Writing practice · Grades 2–6
Help Your Child Write More Clearly, One Skill at a Time
Pick a writing difficulty. Each activity shows a model, explains why it works and gives a focused task with a self-check.
Daily writing lessons
One focused skill per lesson: a model, the reason it works, quick practice and a short writing task.
Informational Paragraph: Use Facts, Not Opinions
Tell facts from opinions, write a topic sentence, support it with three facts and details, end with a conclusion, and know when to say according to.
Vary Your Sentence Beginnings: Time, Place and How Openers
Stop starting every sentence the same way. Learn to open with a time, place or how word, add the comma, and keep the meaning clear when you revise.
Compare and Contrast: Write About Likenesses and Differences
Learn to write a paragraph that compares two things, use signal words such as both and however, and keep each point fair by matching features.
Strong Verbs: Replace Went, Got and Said with Precise Action Words
Learn how to swap general verbs such as went, got and said for precise ones such as trudged, grabbed and whispered, so readers can picture exactly what happens.
Proofread Your Writing: Capitals, End Marks, Spelling
Learn a short proofreading routine: read aloud, check capitals and end marks, fix spelling and little words, then proofread your own paragraph.
Write a Story Ending: Solve the Problem and Show the Change
Learn to end a story well: solve the problem with an idea from the story, show how the character has changed, echo the beginning and stop at the right place.
Answer With Evidence: Restate, Answer, Quote and Explain
Answer a question about a passage in a short paragraph: restate the question, give your answer, quote the exact words that prove it, then explain the proof.
Write a Summary: Main Idea and Key Details in Your Own Words
Shrink a passage or story into a few sentences: find the main idea, keep only key details in order, use your own words and leave out opinions.
Combine Short Sentences: Join Ideas With and, but, so, because
Turn choppy short sentences into smooth ones: pick and, but, so or because by meaning, put the comma in the right place, and fix run-ons and comma splices.
Write a Friendly Letter: Greeting, Body, Closing and Signature
Write a letter to a grandparent or pen pal: put the date and greeting in the right place, give the body a clear purpose, then end with a closing and signature.
Write Dialogue: Quotation Marks, Speaker Tags and New Lines
Make characters talk on the page: put their exact words in quotation marks, place commas and question marks inside, and start a new line for each speaker.
Descriptive Writing: Use the Five Senses and Precise Words
Describe a place, object or moment so a reader can picture it: use the five senses and swap vague words like nice, good and big for precise ones.
Opinion Writing: Give Reasons, Examples and a Strong Ending
Write an opinion paragraph that convinces: state your opinion clearly, back it with reasons and examples, link ideas, and end by restating it in new words.
How-To Writing: Clear Steps Anyone Can Follow
Write instructions a reader can follow: name the goal, list materials, give one action per step in order, start steps with verbs and add a safety tip.
Linking Words: Connect Your Ideas With Transitions
Use linking words for time order, adding ideas, cause and effect, and contrast. Choose between words like however and so, then revise a choppy paragraph.
Write a Strong Paragraph: Topic Sentence, Details and Closing
Write an informational paragraph with a clear topic sentence, details that stay on topic and a closing sentence. Sort details and fix one that wanders.
Hook Your Reader: Write a Strong Opening for a Story
Swap 'One day I woke up' for a first sentence that pulls readers in. Learn four kinds of hooks, practise choosing and fixing openings, and write your own.
Show, Don't Just Tell: Use Details to Show How a Character Feels
Turn 'She was nervous' into a sentence readers can see. Learn three kinds of showing details, practise rewriting, and write your own short scene.
Complete Sentences: Fix Fragments and Run-On Sentences
Check that every sentence has a doer, an action and a finished thought. Fix fragments and run-ons, practise editing, and write a short paragraph.
Take Notes: Key Words, Not Sentences, Then Write From Them
Choose key words, group notes under a heading, use short forms, and then turn your notes into clear sentences in your own words.
After writing
Read the work aloud, use the four checks and change one sentence. Family users can keep their drafts on this browser and revisit their self-assessment in Review.