This Types of Expository Writing Worksheet has 4th graders name the structure six topics call for, then draft an opening of their own. An answer key is included, so structure practice takes no prep.
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Teach the reader something new
Expository writing explains or informs. Kids learn to pick a topic, gather facts and teach the reader something, without sharing their opinion. Younger writers name a topic and share a few facts with a closing sentence. Older writers organize their writing with a clear introduction, body paragraphs and a conclusion, and they use structures like compare and contrast, cause and effect, or how-to steps. They also learn linking words like for example, also and as a result. The click moment comes when a classmate reads the piece and learns something brand new.
Kids write better nonfiction when they know their topic and know their structure.
Show the main types of expository writing, like how-to, compare and contrast, and cause and effect, each with a simple organizer. Kids pick the one that fits their topic before writing. Choosing a structure first makes writing much easier.
Why it works: children learn more from words and pictures together than from words alone (Mayer, 2009).
Try it withTypes of Expository Writing WorksheetWorksheetsOpen it →Write about something you know well, like how to make pancakes, and think aloud as you choose facts and order them. Then kids pick a topic they are expert in. Writing about what they know builds confidence fast.
Why it works: handing over the work step by step, from teacher to student, is one of the most widely used teaching frameworks (Pearson and Gallagher, 1983).
Try it withSmarter Balanced (CAASPP / SBAC) 3rd Grade ELA Practice Test WorkbookTest PrepOpen it →Have kids explain their topic to a partner for one minute before writing. The partner asks one question. Saying it out loud helps writers find their main points and notice what is missing.
Why it works: using clear, consistent math words out loud is one of the U.S. Department of Education's recommendations for elementary math.
Try it withSmarter Balanced (CAASPP / SBAC) 5th Grade ELA Practice Test WorkbookTest PrepOpen it →Every kid is an expert at something.
Test PrepKids write a mini book teaching the class about a favorite hobby or pet.
Open New Jersey NJSLA-A 3rd Grade ELA Practice Test Workbook →
Test PrepKids write how-to steps, then a partner follows them exactly. Did it work?
Open Smarter Balanced (CAASPP / SBAC) 4th Grade ELA Practice Test Workbook →Teacher favorites right now: Types of Expository Writing Worksheet, Smarter Balanced (CAASPP / SBAC) 3rd Grade ELA Practice Test Workbook and Smarter Balanced (CAASPP / SBAC) 5th Grade ELA Practice Test Workbook.
Expository writing explains or informs the reader about a topic using facts. It does not include the writer's opinion. Reports, how-to guides and articles are all expository.
Common types include description, sequence or how-to, compare and contrast, cause and effect, and problem and solution. Each type uses a different structure to organize facts.
Expository writing informs with facts. Persuasive writing tries to convince the reader of an opinion. Kids can ask themselves: am I teaching or convincing?
Ask your child to explain how to do something they love, step by step. Write it down together and test it out. Reading nonfiction together builds topic knowledge too.
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