Have you found yourself unexpectedly homeschooling? We’ve gathered a bunch of free language arts printables and activities to keep your kids writing while school is cancelled.
1. 33 FREE PRINTABLE WRITING PROMPT PAGES
For Grades 3-8
Here are your simplest options. Just print and go. Each page has a topic or activity plus room to write. These require no advance preparation and can be done as a standalone language arts activity that takes anywhere from 5-15 minutes, depending on how far want to explore the topic.
Get Them All in One Convenient Download (Purchase)
These printables are available for free below. But some parents prefer paying a small fee to get the convenience of a single click download.
Download Them One by One (Free)
Click the linked caption under each image to go to the blog post where you see more details and download the PDF. Print as many copies as you want for each of your children.
2. 12 FREE PRINTABLE ELEMENTARY PROMPT CALENDARS
For Grades 3-8
For a longer term approach, print out a monthly calendar of prompts for your school-at-home language arts. Now that school is cancelled, it’s a super time to start a journaling habit! Kids hone their writing skills, and you get to fill a 10-15 minute slot in your new daily routine.
Get Them All in One Easy Download (Purchase)
These printables are available for free below. But some parents prefer paying a small fee to get the convenience of a single click download.
Download Them One by One (Free)
Click the linked caption under each image to download the PDF. Print as many copies as you want. Post them on the refrigerator or let your child affix the calendar inside a composition notebook. Writer’s block has no chance to take hold with these varied and fun ideas designed for grades 3-8!
3. 12 FREE PRINTABLE TEEN PROMPT CALENDARS
For Grades 8-12
Teens need to practice writing daily, just as they do math daily. It’s tough to teach and grade writing, so while you’re in this interim period of school at home, start a simple journaling habit. Require your middle school and high school kids to write every day (Monday through Friday) for 15-30 minutes. If writing is painful, start small with just 10 minutes and work up to the 30 minute goal. If your kids love writing, you may want to allot a full 45-60 minutes per day.
These prompt calendars can be used sequentially or you may let your student skip around on the list. The key is the inspiration that the prompts offer not the order you select!
The calendars include five types of writing:
- The PERSUASIVE essay attempts to sway the reader to accept the writer’s position.
- The CREATIVE essay tells a story or describes a situation, person, or location.
- The ARGUMENTATIVE essay is developed from a thesis in which the student takes a stance/gives an opinion.
- An EXPOSITORY essay explains a premise.
- The REFLECTIVE essay encourages students to analyze and write about their life, personality, and/or experiences.
Get Them All in One Easy Download (Purchase)
These printables are available for free below. But some parents prefer paying a small fee to get the convenience of a single click download.
Download Them One by One (Free)
Click the linked caption under each image to download the PDF. Print as many copies as you want.
4. FREE LANGUAGE ARTS ACTIVITIES AND LESSON PLANS
If you’d like to plan your next 2-3 weeks of language arts, take advantage of these free lesson plans taken straight from WriteShop curriculum. Each one is a complete writing lesson from prewriting to final draft!
More Language Arts Games and Activities
Try these fun, hands-on free language arts activities and printables to learn new skills while school is cancelled.
5. FREE WRITING PROMPTS (NO PRINTING REQUIRED)
No printer ink? No worries! All you need is something to write with and something to write on. We’ve got you covered with hundreds of writing prompts. See all our writing prompt posts here. A few of our favorites are linked in the photo gallery below.
If you’d love a daily prompt delivered straight to your inbox, sign up for our prompt of the day emails. (You may unsubscribe at any time.)
Join the Facebook Group for More Support
Request to join the WriteShop Facebook Community where you can connect with other parents who are teaching language arts at home either on an ongoing basis as homeschoolers or on a temporary basis doing school at home.
DISCOUNTED LESSON PLANS
To meet the demand for high quality language arts resources during the Covid-19 school closures, all Writing Extras are discounted to a low $1.00 each through June, 2020. These short-term lesson plans, unit studies, and fun writing activities will help you make it through the coming weeks with enjoyable and meaningful writing assignments.
WRITESHOP HAS WRITING CURRICULUM
If you’re looking for a complete curriculum instead of on-the-fly printables, consider WriteShop. It’s the easiest writing curriculum for a parent with no prior teaching experience.
