Writing Templates

Narrative, which tells a story; informative or explanatory, which teaches about a topic; and opinion or argument, which supports a point of view. These are the three types in the Common Core, and most writing templates fit one of them.

A thesis states the main point of a whole essay, usually at the end of the introduction. A topic sentence states the main point of one paragraph, usually as its first sentence.

Most students write single paragraphs in the early grades and move to essays of several paragraphs around grades 3 to 5, when standards start asking for an introduction, linked reasons and a conclusion.

Talk first: have the student tell you or a partner the idea out loud, then write down what they said. A template with sentence starters or a fill-in organizer also gives a blank page a shape.

Both have a place. Planning on paper with an organizer is quick and flexible, and typing makes revising easier for older students. A common split is planning by hand and typing the final draft.

A narrative is any story, real or made up. A personal narrative is a true story from the writer's own life, told in the first person, usually about one moment that mattered.