Sentence Builder is an app geared toward elementary students.
• Quill – This writing tutorial app makes grammar lessons more meaningful
• Grammar Girl: Quick and Dirty Tips – Provides students with engaging grammar tips and tutorials.
• StoryJumper – Storybook creation site that features outstanding support services.

Did we miss any? If so, list them in the comments section below.

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• Learning Differences ▽

UDL Book Builder

Kids of all ages, as well as teachers, can create share, and read digital books using UDL Book Builder.  Teachers can take advantage of the model books that illustrate how to support a variety of learning styles and needs.

CAST is a non-profit organization dedicated to research and development in Universal Design for Learning that supports diversity and differentiated instruction for a broad range of learning abilities, interests and skills. Free registration is required.

CAST Science Writer

Science Writer is an online tool designed to help middle and high school students write lab and class reports on science topics.  It provides a writing structure that supports the essential elements of a science report so students can concentrate on each section at a time.  A SpeechStream toolbar on each page enables students to have their text read back to them, and it includes a dictionary and translator.  Checklists provide help when revising and editing a report.

Teen Ink is a literary website and magazine written by teens.  It provides a forum where teens can express themselves through poetry, essays, fiction, non-fiction, opinions, reviews, art and photography.  Submissions are welcome. For students, ages 13-19.

Educational Uses of Digital Storytelling

From site:  Digital Storytelling is the practice of using computer-based tools to tell stories. As with traditional storytelling, most digital stories focus on a specific topic and contain a particular point of view. However, as the name implies, digital stories usually contain some mixture of computer-based images, text, recorded audio narration, video clips and/or music. Digital stories can vary in length, but most of the stories used in education typically last between two and ten minutes. And the topics that are used in Digital Storytelling range from personal tales to the recounting of historical events, from exploring life in one’s own community to the search for life in other corners of the universe, and literally, everything in between.

Five-Paragraph Essay

From site:  

 You do not have to be a wizard to learn to write excellent five-paragraph essays. You do need some basic skill and practice. At this site, you will find the information you need to learn how to write the essay as well as some writing prompts to help you develop skill. With a little bit of effort, you will create your own written wizardry.

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Building Lifelong Writing Skills

Instead of addressing a single piece of writing, elementary teachers can focus on students’ overall abilities and needs.

Are you looking for more effective ways to help your students become stronger writers? Would you love to be able to make the following statements?

•  “I feel much more capable of identifying student needs in writing and teaching them strategies to use that improve their abilities.”
•  “I feel as though I have a better understanding of what my students really need.” 

These quotes are from educators who were reflecting on their first year teaching a writers’ workshop after working with their colleagues and me throughout the year. Both took the time to dig into some new ideas that helped them change their instructional practices in writing so that they were asking questions and making choices that moved their writers forward.

Prior to this year, these teachers tended to lean toward what many teachers often do—talk to students about what they see in their writing piece at the moment. For example, you may notice that a student isn’t using any elaboration techniques and their sentences or paragraphs are very short and simple. You may look through their piece and then ask the student, “What did that look like?” And then after they tell you, you might say, “OK, why don’t you write that down?” 

But consider this: How will this correction or revision, which is based solely on that particular piece, help your student to elaborate well in their next piece?  Will they take the strategy of adding details about how something looks and apply it to their writing next time? 

In my experience, understanding  Lucy Calkins’s idea of how to teach the writer, not the writing, is what we need to help grow writers so that students will apply new strategies in their future work. You want to know your students’ strengths and needs as writers, not just what the current writing piece may need at the moment.  Then, and only then, will you provide them with the tools they need to improve their skills as writers.

Here are my tips for helping your writers grow in their abilities by providing them with what they need as writers.

Know your writers

The most important step to building up your writers is knowing them . Know their writing behaviors and ability level. There are three ways to accomplish this. 

First, you’ll want to administer and analyze an “on demand” writing piece, a piece of writing that’s written independently in one period of time. As the students are writing, take note of their behaviors and record what you notice—are they engaged, on task, planning, revising, and editing?

Look through each writing piece and take note of the strengths and weaknesses. A rubric would be a helpful tool for this stage of the process. Then look at each piece according to the strands of the rubric and identify where the students stand. 

The third way to know your writers is to talk to them. During independent writing time, meet with students and learn how they work. Ask them how they planned their writing piece, why they chose their topic, what they’ll be doing next, etc. 

These questions will provide important information about how students think about the writing process, and it’s also an effective way to identify any struggles that students may be having with engagement. If they haven’t spent much time writing, or if you’ve seen them up and about and not writing, this is a simple way to find out why.

Find the ‘base level’ of need

Many times, the first aspect of writing that you notice in a student’s piece is what you choose to work on with the writer. For example, if you notice in one student’s piece that they consistently write only a page or two before moving on to a new topic, you may decide that they need to build their stamina or elaborate more. 

There’s often something else beneath what we see in the writing, however, that’s causing the student difficulty. In this case, perhaps they didn’t take any time to plan or rehearse their writing. Missing this step of the writing process would certainly prevent them from knowing what to write, and as a result, they would have only a few ideas to include in their piece. 

Teachers need to identify the real reasons for any difficulties their writers may have so that they can identify what they truly need to learn. This is another area where talking to and questioning students will help. As you hear more about a writer’s process and decision-making, you’ll be able to more easily identify their base area of need. 

One tool I’ve found to be quite effective for teachers in identifying the base level of need is “The Hierarchy of Writing Goals,” from Jennifer Serravallo’s The Writing Strategies Book : Your Everything Guide to Developing Skilled Writers . 

Teach the writers what they need

Once you’ve established the students’ areas of need, consider what the next steps might be in those skill areas that will help them to grow as writers. In the above example of the student who wrote only a page or two before starting a new topic, this writer needs techniques for planning out their writing. When they engage in the planning portion of the writing process, they won’t run out of things to include in their piece. 

You’ll want to choose a few strategies and teach them one at a time, either within a whole-class mini-lesson, a small group, or a one-on-one conference. One helpful strategy for planning a writing piece is to draw a quick sketch for each step of the story on each page of a booklet. An effective planning strategy for an informational piece would be to use bullet points to establish subtopics.  

Be sure the students understand that this is something writers do to help them write more about their topic and that they can use this anytime they’re planning a new piece. 

Use language of the writing strategy, not the writing 

The example at the beginning of this post of the student not using any elaboration techniques, with the teacher then asking them to write something for the piece that provides more detail, is an illustration of “teaching the writing.” Instead, it would have been better to teach the student a strategy that writers use for elaboration that would be useful for that piece, as well as future pieces. 

You might say, “If writers want to help their readers to understand what they’re writing about, they need to elaborate with details. One way to do this as a writer is to include words that tell about how something looks. This will help the reader to visualize what they’re reading, which will be more interesting to them.”

Notice how the language is pointing to what writers do rather than what could or should be in the piece of writing. This language helps teachers to stay focused on the writer’s choices and moves, and it also helps your writers to understand that they make choices as a writer and that these skills can be used anytime they are writing. 

