• My Account
  • My Cart
  • Checkout

Terrific Teaching Tactics

Make Learning Fun

  • Home
  • About Me
  • Shop
    • Wishlist
    • My Account
    • Cart
    • Checkout
  • For Teachers
    • Blog
    • Shop My TpT Store
    • Free Resource Library
  • For TPT Sellers
    • Blog
    • Podcast
    • Facebook Group
    • TPT Seller Courses
    • Coaching
  • Contact Me
  • 0 items

How to Teach Informational Writing

Struggling with how to teach informational writing?

Read this post to get some tips on how to teach informational writing to elementary students in a fun and interactive way. Plus, grab several resources to help amp up your informational writing units!

how to teach informational writing - informative - information report writing tips

What is Informational Writing?

To better understand how to teach informational writing, let’s figure out what it is.

Informational writing is factual and aims to inform or explain something to the reader.

Students can have trouble with informational writing pieces because they may feel that they don’t know enough information about a subject to write a whole paper about it. Or at that moment, they can’t think of something to share about. Don’t worry; I have ways to encourage those reluctant writers.

5 Tips to Encourage Students During Informational Writing Units

1. Use Mentor texts

Mentor texts are so important to show students what a great piece of informational writing looks like. I think you can use them in all grades! Even older students will enjoy a picture book now and then; it is a great way to share good writing pieces.

Another benefit of using mentor texts is that students can see all the formats that informational pieces can be written in and all the subjects that can be written about! Students may not have much background knowledge, and sharing books is an excellent way to broaden that horizon.

2. Let Them Pick the Subject

You might think that having your students write about a topic that is being discussed in another subject is a great way to relate writing to your students but don’t do it. Let your students pick their own topics!

Just because you are learning about forces of motion in science doesn’t mean everyone is excited and ready to write a paper about it. Students will be more likely to write quality pieces if they are excited to learn about it.

3. Teach Students How To Research

One important factor in writing informational pieces is learning how to research topics. Students will need to know how to look for accurate information. Also, where to find information; a trip to the computer lab and library would be a great start.

I like to teach students to use books first when researching. They are the safer option than a computer with internet access. Also, you can give each student a book about their subject, and it will have a lot of information about the subject.

4. practice Writing together

I like to write an informational piece together so students can see all the steps I take to get a good piece! I want them to understand that a solid piece of informative writing takes time and many steps.

Show them the drafting process and revising process too. Students must understand that it may take several tries to get a quality informational writing piece. I also like to show them that no one writes a perfect essay on the first try. It is okay to make revisions and changes.

5. Celebrate

After all your students’ hard work, celebrate their wonderful informational writing works!

I like to have a sharing day, where the students get to share their work with their classmates. Inviting other important people from the school is also nice. Then, I like to hang their work around the room or in the hallway. Tell them how proud you are of their hard work, and they may be more likely to write for you next time!

Resources to Teach Informational Writing

Now that you have tips to help you; grab some resources to improve your writing time!

kindergarten informational writing prompts
1st grade informational writing prompts
2nd grade informational writing prompts
3rd grade informational writing prompts

Want to try a freebie first? Grab it from the free resource library here!

Free Informational Writing Prompt informative writing worksheet information report penguin facts

I hope this post was helpful in explaining informational writing and that you got a few tips to help make teaching them a little easier! Comment below and tell me what tips you have for teaching about writing informational works.

Have a terrific day,

P.S. If you need some Informational Writing Prompts for kindergarten, first grade, second grade, third grade, fourth grade, or fifth grade, check out my post here!

Sharing is caring!

Sharing is caring!

«
»

Teaching Blog Posts 0

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Hi, my name is Alex! I love creating fun, colorful, and engaging resources for the early years. I’ve taught 3rd and 1st grade and I’m passionate about creating interactive activities that engage all learners Read More…

Teachers

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Cart

Teacher Sellers

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Cart

For Teachers

Interested in FREE resources? Become a V.I.P.

