Topics for Children's Essays
- Allow students to explore the power of their imaginations. Write a prompt on the board, such as "If I were the president for one day, I would..." or "If I could have three wishes, they would be..." Require the students to respond to these prompts in essay form. Have the students share their essays with one another, so that they can see the many different perspectives on and responses to the same scenario.
- While the students may not be doing research on outside subjects, they do know a lot about their own lives. Ask them to interview their parents to find out about their family history for an essay. They could also write about what each member of their family means to them, their favorite memories from the past summer, a person they admire, their pet, or traditions that they celebrate with their family on Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter, Passover and other occasions.
- Late elementary school learners can start thinking about bigger issues. For example, you might ask them to write an essay about why they think people go to college or about the benefits of such an education. Pose a hypothetical situation where students have to consider how they would feel if a company wanted to take over a local park and turn it into a business. Or, ask them to write about the effects of television on people.
- Write a statement on the board. It could be rather controversial such as "Television affects how violent people are" for older students, or a bit more simple such as "School uniforms are good for students, teachers and the school." Have students write an essay in which they state whether they agree or disagree with the statement. They must support the position that they take on the issue with at least three different examples.