Language is a very powerful aspect of “teaching the writer” for both the teacher and the students. The words you use when teaching a strategy will help you gear your instruction toward the writers. When you change your focus to growing your writers for their future and provide them with what they need for writing a new piece independently, you’ll make a much larger impact. 

Know your writers, find their base level of need, and teach them strategies using language that focuses on the writer, not the writing. Your writers will be creating strong pieces in no time. 

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Free Writing Websites for Students

Writing websites are valuable resources for high school, college, or university students facing various writing assignments. These online tools support the writing process from brainstorming to revising, catering to different writing genres including fiction, poetry, essays, and more. They are designed to assist with common essay types like descriptive, narrative, argumentative, and expository. Regardless of where you are in your writing journey, these websites aim to elevate your work, offering help in brainstorming, editing, proofreading, and publishing.

Here's a list of the best writing websites for students to enhance their writing skills across all stages.

1.  Writelike

Writelike is a free website designed to help students improve their advanced writing skills by analyzing patterns in various texts. It offers comprehensive learning content and practice opportunities, enhancing writing, reading, and spelling skills by modeling techniques from great writers.

2. Hemingway

Hemingway Editor is a free tool available as a website and app for Windows and OS X, designed to enhance writing by highlighting errors and suggesting improvements for clarity and brevity, reflective of Ernest Hemingway's writing style. It identifies complex sentences, recommends adjustments for conciseness, and offers a focus-enhancing Write mode. The Edit mode suggests specific revisions. While the desktop version requires a purchase, the web app is free but needs an internet connection. Hemingway also provides a readability grade indicating the required education level to understand the text.

3. Grammarly

Grammarly is one of the popular writing websites available, and for only good reasons. The basic function of Grammarly is to scan your text and makes suggestions about where changes should be required. Grammarly works across your content as you write, to help you catch common writing errors. It will highlight and fix grammar, punctuation, and contextual spelling mistakes. This is while also catching contextual errors, improving your vocabulary, and suggesting style improvements. Come for the best-in-class grammar checking, stay for the added polish that will keep your text clear, mistake-free, and effective.

4. iA Writer

iA Writer is a minimalist writing tool for students, bloggers, and short-form writers, focusing on eliminating distractions. It supports Markdown for basic formatting and includes buttons for bold, italics, etc. It's affordable and designed for those who prefer simplicity over complex features, ideal for drafting and note-taking. The app offers a modern typewriter style, voice dictation for text input, and tools for creating bulleted lists and applying formats. Documents can be saved in popular formats like .docx, .pdf, .txt, and synchronized across devices via iCloud or Dropbox for easy access from anywhere.

5. Manuscript

Manuscript is a free writing app that offers comprehensive support for writing short stories, essays, or novels. Beyond basic spelling, grammar, and punctuation corrections, it analyzes elements like numbers in sentences, compound words, and abbreviations, and alerts users to potential issues like missed paragraphs or word limit violations. Manuscripts serve as a full-featured word processor, guiding users on format selection and simplifying paragraph handling, bibliographic references, and table insertion, facilitating academic writing tasks.

6. FocusWriter

FocusWriter is a distraction-free word processor designed for creative students to focus on writing without distractions. It features a minimal interface that reveals menus and panels only when the mouse hovers over specific areas. Users can set daily writing goals in characters or minutes and track progress via a status bar. It includes a timer for writing sessions, basic text formatting options (fonts, underlining, alignment), customizable design themes (background images, font sizes, and colors), and supports spell checking, auto-saving, and text restoration.

7. Book Creator

Book Creator is an excellent educational platform to help students create, published share their writing creations. Book Creator can be the perfect complement to enhance students’ writing skills. Students can potentially navigate through the entire writing process within Book Creator: pre-writing, drafting, revising, editing and publishing. Once students are in the drafting phase or have even begun their writing, Book Creator allows the teacher to see work in progress in real-time – the books literally appear on the teacher’s bookshelves.

8. Boom Writer

BoomWriter is a web-based platform designed to enhance student collaboration in writing and reading. It offers three project types: StoryWriter, WordWriter, and ProjectWriter, with StoryWriter being particularly engaging by enabling students to co-author books. Teachers initiate projects with a "story start," and students contribute subsequent chapters for approval. This approach encourages active participation in the creative process, allowing students to contribute to a finished novel.

The Internet offers numerous writing websites and blogs aimed at helping individuals achieve their creative objectives. Selecting the most beneficial ones can be challenging given the vast options available. The list provided aims to assist in kickstarting your writing journey, enhancing your skills, character development, and editing abilities.

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Some of the Best Online Writing Tools for Students

By Med Kharbach, PhD | Last Update: January 28, 2024

Navigating the diverse landscape of writing tools available for students can be a daunting task. That’s why I’ve put together this comprehensive guide to the best writing tools out there, designed to meet various needs and enhance different aspects of writing for students. From graphic organizers that aid in structuring thoughts and developing ideas, to digital storytelling platforms that bring narratives to life, this guide covers a wide range of resources.

More specifically, we arranged these writing tools in various categories namely AI Writing Assistants, AI Story Generators, Digital Storytelling Websites, Comic Strip Tools, Mind Mappings Tools, Story Starters, Writing Mechanics (Grammar and Style), Graphic Organizers, and Websites to Publish Students Writing

Each category in this guide is tailored to address specific aspects of the writing process. Whether it’s organizing ideas, enhancing creativity, improving technical writing skills, or sharing and publishing written work, these tools provide valuable support for students in their writing journey.

For educators, these resources offer versatile and adaptable methods to enrich the teaching of writing and inspire students to engage more deeply with the craft. Let’s dive in and explore how these tools can make writing a more accessible, enjoyable, and successful endeavor for students of all ages and abilities.

Online Writing Tools for Students

Here is our collection of the writing tools for students:

AI Writing Assistants

AI writing tools have become invaluable tools for students and educators alike, offering a blend of technological innovation and writing support. Tools like Jasper, CopyAI, WriteSonic, ChatGPT, Frase, and Rytr are at the forefront of this digital revolution, each offering unique capabilities to enhance writing skills. From generating creative content to refining grammar and style, these AI assistants provide a range of services that cater to diverse writing needs.

Whether it’s crafting a persuasive essay, developing a research paper, or simply improving everyday writing tasks, these AI tools can significantly streamline the writing process. Their integration into the educational sphere represents a significant step towards combining technology with learning, making the art of writing more accessible, efficient, and engaging for students and educators.

Known as a top-tier AI content generator, Jasper excels in creating unique, less plagiarized content. It’s versatile for various content types, offering ready-made templates for quick, efficient writing. Ideal for educational, commercial, and media content.

A competent AI writer, similar to Jasper but without a chatbot feature. It offers a wide range of content creation templates, including various writing aids and idea generators.

3 . WriteSonic

Offers a ChatGPT-like chatbot and over 100 AI templates, supporting 25 languages. Features include an AI article writer, Sonic Editor, paraphrasing tool, text expander, and Article Summarizer.