Click here to join

For TPT Sellers

Interested in TIPS for TpT? Join the community.

Click here to join

Categories

Footer

Teacher Instagram

Comment SPACE and I’ll send you a link to these Comment SPACE and I’ll send you a link to these sentence writing worksheets! 👽🪐

#sentencewriting #sentencestructure #grammarlesson #grammartips #teachinggrammar #grammarlessons #firstgradewriting #firstgradeclassroom #firstgradeactivities #firstgradeliteracy  #firstgradeteachers #1stgradeteachers  #kindergarten2 #kindergartenwriting #kindergartenlife #kindergartener #kindergartenrocks #kindergartenfun #kindergartenhomeschool #kindergartenready #kindergartenactivity #kindergartenideas #kindergartencenters #kindergartenclass #teachingkindergarten #teachingkinder #kindergartenlearning #kindergarteners #kindergarteninspiration #kindergartentips
Do NOT just dive into your first writing unit! ❌ Do NOT just dive into your first writing unit! ❌

Even with second and third grade, you need to review foundational skills first! 

You’ll be surprised how many students aren’t using capital letters or punctuation. Their sentences won’t make any sense! They may still be struggling with handwriting or phonics 😬

Jumping straight into your writing unit will be a disaster for everyone! You’ll be frustrated with what your students produce and your students will hate writing lessons 🥲

Instead, put off your writing genres for a sec. Spend a few weeks focusing on teaching sentence writing ✍🏻

If you teach second grade, I do have a sentence writing unit I think will really help! 

Comment SENTENCE below and I’ll send you a link 🙂

#secondgrade #secondgradeteacher #secondgraderocks #secondgradeteachers #secondgradeclassroom #secondgradetribe #secondgradewriting #secondgrader #secondgraders #secondgradelife #secondgradefun #secondgradehomeschool #iteachsecond #iteachsecondgrade #iteach2nd #iteach2ndgrade #2ndgrade #2ndgradeteacher #2ndgraderocks #2ndgradeclassroom #2ndgradeteachers #2ndgrader #2ndgradewriting #2ndgradefun #2ndgradelife #2ndgraders #2ndgradehomeschool #2ndgradeadventures #iteach2 #secondgradeliteracy
If you’re a 2nd grade teacher, this is for you! If you’re a 2nd grade teacher, this is for you! 

My new personal narratives writing unit is here! 🎉 

If you like the look of this cute craft, comment UNIT below and I’ll send you a link so you can check out the unit 💗

 #Writingcurriculum #writingprompts #writingteachers #writingteacher #writinglessons #writinglesson #writingcenter #writingactivity #writingactivities #secondgradeteacher #secondgraderocks #secondgradeteachers #secondgradeclassroom #secondgradetribe #secondgradewriting #secondgraders #secondgradelife #secondgradefun #2ndgradeteacher #2ndgraderocks #2ndgradeclassroom #2ndgradeteachers #2ndgrader #2ndgradewriting #2ndgradefun #2ndgradelife #2ndgraders #2ndgradeadventures #iteach2 #secondgradeliteracy
Whatever you do, don’t just jump into your narra Whatever you do, don’t just jump into your narrative unit or whatever genre you’re supposed to teach first.

Start with drawing and labeling for a while. Focus on teaching phonics and then take the time to explicitly teach sentence writing.

This will take a few months and that’s okay!

It is not developmentally appropriate to tell your kindergarteners to write a narrative straight away. ❌

Take it slow and teaching writing will be far more bearable! 🙌🏻

#Iteachk #iteachkinder #iteachkindergarten #iteachkinders #iteachkindy #iteachk12 #kindergarten #kindergarten2 #kindergartenteacher #kindergartenactivities #kindergartenclassroom #kindergartenwriting #kindergartenteachers #kindergartenlife #kindergartener #kindergartenrocks #kindergartenfun #kindergartenhomeschool #kindergartenready #kindergartenactivity #kindergartenideas #kindergartencenters #kindergartenclass #teachingkindergarten #teachingkinder #kindergartenlearning #kindergarteners #kindergarteninspiration #kindergartentips #kindergartenathome
Comment DOLLAR and I’ll send you these cute acti Comment DOLLAR and I’ll send you these cute activities for only $1!

