Teaching Tips, Home Connection

Don’t LEAF Out Fall Writing Activities

As the school year gears up, the leaves begin to change, and students fall into a routine, your lesson plans and writing activities may need an autumnal boost! Check out our fall-inspired ideas for narrative, information, and opinion writing activities:  

 

1. A Little Pumpkin Sat on a Gate

 

Then, what happened? Read and have children write narrative stories with fall or Halloween settings! Whether the story is real or imagined, have children identify the characters, setting, and plot. Choose a classic Halloween tale such as “Five Little Pumpkins” or make up a story as a class. For older children, have them introduce dialogue and develop characters.

 

2. Leaves Change Color in the Fall

 

But, why? Explore information writing by researching a fall topic such as leaves and why they change color. After gathering facts, have children write an introduction, provide details, and end with a conclusion. Information writing is a great opportunity to reinforce cross-curricular learning and enables children to write about something they’re interested in!

 

3. Halloween Is My Favorite Holiday

 

Who agrees? Opinion writing can be especially fun during the fall season and students get to explore why they love, feel neutral, or dislike everything about fall. Encourage your students to develop their own opinions and support their viewpoint through detailed writing.

 

To make the writing activities more festive, have children draw pictures; create crafts with different materials such as felt, string, paint, and construction paper; and display their hard work around your classroom! Remember: you can always use the changing seasons for some classroom inspiration, cross-curricular learning, and fun! Plus, check out our Building Writers student editions for year-round supplemental writing practice that perfectly pairs with our handwriting curriculum.

 

 

Kathryn Fox's picture
By Kathryn Fox Kathryn received her Bachelor of Arts in Writing, Rhetoric, and Technical Communication from James Madison University. She is an experienced editor, copywriter, and technical writer and has worked for the government and in the IT, music, and telecommunications industries. She is currently a writer and editor for Learning Without Tears and loves providing content that empowers young writers and teachers. Kathryn lives in Arlington, Virginia with her best friends.