4 . ChatGPT

Known for its conversational AI capabilities, it’s useful for generating outlines, brainstorming, and tutorial assistance. Requires fact-checking due to potential issues with factual accuracy and plagiarism.

Tailored for bloggers and SEO professionals, Frase offers content creation tools including sentence autocompletion, templates for blog intros and content briefs, and features for improving writing quality.

An AI assistant that generates content quickly, offering a variety of templates, over 20 tones of voice, integrated plagiarism checker, and tools for rewording or enriching text.

AI Story Generators

In the realm of creative writing, AI story generators have emerged as revolutionary tools, offering both students and educators an innovative approach to storytelling. These AI-driven platforms, such as Sudowrite, NovelAI, Picsart AI Story Generator, Simplified, Plot Factory, and Shortly AI, provide a plethora of features that can enhance the writing process.

They assist in generating ideas, structuring narratives, and offering stylistic suggestions, thereby aiding students in overcoming writer’s block, refining their writing skills, and expanding their creative horizons. By integrating these tools into the classroom, educators can provide a unique, engaging, and supportive environment that fosters creativity and improves writing competencies in students of all levels.

1. Sudowrite  

A comprehensive tool for novelists, Sudowrite guides users from idea inception to chapter development. Key features include enhanced autocomplete for narrative continuity, scene expansion, rewriting assistance, critical feedback, plot and character idea generation, and visualization tools for artistic storytelling.

related:  5 Best AI Voice Changers

2. Novel AI

Tailored for AI-assisted authorship, NovelAI offers a high degree of storytelling freedom. Its AI, trained on real literature, adapts to user styles. Unique AI Modules allow thematic direction, style replication, and personal data training, offering a diverse and immersive storytelling experience.

3. Picsart AI Story Generator

A versatile tool suitable for both professional and personal storytelling. It allows customization in tone, length, and creativity level, making it adept at creating stories across various genres, from thrillers to romances.

4. Simplified

 This tool suits both experienced and novice writers. Features include Long Form Writer and Short Form Assistant’s templates for crafting story elements like plot twists, character descriptions, and emotional depth. It also supports collaborative writing and social media sharing.

5. Plot Factory

Plot Factory An online writing tool that excels in story planning and execution. Notable features include a text-to-speech option, collaborative writing similar to Google Docs, character development sheets, and export options for both ePub and docx files, catering to self-publishing and querying needs.

6. Shortly A I

A dynamic writing partner offering features to continue writing in your style, brainstorm ideas, and develop narratives. Its user-friendly interface and /commands for instant rewriting or sentence expansion make it ideal for writers seeking creativity and focus in their writing process.

Digital Storytelling Websites

The advent of digital storytelling websites has opened up new avenues for enhancing writing and narrative skills in educational settings. Platforms like Adobe Express, Storybird, Book Creator, and Animoto offer unique opportunities for students to engage with storytelling in a modern, digital format.

These tools empower students to combine text, images, audio, and video, thereby enriching their narratives and making the storytelling process more interactive and multidimensional. For students, this means not only honing their writing skills but also learning to communicate effectively in a digital world.

These websites are particularly effective in fostering creativity, digital literacy, and critical thinking, as students learn to construct and convey their stories through various media forms. By integrating digital storytelling into the curriculum, educators can provide a more engaging and relevant learning experience, encouraging students to express themselves in innovative ways while developing essential 21st-century skills.

1. Adobe Express

This is a versatile tool that allows for the creation of videos, web pages, and graphics. It’s user-friendly and offers a variety of templates and design options, making it great for creating compelling digital stories.

2. Storybird

Specializing in art-inspired storytelling, Storybird lets users create visual stories with access to a library of artwork. It’s particularly good for younger students or for projects that emphasize visual storytelling.

3. Book Creator

This tool is fantastic for creating interactive and multimedia books. It’s very intuitive and allows students and educators to incorporate text, images, audio, and video into their digital books.

A video-making tool that’s great for creating quick, professional-looking videos. Animoto is perfect for digital storytelling projects that require a blend of images, text, and music.

5. VoiceThread

This is a unique tool where users can add narration to slideshows. It’s excellent for projects where voice-over explanations or narratives are essential.

Known for its graphic design capabilities, Canva also offers features for creating presentations and infographics, which can be used for storytelling purposes.

This is an online comic-making tool, ideal for creating storyboards or comic strips. It’s particularly engaging for students who enjoy visual and creative storytelling.

A cloud-based video editing platform that’s great for creating and editing videos online. It offers a range of editing tools, making it suitable for more advanced storytelling projects.

Developed by MIT, Scratch allows students to create their own interactive stories, games, and animations. It’s especially good for integrating coding and storytelling.

Comic Strip Tools

The integration of comic strip tools into the educational toolkit offers a unique and engaging approach to storytelling and writing. Tools like Storyboard That, Witty Comics, Make Beliefs Comix, Pixton, and Canva Comics provide students with a creative platform to express their ideas visually.

These tools are particularly effective in enhancing narrative skills, as they require students to think critically about story progression, character development, and visual storytelling. By crafting comic strips, students not only improve their writing and storytelling abilities but also develop a deeper understanding of visual literacy and sequential art.

This method of storytelling can be especially appealing to reluctant writers or visual learners, as it combines artistic expression with narrative construction. Incorporating comic strip creation into educational activities encourages students to engage with content in a fun and imaginative way, fostering creativity and a love for storytelling.

1- Storyboard That Create and narrate your stories using beautiful visuals and storyboards. It’s a fantastic tool for mapping out narratives in a visual and structured way.

2- Witty Comics Provides you with a set of pre-designed characters, scenes, and dialogue boxes to write your story. A user-friendly tool, but remember, you need to log in to save your work.

3- Make Beliefs Comix Create amazing comics using a wide variety of materials including characters, speech bubbles, props, backgrounds, objects, and many more. It’s great for younger students or those new to comic creation.

4- Pixton This tool allows you to create stunning comics using a drag-and-drop editor. With fully posable characters, dynamic panels, props, and speech bubbles, every aspect of a comic can be controlled in an intuitive click-n-drag motion.

5. Canva Comics

Canva offers a range of comic strip templates that you can customize to your storytelling needs. It’s an easy-to-use tool for creating visually appealing comic strips, combining the simplicity of Canva’s interface with the creative flexibility of comic design.

Mind Mappings Tools

Mind mapping tools represent a pivotal shift in how we approach writing and brainstorming in the educational arena. These tools, which also include platforms like MindMeister, XMind, and Coggle, offer students a visually engaging and efficient way to organize their thoughts and ideas.

By visually structuring information, mind mapping assists students in conceptualizing complex topics, enhancing their ability to plan essays, structure research papers, and develop creative stories.

These tools are particularly beneficial for visual learners, as they turn abstract ideas into tangible diagrams, facilitating a deeper understanding and retention of information. The interactive nature of mind mapping also encourages collaborative learning, allowing students to work together on projects and share ideas in a more dynamic and interconnected way.