#firstgrade #firstgradeteacher #firstgradeclassroom #firstgradeliteracy #firstgradeteachers #firstgraderocks #firstgradewriting #firstgradeart #firstgradecrafts #firstgradetribe #firstgrader #firstgraders #firstgraderesources #firstgradecenters #1stgrade #1stgradeteacher #1stgradeart #1stgraderocks #1stgradeteachers #1stgrader #1stgraders #1stgradelife #1stgradefun #iteach1st #iteach1 #iteach1stgrade #iteachfirst #iteachfirstgrade #iteachfirsties
Comment FALL and I’ll send you a link to these a Comment FALL and I’ll send you a link to these adorable crafts which are perfect for September, October, and November bulletin boards! 🍁 

They are no prep and also good for writing centers! 

#bulletinboardinspiration #bulletinboardfun #bulletinboardswag #bulletinboard #bulletinboards #bulletinboardideas #bulletinboardsofinstagram #bulletinboardidea #classroomdoordecor #classroomdoor #classroomdoors #fallbulletinboard #classroomdecor #classroominspo #classroomideas #classroominspiration #classroom #classroomideas #classroompinspirations #classroomsetup #classroomdecorations #classroomdisplay #classroomdisplays #classroomdisplayideas #elementaryclassrooms #primaryclassroom #classroomgoals #classroomdecoration #classroomfun #classroomdesign #classroomactivities
Guess what? TPT is having a sale right now! Commen Guess what? TPT is having a sale right now! Comment SENTENCE and I’ll send you a link to my sentence writing unit which is 25% off for a limited time ✏️ 

#sentencewriting #sentencestructure #grammarlesson #grammartips #teachinggrammar #grammarlessons #firstgrade #firstgradewriting #firstgradeclassroom #firstgradeactivities #firstgradeteacher #firstgradeliteracy #firstgradeteachers #iteachfirst #iteachfirstgrade #iteach1st #iteach1stgrade #iteachsecond #iteachsecondgrade #iteach2nd #iteach2ndgrade #secondgrade #secondgradewriting #secondgradeliteracy #secondgradeteacher #secondgradeteachers #secondgradeclassroom #2ndgrade #1stgrade #1stgradeteachers
Comment DOLLAR and I’ll send you these lined wri Comment DOLLAR and I’ll send you these lined writing templates that are only $1! 

#secondgrade #secondgradeteacher #secondgraderocks #secondgradeteachers #secondgradeclassroom #secondgradetribe #secondgradewriting #secondgrader #secondgraders #secondgradelife #secondgradefun #secondgradehomeschool #iteachsecond #iteachsecondgrade #iteach2nd #iteach2ndgrade #2ndgrade #2ndgradeteacher #2ndgraderocks #2ndgradeclassroom #2ndgradeteachers #2ndgrader #2ndgradewriting #2ndgradefun #2ndgradelife #2ndgraders #2ndgradehomeschool #2ndgradeadventures #iteach2 #secondgradeliteracy
Comment FALL and I’ll send you a link these cute Comment FALL and I’ll send you a link these cute writing crafts 🍁🍎

#fallbulletinboard #firstgrade #firstgradeteacher #firstgradeclassroom #firstgradeliteracy #firstgradeteachers #firstgraderocks #firstgradewriting #firstgradeart #firstgradecrafts #firstgradetribe #firstgrader #firstgraders #firstgraderesources #firstgradecenters #1stgrade #1stgradeteacher #1stgradeart #1stgraderocks #1stgradeteachers #1stgrader #1stgraders #1stgradelife #1stgradefun #iteach1st #iteach1 #iteach1stgrade #iteachfirst #iteachfirstgrade #iteachfirsties

Pinterest

TPT Seller Instagram

You can sell it if it isn’t posted! Tell me in You can sell it if it isn’t posted!

Tell me in the comments, how many products do you have on your computer right now that you’re procrastinating from posting? 😂

 #Peteacher #peteachers #peteachersofinstagram #peteacherlife #healthteacher #healthteachers #iteachpe #iteachhealth #artteachersofinstagram #artteachers #artteacher #artteacherlife #artteachersofig #iteachart #musicteacher #musicteachers #musicteachersofinstagram #musicteacherlife #musicteachersrock #musicteaching #iteachmusic #socialstudiesteacher #socialstudiesteachers #iteachsocialstudies #teacherlibrarian #scienceteacher #scienceteachers #scienceteachersofinstagram #scienceteacherlife #iteachscience
Have you ever thought about becoming a virtual ass Have you ever thought about becoming a virtual assistant?

You can do this alongside your TPT store (to supplement your income) or instead of running a store (if it lights you up)! 🎊

My friend Chloe Tascoff is like the VA version of me 😂 she loves helping teachers become VAs! She's been on my podcast twice (if you want to see what she has to say).

Anyways, I'm SO excited to see that she's lauching a program to help teachers become VAs. 🙌

If you're a seller, you know how hard it can be to find good help sometimes! Chloe is gonna make sure she creates QUALITY VAs in the TPT space and I'm all for it.

FYI - She's a massively successful VA herself (6 figures a year), so she knows her stuff.

Anyways, be sure to check out Virtual Assistant School For Educators (VASE) that's open for the next two weeks! It's a beta launch (so at its most affordable).

I really think Chloe knows what she's talking about so I'm gonna share my affiliate link in my stories. I very rarely do affiliate stuff but honestly I wanna support Chloe AND as a seller I want quality VAs in our space!

Comment below with any questions and @teachervamentor Chloe Tascoff and I can answer them :)

#Teacherhustle #teachersidehustle #teacherbusiness #teacherpreneurs #teacherpreneurship #teacherpreneurtribe #tptsellers #teacherauthors #tptauthor #tptauthors
A sense of paralyzing dread hits me when I see the A sense of paralyzing dread hits me when I see the email! 😂

Let me know in the comments how it makes you feel 😂

#Teacherjokes #teacherjoke #teacherfunny #teacherfunnies #teachingjokes #teacherhumor #teacherhumour #teachinghumor #teachermemes #teachermeme #teachingmemes #teachingmeme #teacherquotes #teacherquote #teachingquotes #teachingquote  #teacherlaughs #teachertribe #teachertalk
Little Lily May is precious but oh so time consumi Little Lily May is precious but oh so time consuming 👶🏼😂

With such limited time to juggle everything, I have made the tough decision to take a hiatus from the podcast for a while 💔

This also means I’ll be a bit quieter when it comes to emails and Instagram posts.

Listen in to the farewell episode if you want to hear more about my decision.

The good news is that I’m still going to be around on Instagram stories and in my Facebook group. 

I hope you understand! 

Let me know in the comments if you can relate. If you are busy these days, have there been things that you’ve had to press pause on?

#Teacherhustle #teachersidehustle #teacherbusiness #teacherpreneurs #teacherpreneurship #teacherpreneurtribe #tptsellers #teacherauthors #tptauthor #tptauthors
Are you too nervous to record reels, TikToks, FB l Are you too nervous to record reels, TikToks, FB lives, or course videos?

Instagram stories are a great way to get confident on camera on a much smaller scale! 📸 

Listen in to this week’s episode of The Terrific Teacherpreneur podcast to hear all of my tips! 