Integrating these tools into the writing process not only aids in the organization of thoughts but also fosters creativity, critical thinking, and a more profound engagement with the writing process.

1- Bubbl.us A good tool for creating visually attractive concept maps. No software download required and maps you create can be saved as an image. It also supports different sharing and collaborative features.

2- Popplet It offers various features including: recording notes in different formats with text, images and drawings; link notes to each other; export your final work as PDF or JPEG; supports several languages and many more.

3- MindMup Lets you ‘create unlimited mind maps for free, and store them in the cloud. Your mind maps are available everywhere, instantly, from any device.’

4- Lucidchart You can use Lucidchart to design concept maps, flowcharts and different types of diagrams. It also support collaborative features and works across several devices.

Story Starters

In the world of creative writing, initiating a compelling narrative can often be the most challenging part. This is where story starter tools come into play, offering an invaluable resource for students and educators. Tools like ChatGPT, Scholastic Story Starters, The Story Starter, StoryToolz Half Title Generator, and others, provide a diverse array of prompts and ideas to ignite the creative process.

These tools are particularly beneficial in helping students overcome writer’s block, sparking their imagination, and guiding them in developing coherent and engaging stories. By offering a starting point, they encourage students to explore different narrative paths and styles, enhancing their storytelling skills and boosting their confidence as writers.

Incorporating these story starters into classroom activities or writing assignments can lead to a more dynamic and interactive learning experience, fostering creativity and expression in student writing.

1. ChatGPT by OpenAI

ChatGPT can generate creative story prompts, continue a story based on an initial idea, or even help overcome writer’s block by providing suggestions. Its AI-driven approach offers a unique and modern way to engage with storytelling.

2. Scholastic Story Starters

This tool provides a fun, interactive way for young students to generate story ideas. The student spins a wheel to get a prompt that includes a character, setting, and format.

3. The Story Starter

This website offers over one billion randomly generated story starters for all ages. It’s a simple yet effective way to kickstart the writing process.

4. StoryToolz Half Title Generato r

Aimed at more advanced writers, this tool generates intriguing half-titles to inspire stories. It’s perfect for those looking to challenge their creativity.

5. Writing Prompts by Writing.com

This app provides a variety of prompts, including scenes, words, sketches, texts, and more. It’s versatile and suitable for diverse writing levels and styles.

6. Plot Generator

This tool offers a range of options including genre-specific story prompts, character generators, and even entire plot outlines. It’s great for more in-depth story planning.

7. Rory’s Story Cubes

This is a physical tool but also available as an app. It provides images on dice that students can roll to generate visual prompts for story creation.

8. Storybird

While primarily a tool for creating digital books, Storybird also offers prompts and challenges to inspire writers and help them get started with their stories.

Writing Mechanics (Grammar and Style)

In the journey of developing proficient writing skills, tools that focus on writing mechanics play a crucial role. Resources like Grammarly, Hemingway, Quill, OWL, and others on the list provide invaluable assistance in refining the technical aspects of writing. These tools are designed to help students with grammar, punctuation, style, and overall clarity, ensuring their writing is not only correct but also compelling and readable.

They act as virtual tutors, guiding students through the nuances of the English language and helping them avoid common pitfalls. For educators, these tools are instrumental in teaching the intricacies of writing mechanics in an interactive and accessible manner.

By incorporating these resources into their writing process, students can significantly improve their writing proficiency, gain confidence in their abilities, and develop a stronger command of language. This is particularly important in an academic setting, where clear and precise communication is essential for success.

1- Grammarly A comprehensive tool that enhances your writing by checking and correcting spelling and grammatical errors. It’s an essential assistant for ensuring accuracy and clarity in your text.

2- Hemingway This application sharpens your writing style, streamlining your language structure and enriching your vocabulary. It’s designed to make your writing bold and clear, mirroring the style of Ernest Hemingway.

3- Quill Quill provides a suite of tools specifically designed to bolster students’ writing skills. This includes Quill Grammar for grammar improvement and Quill Proofreader for refining their written work, making it a versatile resource in the classroom.

4- Pudue OWL (Online Writing Lab) A comprehensive resource from Purdue University, the OWL offers an extensive library with materials on various writing aspects. This includes guidance on grammar, professional writing, research, APA and MLA formatting, resume crafting, and specialized writing topics, making it an invaluable resource for students and educators alike.

5. ProWritingAid

This tool offers in-depth writing analysis, helping users improve their style, tone, grammar, and punctuation. It’s great for older students or educators looking to refine their writing at a more advanced level.

6. QuillBot

QuillBot is an AI-powered writing and research tool that enhances writing efficiency and quality. It features a sophisticated paraphrasing engine, helping users to rephrase and refine their sentences while maintaining the original meaning. Ideal for academic writing, content creation, and general editing, QuillBot also includes a grammar checker and a summarizer, making it a versatile tool for improving overall writing clarity and effectiveness.

Also check Best Online Grammar and Spell Checkers

Graphic Organizers

Graphic organizers are a cornerstone tool in the educational toolkit, offering a structured visual approach to writing and idea development. Tools such as Venn Diagrams, Story Maps, KWL Charts , and others in the list serve as effective aids in organizing thoughts, structuring arguments, and planning narratives.

These visual aids help students break down complex ideas into manageable parts, fostering a clearer understanding and more coherent writing. Especially beneficial for visual learners, graphic organizers make abstract concepts tangible and facilitate critical thinking. They encourage students to see the relationships between ideas, leading to more logical and well-structured writing.

For educators, graphic organizers are versatile instruments that can be adapted for various educational objectives, from brainstorming and planning to analyzing texts and synthesizing information. Incorporating these tools into the writing process not only aids in organization and planning but also enhances creativity, making the act of writing more accessible and engaging for students of all skill levels.

1- Plot Diagram The Plot Diagram is a visual tool shaped like a pyramid or triangle, designed to help map and visualize the events in a story. By structuring the story’s progression, it enables both readers and writers to understand and analyze the key components and structure of narratives.

2- Essay Map This interactive tool assists students in structuring essays, guiding them to create a coherent outline. It helps in organizing an introductory statement, main ideas, supporting details, and a conclusion, ensuring a well-structured and thoughtful essay. 3- Compare and Contrast Map An interactive organizer, this tool aids in structuring comparison essays. Whether for a whole-to-whole, similarities-to-differences, or point-to-point comparison essay, it helps students outline their ideas methodically and clearly.

4- Venn Diagram This tool enables students to create two or three overlapping circles to visually organize and compare concepts. It’s ideal for identifying and recording relationships and differences between ideas, promoting logical and analytical thinking.

5- Persuasion Map An interactive organizer designed for planning persuasive essays or debates. Students map out their thesis and then structure supporting arguments with evidence. It’s an excellent tool for developing critical thinking and argumentative skills.