Tell me in the comments with an emoji, how confident are you on camera? 
Are we talking 👍🏻🙌🏻🎉 or 😬😭🥺?

 #Igteachers #igteacher #instateacher #instateachers #instagramteachers #instagramteacher #teachersofig #teachersofinsta #teachersofthegram #teacherig #teacherinsta #teacherinstagram #educatorsofig #educatorsofinsta #educatorsofinstagram
I earned $2.70 my first month on TPT! 😂🤦🏼 I earned $2.70 my first month on TPT! 😂🤦🏼‍♀️

I shared these kind of fun facts during last week’s podcast episode! 

As I was recording, I contemplated whether I should do an episode for years three and four and five and six etc someday, what do you think?!

#Teacherhustle #teachersidehustle #teacherbusiness #teacherpreneurs #teacherpreneurship #teacherpreneurtribe #tptsellers #teacherauthors #tptauthor #tptauthors
Has this ever happened to you? 😂 #Teacherjokes Has this ever happened to you? 😂

#Teacherjokes #teacherjoke #teacherfunny #teacherfunnies #teachingjokes #teacherhumor #teacherhumour #teachinghumor #teachermemes #teachermeme #teachingmemes #teachingmeme #teacherquotes #teacherquote #teachingquotes #teachingquote  #teacherlaughs #teachertribe #teachertalk #teacherhustle #teachersidehustle #teacherbusiness #teacherpreneurs #teacherpreneurship #teacherpreneurtribe #tptsellers #teacherauthors #tptauthor #tptauthors
I’m SO embarrassed to admit this but… I used I’m SO embarrassed to admit this but…

I used to be anti flatpack. As in I ‘didn’t think you should pay to flatten and secure resources when you can do it for free’ (ten million times slower 😂).

I remember arguing with someone in a Facebook group about it 🤦🏼‍♀️😬

I had some real mindset issues back then around investing in my business. I wasn’t buying good quality clip art and I didn’t understand why people took courses or got coaching.

I didn’t treat TPT like a business and my sales reflected that 😭 thank goodness I came out the other side!

When I think of hugely successful TPT sellers, they always have a business mindset. 

Anyways, we are constantly growing and evolving as business owners.

I’m willing to admit that I was wrong and I don’t mind laughing about it either! 😂

Is there anything that you realize you were wrong about when you first started? 

#Iteachscience #spedteachers #iteachart #musicteachers #iteachela #mathteachers #iteachreading #socialstudiesteacher #iteachlanguagearts #eslteachers #iteachpe #middleschoolteachers #iteachhighschool #primaryschoolteachers #iteachprep #prekteachers #schoolslp #schoolcounselorsofinstagram #iteachk12 #iteach345 #iteach789 #teacherfollow
How often to pin always seems to change but SEO ha How often to pin always seems to change but SEO has always been important! 

My advice is to focus on the fundamentals of Pinterest. 
Focus on the things that are important and will always be relevant! Stop worrying about strategy and focus on great content and SEO 🙌🏻

 #Eslteacher #eslteachers #eslteaching #eslteachersofinstagram #ellteacher #spedteacherlife #spedteachersofinstagram #frenchteacher #frenchteachers #frenchteachersoninstagram #spanishteacher #spanishteachers #spanishteachersofinstagram #canadianteacher #canadianteachers #frenchimmersionteacher #secondaryteacher #secondaryteachers #secondaryteaching #schoolprincipal #schooladministrator #iteachesl #iteachphonics #iteachreading #iteachfrench #languagesteacher #iteachspanish #iteachspecialed #specialeducationteacher #specialedteacher

Copyright © 2023 · Website + Branding Design by Christi Fultz

Save 10% on your first purchase! Use the coupon code TERRIFIC10 at checkout. Dismiss

We noticed you're visiting from Australia. We've updated our prices to Australian dollar for your shopping convenience. Use United States (US) dollar instead. Dismiss