Websites to Publish Students Writing

The availability of websites where students can publish their writing marks a significant advancement in nurturing young writers and broadening their audience. Platforms like Book Creator, Google Sites, Google Docs, Edublogs, and others in the list offer students the unique opportunity to share their work with a wider community.

This act of publishing not only provides a sense of accomplishment but also exposes students to feedback and engagement from diverse audiences. Such exposure is invaluable in developing writing skills, as it encourages students to consider their readership, refine their voice, and communicate their ideas more effectively.

For educators, these platforms serve as powerful tools to motivate students, showing them the real-world impact of their writing. Additionally, publishing their work helps students develop digital literacy skills and understand the nuances of online communication. By leveraging these websites, students can transition from writing as a purely academic exercise to seeing it as a form of meaningful expression and connection with a broader community.

1- Book creator This dynamic platform enables students to craft and publish their own books, combining text, images, and audio. It’s an engaging way for students to share their writing creations with a wider audience.

2- Google Sites A user-friendly tool that allows students to create their own websites. Here, they can publish and share their writing projects in a web format, offering a real-world experience in digital publishing.

3- Google Docs Versatile and accessible, Google Docs allows students to publish their writings in various formats, including shareable web links. It’s an excellent option for collaborative writing and easy online sharing.

4- Edublogs Specifically designed for educational purposes, Edublogs lets students share their writing in blog format. It’s a great platform for ongoing writing projects and class blogs.

5. StoryJumper

An excellent platform for younger students, StoryJumper allows them to create and publish online books. It’s particularly good for creative story writing.

For students looking to reach a broader audience with their essays, opinions, and stories, Medium is a great platform. It’s more suited to high school students due to its public nature.

Bottom line

From the visually structured world of graphic organizers to the innovative realms of AI story generators and digital storytelling platforms, each writing tool we’ve explored offers unique benefits to support and inspire young writers.

The beauty of these tools lies in their ability to adapt to different learning styles, making writing more accessible and engaging for every student. Whether it’s organizing thoughts for a clearer narrative, refining grammar for more polished prose, or publishing work to share with the world, these tools provide the support and encouragement students need to express themselves confidently and creatively.

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Meet Med Kharbach, PhD

Dr. Med Kharbach is an influential voice in the global educational technology landscape, with an extensive background in educational studies and a decade-long experience as a K-12 teacher. Holding a Ph.D. from Mount Saint Vincent University in Halifax, Canada, he brings a unique perspective to the educational world by integrating his profound academic knowledge with his hands-on teaching experience. Dr. Kharbach's academic pursuits encompass curriculum studies, discourse analysis, language learning/teaching, language and identity, emerging literacies, educational technology, and research methodologies. His work has been presented at numerous national and international conferences and published in various esteemed academic journals.

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20 Creative Writing Activities for Elementary Students

• November 23, 2021

Did you know that November is National Novel Writing Month? While your young learners are probably not ready to write an entire book, this month is a great time to practice creative writing skills with your students. Not only can creative writing be helpful for teaching vocabulary and sentence structure, but it can also encourage students to use imaginative thinkin g —and even find a genuine love of writing!

All of these 20 creative writing activities can be used with elementary school students to practice reading and writing skills. We’ve included options for both early elementary students, who may still be learning to write, and elementary students in upper grades who are ready to work on projects of their choosing.

1. Join the NaNoWriMo organization’s Young Writers Program (YWP) ! Together, your students can work on all sorts of age-appropriate writing challenges and activities throughout the year—including a project of their choice in November!

2. To practice pre-writing skills and collaborating on a project, try these shared writing project activities .

3. If you have any budding cartoonists in your class, this Finish the Comic activity from author Jarrett Lerner can be a great way for younger students to practice writing dialogue.

4. Teach your students about adjectives and writing descriptions with this Popcorn Adjectives activity .

5. Students can learn about creative writing by studying imagery and poetry by established authors. Using this writing worksheet , kids can write out their thoughts about a poem and draw images that stand out to them.

6. To teach creative thinking skills with kindergarteners and early elementary students, try this Mystery Seed writing activity .

7. Get families involved, too! Share these fun home writing activities with your student’s families to help them practice at home.

8. Print out and put together a Writing Jar with tons of creative writing prompts to inspire your students.

9. Check out this resource for even more writing prompts focused on imaginative thinking.

10. Try blackout poetry , an activity that encourages students to make their own beautiful art from a work that already exists.

11. Creative writing isn’t limited to fiction. This narrative writing activity can teach students to write events clearly and in sequence from their real life.

12. For a creative writing project that’s just plain fun, try this Roll a Story activity.

13. This nonfiction project helps children learn to write a letter as they write to a loved one of their choice.

14. If you want to give your students some freedom in choosing a writing assignment, hang up this Writing Prompt Choice Board in your classroom and let them answer whichever prompt they’d like!

15. Encourage students to keep their own journal throughout the year. You could even give them time each morning to respond to a journal prompt .

16. Use this journal page template to help students structure and compile journal entries.

17. These printable Mad Libs can teach children different parts of a sentence while they use their imaginations to create a story.

18. Use this What? So What? Now What? exercise (#6 at the link) to help students structure their creative writing projects.

19. To teach children how to create descriptive sentences, play this Show, Don’t Tell writing activity .

20. If you’d like to hold a month-long creative writing activity, try this 30-Day Writing Challenge for kids .

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225 Fun & Free Creative Writing Prompts for Kids in All Grade Levels

Written by Maria Kampen

Prodigy English is here! Get your students playing — and learning — today.

• Teacher Resources
• Elementary school writing prompts

Middle school writing prompts

High school writing prompts.

• Social emotional learning jounal prompts
• Math writing prompts

Writing prompts are meant to unlock creativity. They’re story starters designed to inspire creative thinking. They can take you to places you’ve been or recall an important time in your life. 

But mostly, they’re useful tools for teachers to inspire writing growth in students from grade school to high school.

“Once upon a time, in a land far, far away…”

It’s amazing how one simple sentence can send you on a journey to places you’ve never been, filled with untold possibilities. 

Reading is great, but you know what’s even better? Giving your students the power to write stories for themselves. 

Writing prompts for kids help students:

• Express themselves and their creativity
• Grasp lifelong literacy skills and concepts
• Tell their own stories and build self-confidence
• Develop a growth mindset when it comes to their writing skills

Writing is like a muscle — it takes practice to build up skills. Luckily, we put together a list of over 200 writing prompts to help your students get started. We’ve also organized them by middle school, high school and elementary school to help teachers decide whether these prompts are age-appropriate for their students.

Grade school writing prompts

Grade schoolers can definitely begin to address complex ideas when it comes to story writing — but you should seek to keep the prompts simple and straightforward. 

Reluctant writers might be intimidated by complicated writing ideas — and this is an age where we should be encouraging creativity.

Creative writing prompts for elementary schoolers

Whether it’s exploring the furthest reaches of outer space, traveling across the Sahara desert or sticking a little closer to home, these creative writing prompts will have students imagining endless possibilities for their writing.

• Write about what your life would be like if you turned into a squirrel. What would you do every day?
• A strange spaceship just crashed and landed in your backyard. What happens next?
• Make up a story about where thunder comes from.
• You find an old notebook hidden in an attic. What does it say? Who did it belong to?
• You have a magic garden. What magical plants do you grow? How do you take care of them?
• Write a story about running away with the circus when it comes to town.
• Rewrite “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” from the perspective of one of the dwarfs (Happy, Sleepy, Dopey, Doc, Grumpy, Sneezy and Bashful).
• There once was a little boy who ate nothing but oranges. What happened to him?
• Write a story about a magical hat. Where is it from? What does it do? What does it look like?
• You’re exploring the rainforest and come across a flower that no one’s ever seen before. Describe it!
• Tell me a story about a dinosaur living a long, long time ago.
• Tell me a story about an astronaut visiting another planet. Where are they going? How do they get there? What do they take with them?
• You discover a magic portal in the park. Where does it lead to?
• Pick a partner and write a story together! Start by writing the first sentence, then pass it to your partner to write the second sentence.
• You find buried treasure in the park, hidden in a big wooden chest. What kind of treasure is it? Who left it there?
• Write a story about a family that can travel in time. 
• Write a story without using the letter “E”.
• Write the funniest story you can think of. 
• There’s a kangaroo in your classroom. How did it get there? What happens when you find it?
• Write a story about an explorer who keeps getting lost. Where are they trying to go? What do they find along the way?
• Write a story about a wooden door, a can of soda and a blue shoe.
• If there was a magical portal in the back of your closet, where would it lead to? 
• Finish this story: There was a knock on the door. I opened it to find a dog sitting there, and…
• You come home and find that everything in your house is upside down. What happened?
• Describe the color “red” without using the word “red”.
• There’s an old, abandoned house at the end of your street that’s been empty for years. One day, someone moves in.
• Rewrite the story of Cinderella from the perspective of the stepsisters.  
• Write a backstory for Ed, the orange Prodigy mascot. 
• You wake up one morning and find a mermaid in your bathtub. How did they get there? What do you do?
• Write a story about a monster looking for some friends. 
• Oh no — your balloon blew away! Write about what happens from the balloon’s perspective. 
• You and your friends are out for a walk when, out of nowhere, your friends start disappearing! What’s going on?
• Once upon a time, an old inventor built a weather machine. It sat undiscovered for years — until you found it. What happens next?
• You just ate a cookie that turned you 15 feet tall. What do you do next?

Fun writing prompts for grade schoolers

Everyday life is full of great inspiration for writing! Get students thinking with these easy and fun writing prompts.Write about something you are good at. 

• If you could write a book about anything, what would you write about?
• If you could have any animal as a pet, what would it be and why?
• Do you have a favorite animal? Tell me all about it! Why do you like it?
• What would you do if you woke up one morning and everything was pink — including you?
• What food can you not live without? Why?
• If you could add any class to your school schedule, what would it be?
• Invent a new day of the week. What is it called? When is it? What do people usually do on that day of the week?
• If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you live? 
• If you could spend a Saturday doing anything you wanted, what adventures would you get up to?
• If you could have any wild animal as a pet, what would you choose? Why?
• What's your favorite, wacky food?
• Where is your favorite place to read? Why?
• What was the coolest day of school for you? What made it exciting?
• Which of your toys do you wish could talk? What would they say?
• If you could only wear one outfit for the rest of your life, what would it look like?
• Invent a machine to do a chore for you. What does the machine do? What does it look like?
• What's your favorite season? What makes it the best?
• What is your favorite math game and why?
• Describe your real-life superpower.
• Finish the story: When I'm older I want to be an expert in…
• If pets could talk to each other, what would they say?
• If you were the captain of a ship, what would you call your ship? What would it look like? Where would you go?
• If your pet could talk to you, what do you think it would say?
• If you were the only person on earth for one day, what would you do?
• Plan the perfect birthday party for yourself. 
• What is your favorite thing to do over summer break?
• Describe your ideal birthday cake. 
• If you could add any type of room to your house, what would it be?
• What’s your favorite movie and why?

Persuasive writing prompts for elementary school

Are your students’ opinions up for debate? Ask them to flex their critical thinking skills with these persuasive writing prompts. Once they’re done, get class discussion flowing with a spirited debate!

• Write a letter convincing your parents to let you get a pet dog. What arguments do you use to persuade them?
• Convince your teacher that you should be allowed an extra 15 minutes of recess.
• Convince your best friend to read your favorite book.
• How would you convince someone to do your chores for you?
• Write a commercial for your favorite breakfast food. What would convince someone else to try it?
• What flavor of chips is the best? Why?
• What would make a better pet — a monkey or a peacock?
• Do you think children should be allowed to stay up as late as they want?
• What’s your favorite holiday and why should it be everyone’s favorite? 
• Convince us that your favorite food should be a staple in everyone’s diet.

As students enter middle school, they’re starting to feel like bigger, older kids. They can start writing original short stories and abstract persuasive essays. 

It’s best to inspire creativity at this age and encourage them to explore their own voice and different writing styles. These prompts will definitely go a long way in inspiring that.

Creative Writing Prompts for Middle Schoolers

• Invent a new type of transportation for the future. Who uses it? Where does it go?
• If you had a time machine, where would you visit first — the past or the future? Why?
• You get on the bus and find a four-piece jazz band giving a concert. What do you do?
• Design and name your own Prodigy pet . What element are they? What’s their special power?
• Finish this story: “Something just touched my foot,” they shouted, swimming frantically towards the shore. 
• Write a silly or scary story to tell around a campfire. 
• Finish this story: Everything was going so well today — until I tripped and fell, right in front of…
• Throughout your adventures as a pirate on the high seas, you’ve seen lots of strange and magical creatures. Which one was the most interesting?
• Deep in the heart of a dark and mysterious cave, there lies a magic stone. Write about your quest to find it. 
• Write an acrostic poem using the word “strawberry.”
• There was an old woman who lived in a shoe. She knit and she baked, but what else did she do?
• Finish this story: “One thing I’ll never do again,” she said, “Is go on vacation with an alpaca.”
• Make up a new planet and describe it. 
• Write a story about a family of penguins living on an iceberg.
• Write a story about a girl who can walk through walls. 
• You’ve been invited to a ball at the Queen’s palace! What is it like?
• Imagine you’re exploring the Amazon jungle. Write a diary entry about your day.
• If you could invent a TV show, what would it be about?
• You discovered an underwater kingdom! What is it like there?
• A lonely trumpet player makes friends with the dancer who lives next door. What happens next?
• You go to the park to fly a kite, but get carried away by the wind! What happens next?
• Write a story about a volcano that’s about to erupt.
• Write a story about visiting an old lady who lives deep in the woods.
• Boom, you’re a superhero! Give yourself an origin story, describe your superpowers and plan what you’ll do to make the world a better place. 
• Write a story using these six words: calendar, headphones, lipstick, mug, bear.
• You wake up to find you’re invisible. How did it happen? What do you do?
• There’s been a robbery at the bank, and you’re in charge of finding the culprit. How do you solve the case?
• Finish the story: Once upon a time, there was a dragon...
• You just joined a super-secret spy organization. What’s your first mission?
• Write a story about being cold without using the word “cold.”
• You’re a scientist and you’ve just discovered a new type of bug. Describe what it looks like, where it’s from and what you’re going to call it. 
• Imagine a world where all the birds can talk. What would they say?
• Write about what happens after the end of your favorite book or movie.
• Finish the story: She sprinted down the driveway to the mailbox. The package was here!
• You’re on a hike and a bird starts talking to you. What do you do? What does it say?
• Write a story using these five words: bubblegum, stapler, spoon, lightbulb, strawberry.
• You ate a magical carrot and your skin turned orange! What happens next?
• Write about what it would be like if you had an elephant for a pet.

Fun Writing Prompts for Middle Schoolers

• If you were in charge of the classroom for a day, what would your class do?
• Tell me about the last dream you had.
• You’re trapped on a desert island. What three things did you bring with you and why?
• What mythical creature would you like to have as a pet? Why?
• Invent a new type of pasta. What does it look like? What does it taste like?
• If you could go on vacation anywhere in the world, where would you go? Make a plan and tell the story of your dream vacation.
• Plan the perfect picnic. Where would it be? What food would you have?
• If you could decorate your bedroom any way you wanted, what would it look like?
• Write a story that sounds loud, using onomatopoeia (words that sound like their meaning, like crash, snort, bang and boom.)
• Invent a new type of cookie. What does it taste like?
• Invent a new sport. What is it called? What are the rules?
• How would you disguise yourself to blend in with a forest?
• You just won a special award from the president. What did you do to earn that award?
• Do you collect anything? What is it and why? If not, what would you like to collect?
• You just found a genie in a bottle. What three things would you wish for? (Remember, no wishing for extra wishes!
• Explain how to play your favorite sport or do your favorite hobby. Make it as exciting as possible!
• Describe the most beautiful sunrise or sunset you’ve ever seen.
• If you could live in any book or movie, which one would you choose and why?
• Imagine that you’re going on a camping trip. What do you pack to make sure the trip is fun?
• If you could invent a robot to do any chore, what chore would it be? How would the robot do it?
• Would you rather it was always raining, or always snowing?
• Imagine you’re a toy inventor. What will you create?
• Would you rather climb to the top of a mountain or go scuba diving?
• Interview a family member about their childhood, then write it as a story.
• What was your favorite toy growing up — why was it so special to you?

Persuasive Writing Prompts for Middle School

• If you could change one thing about your school, what would it be and why?
• Is it better to read the book before you watch the movie, or watch the movie before you read the book?
• Persuade someone to try out your favorite hobby or sport.
• What’s the best way to try and persuade a friend to do what you want to do?
• When is peer pressure good? When is peer pressure bad?
• Is it better to have lots of friends, or just a few really good friends?
• Should students be in charge of what they learn in school?

High school students can either be tasked with more complex writing prompts or breathe nuance into simple story ideas. Students can drive these prompts in a million different ways.

So while not necessarily more complicated than middle school, these prompts can be tweaked, either by the student or teacher, to encourage thought-provoking output.

Creative Writing Prompts for High Schoolers

• Write a story about someone your age who lives on the other side of the world. 
• Pick up the nearest book and turn to page 7. Close your eyes and point to a random word on the page, then write a story about that word.
• Write a story in ten words or less.
• You fell asleep for 100 years. What does the world look like when you wake up?
• Finish the story: “This isn’t what I hoped would happen,” she said….
• You’re walking down the street when you see someone who looks exactly like you.
• Write a story where the main character learns something new about themselves.
• Write a story that takes place in the desert. 
• Write a story about a day where everything seems to go wrong. 
• Write a poem about the color blue.
• How would your life be different if you didn’t have access to a computer, video games or your phone?

Fun writing prompts for high schoolers

• You win a million dollars, but there’s a catch — you have to spend it all in 24 hours, or you lose all the money. What do you do?
• Write about something you or your family does from the perspective of someone from another country.
• If you could make up a new holiday, when would it be and what would it celebrate?
• Go out on a nature walk and find a tree. Write the story of that tree, from the time it was a seed until now.
• What’s the most boring superpower you can think of? How would it be useful?
• If you could pass any law, what would it be?
• You meet yourself in the future, as a grown-up at age 35 — what do you talk about? 
• If you had to show aliens the most important/best things in the world, what would you show them?
• Who is your hero and why?
• Write about the best surprise you ever got. 
• What are three good things you can do for the environment? How can you encourage the people around you to do good things for the environment?
• What is your earliest memory? Write down as many details as you can remember.
• If you could take two people – real or fictional – on a cross-country road trip, who would you take? Where would you go?
• If you could have any job in the world tomorrow, what would you do?
• What is the best thing about living in your city or neighbourhood?
• Write a letter to your 30-year-old self. What do you think you’ll accomplish by then?
• Teach me how to make your favorite recipe.
• Describe the sound of your favorite song using descriptive words.

Persuasive writing prompts for high school

• Should kids be allowed to use social media unsupervised? Why or why not?
• Persuade someone to start a healthy habit, or get rid of a bad one.
• Should all single-use plastics be outlawed? Why or why not?
• Should our school have a dress code? Why or why not?
• Is it more important to be right or to not hurt someone else’s feelings?
• What important historical figure do you think belongs on the ten-dollar bill?
• Do you think you’re born with your personality traits, or do you gain them as you grow up?
• Should mobile apps be responsible for protecting your privacy — why or why not?

Social emotional learning journal prompts

School is about more than just books and quizzes — it’s about preparing students for the rest of their lives. Social emotional learning teaches them how to build good relationships with peers, understand and control their emotions and make healthy life decisions.

Journaling is a great way for students to reflect on their feelings in a safe, private space. Use these journaling prompts as thought starters for more social emotional learning!

Check out our list of the 25 best social emotional learning activities for students here. 

• Tell me about a tradition you have with your family or friends. 
• What’s the best gift you’ve ever received?
• Have you ever found something that you lost? How did you feel when you found it?
• What is something you haven’t learned this school year that you’re still wondering about?
• What do you do when you’re angry? Write about three ways you calm yourself down.
• Where do you feel the safest? Why do you feel safe there?
• Write a poem to make a friend happy.
• When was the last time you were kind to someone? How can you be kind to someone today?
• How are you feeling today? Are you happy, sad, excited or anxious?
• If you could give your best friend a present, what would it be?
• What are the qualities you look for in a friend? Why is it important to be a good friend?
• What does responsibility mean to you?
• Who do you talk to when you’re worried about something? How do they make you feel better?
• If you could make a card for anyone in your life, who would it be for and what would it say?
• What’s your favorite thing about yourself?
• Write about a time you had to make a hard decision. How did you make your decision?
• What do you do to make yourself happy when you’re sad?
• Write about a time you were disappointed. 
• What are three things that make your best friend awesome?
• What do you think empathy means? Why is it important?
• How can you cheer up a friend who is sad?
• What makes you a good friend? How can you be a better friend?
• What’s the best piece of advice a friend, parent or teacher has ever given you?
• Write three goals for the rest of the school year. How are you going to accomplish them?
• What does responsibility mean to you? What are you responsible for at school and at home?
• What person in your life makes you feel confident?
• What scares you? How can you overcome your fears?
• Tell me about a time when you tried something new. How did it feel? Did you do it again?

Math writing prompts for kids

Whether it’s tackling word problems or explaining a new concept, writing is a surprisingly good tool for the math classroom. 

A math journal can help you understand what students already know, while giving them space to work through tricky concepts on their own. Use these writing prompts to promote literacy in every subject — and help students avoid math anxiety .

• Tell me everything you know about ________.
• Explain, in words, how to solve this problem.
• What is and isn’t true about this situation?
• What is _______?
• Explain two different ways to solve this problem. Which one is better?
• What did you get correct in this problem?
• What mistakes did you make while solving this problem?
• What do you not understand about _____?
• Write a word problem using the concept we’re learning about. 
• What did you learn today?
• How do you use math in your everyday life?
• What is the easiest/hardest part of math class?
• What discoveries did you make in math class today?

Final thoughts on writing prompts for kids

Writing prompts aren’t the end of the story — they’re just the beginning. Encourage your students to build a regular writing practice, and soon you’ll see the benefits in every class. 

Where will your students’ imaginations take them?

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15 Best Poetry Websites for Kids, Teens, Teachers, and Classrooms

Verses of every kind, for every kind of poet!

Whether you’re celebrating National Poetry Month, launching a poetry unit, or just looking for poems to share with kids or teens in the classroom, these sites are for you. These poetry websites have selections for readers and learners of all ages. Many of them include resources for teaching poetry too. Take a look at one or all of them to find what you need.

1. Poetry4Kids

Best for: Elementary teachers and students

Kenn Nesbit was named Children’s Poet Laureate by the Poetry Foundation in 2013. Here, you’ll find lots of his wonderful work, including a roundup of his popular funny poems. Search by subject, grade level, topic, and more, plus find poetry writing lessons and activities to use in your classroom.

2. The Children’s Poetry Archive

Best for: Pre-K-8 students and teachers

The founders of this site believe the best way to connect with poetry is to hear its authors read it out loud. They’ve collected thousands of recordings of poets giving readings of their poems and curated this special collection just for kids. There’s also a section just for teachers to help them use the recordings with their students.

3. American Life in Poetry

Best for: Middle and high school students and teachers

Each week, this site publishes a new poem with short commentary to help readers delve deeper. Poems focus on the American experience, and you can search by region or topics that speak to different aspects of American life.

4. ShelSilverstein.com

Best for: K-6 teachers and students

Shel Silverstein’s poems have been delighting kids for decades. This website provides learning resources for teachers to use when teaching his poems in their classrooms. Kids will find videos, printables, and wallpapers to enjoy and share.

5. ReadWriteThink

Best for: K-12 language arts teachers

If you’re a language arts teacher, you probably already have this site on your favorites list. Their poetry section is terrific, offering lesson plans, activities, professional development, and blogs. Search for resources by grade level, and try student interactives on haikus, acrostics, and more.

6. Poetry.com

Best for: Anyone looking for new or favorite poems to read

Published authors meet amateurs on this massive database. It’s one of the largest poetry websites on the web, where you’ll find well-known poems, poet biographies, and self-published poetry by current writers. The site can be a little ad-heavy, and it’s not necessarily the easiest to navigate. But if you’re looking for poems on a certain topic, a search here is a good place to start.

7. Poetry Foundation

Best for: Anyone looking to explore poetry past and present

The Poetry Foundation is linked to Poetry magazine , which has been around since 1912. The site is comprehensive, with poems, poem guides, audio poems, and dozens of curated collections. You’ll also find articles, essays, interviews, and more resources for teaching and learning about poetry. With more than 46,000 poems, this is one of those poetry websites you’ll definitely want to bookmark.

28. Famous Poets and Poems

Best for: Anyone searching for well-known poets or poems

The name says it all! If you’re looking for a specific poem, you’ll likely find it here. You can also get biography information about poets, as well as quotes and a bibliography. With more than 630 poets represented, this is a robust database for finding poetry to use in the classroom.

9. PBS: Poetry In America

Best for: Upper elementary through high school students and teachers

PBS offers short videos on 12 well-known poems, including Emma Lazarus’s “The New Colossus” (“Give me your tired, your poor … “). Learn about the poets and hear interpretations from athletes, authors, musicians, politicians, and others. They’ll help kids make a stronger connection to these powerful poems. (Plus, teachers can assign these videos directly to Google Classroom.)

10. MAPS: Modern American Poetry Site

Best for: Older students and teachers looking for modern poems and poetry

This site is both a source to find modern poetry (they currently have 270 poems available) as well as a place to learn about modern poetry itself. Teachers will find the section on modern poetry schools helpful. The site also offers criticism of many of its poems, useful for helping students understand meaning and importance.

11. Poetry International

Best for: Older readers interested in discovering new poetry from around the world

Broaden your horizons by exploring poetry from nations around the globe. Founded in the Netherlands, this site features Dutch poets but has poems from dozens of countries in multiple languages. For foreign language poems, you can choose to have them translated or read them as written.

12. Poetry Out Loud

Best for: Middle and high school teachers, students, and libraries

This national arts education program encourages kids to get excited about poetry by sponsoring recitation competitions for high schoolers. Their website offers an excellent database of poems that are appropriate for kids and teens, so even if you’re not interested in competing, you’ll find this site valuable. You can watch videos and listen to audio of previous competition winners, and find a selection of lesson plans for teaching poetry.

13. Poets.org

Best for: K-12 teachers and students interested in teaching, learning, and writing contemporary poetry

Maintained by the Academy of American Poets, Poets.org is a place to find contemporary American poetry and poets. They sponsor National Poetry Month  and Poem-a-Day , which publishes new poems each weekday. Teachers will discover a wealth of resources , including lesson plans and programs like Teach This Poem .

14. Poetry 180

Best for: High schools students and teachers

Former Poet Laureate Billy Collins designed Poetry 180 to make it easy for high school students and teachers to find a new poem to explore every day of the school year. For another cool Poet Laureate project students will enjoy, check out Robert Pinsky’s Favorite Poem site.

15. Teen Ink

Best for: Aspiring teen poets

Looking for a safe place for teens to share their writing and learn from others? Teen Ink is it. Teens can post any kind of writing, and their poetry section is very active. Students will also find information on summer programs and colleges for aspiring poets and authors and contests to enter.

Did we miss one of your favorite poetry websites? Come share on the WeAreTeachers HELPLINE group on Facebook .

Plus, 40 inspiring poetry games and activities for kids and teens ..

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