Persuasive Writingwith

A collection of In My Opinion articles and related resources for teaching students how to prove their point of view

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teaching tips

Txtng Can B Gr8Before Reading Take a poll. Ask: Is it okay to use shortcuts in spelling and grammar when you send text messages? Have students explain their opinions.

Start a Discussion Ask: According to Naomi S. Baron, when can texting be useful? How can texting help children with reading? Do you know someone who would disagree with Baron?

Evaluate an Argument Have students share which parts of the essay they find most effective for persuading read-ers of the author’s point of view.

Writing Focus: Developing Your PositionDraw students’ attention to the author’s position: Texting can be great. Ask: Why did Baron say texting can be great, instead of simply arguing that texting is great? Explain that when students state their position, it is important for them to express precisely what they intend to argue in their writing.

Summer Vacation Is Too LongBefore Reading Have students discuss these questions with a partner: Is sum-mer vacation necessary? If so, how long should the break be?

Start a Discussion Ask: According to Frederick M. Hess, why is it that summer vaca-tion made sense in the past but doesn’t now? Why did he include information about other nations’ summer vacation schedules?

Critical ThinkingChallenge students to come up with an argument for why summer vacation should not be cut short.

Writing Focus: Backing Up Your Argument Point out that the author backs up his argument with facts. He provides background information and statis-tics, and he also shares the results of research on the topic. Ask: What is the reason for this? Explain that in order to prove their point of view, students must research their issue.

Good Grades Are Worth CashBefore Reading Have students complete this writing prompt: If I were paid for doing well in school, then . . .

Start a Discussion Ask: How did Roland Fryer come up with the idea for the Honoring Performance program? Do you think the program would be helpful for all, some or no kids? Why?

Draw Conclusions Why do you think this issue is important to Fryer? What is his reason for including details about his childhood in the article?

Writing Focus: Anticipating Another View Focus students’ attention on the last paragraph. The author includes what people who disagree with him might say. Ask: Why do you think he does this? Explain that it is helpful to imagine what a person who disagrees with you might say. Including your response to that person makes your persuasive essay stronger.

Handwriting CountsBefore Reading Challenge students to write their name in their best handwriting. Then ask: Does handwriting matter? Why or why not?

Start a Discussion Ask: According to Steve Graham, why should students practice penmanship? Why do you think he mentions President George Washington in the article?

Make InferencesChallenge students to imagine what Graham might say about learning to type quickly.

Writing Focus: Persuading the Reader Point out that the author directly addresses the reader throughout the article. He even gives examples that show how poor handwriting could impact the reader. Ask: Did this strategy help convince you that handwrit-ing matters? Explain that showing readers how an issue impacts them can help persuade them of an opinion.

RESoURCEtimeforkids.com/ebooksTFK reports on libraries replacing printed books with electronic books.

RESoURCEtimeforkids.com/wiredRead about kids’ use of electronic devices.

RESoURCEtimeforkids.com/summerAn expert argues that summer homework should be banned.

RESoURCEtimeforkids.com/testsTFK takes a look at standardized testing.

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Txtng Can B Gr8

Does text messaging lead to the acceptance of bad grammar and poor spelling? Many young people write messages with abbreviations (like U for you), no capitalization (i saw leslie), and phonetic spellings (sez for says). Some people think that text messaging is wonderful. However, others worry that texting language is harming written English. The answer is: Texting can be very useful, in the right place.

Many students assume that the language often used in texting originated with cell phones. Actually, most of these shortcuts have been around for decades. Some abbreviations, like b/c for because or btw for by the way, were used long before computers. Language shortcuts are a wonderful way to save time and effort in informal writing.

2 txt or Not 2 txt?Part of learning a language is figuring out which style to use when. We write more informally when we leave a note for our parents than when we compose an essay for school. But some kids are using texting language like lol or sez or in their school writing, rather than saving it for texting friends. That’s a mistake!

Texting language can be a great way to play with words and to communicate with people you know well. Research shows that young children who enjoy rhyming and making up words are better readers than those who don’t. Text messaging lets us explore the bounds of language.

But it is important to know when not to use texting language. Not in formal schoolwork. Not when writing Grandma a thank-you note.

It’s easy to figure out what kind of language to use. You do it all the time when you speak. Think about your audience when you decide whether to use texting language—and then have fun.

Naomi S. Baron, a professor at American University, in Washington, D.C., is the author of Always On: Language in an Online and Mobile World. Baron believes that text messaging can be an effective way to communicate. But you need to know when to use special texting language and when not to.

Adapted from TIME For KIds, September 26, 2008

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ages© 2011 TIME For Kids, timeforkids.com, Edition 5–6. This page may be photocopied for use with students.

Summer Vacation Is Too Long

Can American students afford to take a summer vacation? This summer, 50 million kids will spend valuable time instant messaging, watching TV, playing video games and nagging older siblings to take them to the mall. They will also be putting their academic futures at risk.

Summer vacation once made sense—back when you didn’t need an education to get a good job. During much of the 20th century, many Americans worked in manufacturing jobs that did not require a college degree but still offered a decent wage. Also, in the 19th century, poor hygiene and lack of air-conditioning meant that crowded schools posed health risks.

Things have changed. For today’s students, academic skills are critical to future success. Many nations don’t give kids an American-style summer vacation. They offer no more than seven consecutive weeks of vacation. Most American school districts offer up to 13 weeks. To compete in the global marketplace, Americans must be prepared to go up against international competitors.

Summer vacation also poses challenges for today’s families. In the 1960s, more than 60% of families had a stay-at-home mom. Now, two-thirds of American children live in households where every adult works. For these families, summer vacation can be more burden than break. Someone must watch the kids.

But the biggest problem may be how summer vacation hurts academic achievement. Researchers have found that disadvantaged students lose significant ground in the summertime. And though there are schools in the United States with year-round calendars, those schools enroll only about 2 million kids. That’s just 5% of all K–12 students.

A longer school year does not have to be an invitation to drudgery. Rather, it should allow time-pressed teachers to conduct richer and more imaginative lessons. Schools would have more time to devote to athletics, languages, music and the arts.

Summer vacation can be a grand thing. But in the 21st century, it may also be outdated.

Frederick M. Hess is the director of education policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute, which is a nonprofit organization that conducts research on many public issues. He says that a long summer vacation doesn’t make sense in today’s world.

Adapted from TIME For KIds, May 4, 2007

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© 2011 TIME For Kids, timeforkids.com, Edition 5–6. This page may be photocopied for use with students.

Handwriting Counts

George Washington, our country’s first President, practiced his penmanship diligently as a boy. He carefully copied 110 sayings on how to behave, known as The Rules of Civility, in order to fine-tune his script. Kids today might argue that had Washington owned a computer, he wouldn’t have spent his time mastering neat handwriting.

Maybe not. But research shows that practicing handwriting does more than produce a pretty paper. Although he may not have known it, Washington was improving his writing skills. You can improve your writing skills too! I have found that students who study handwriting for 45 minutes each week are able to improve how fast they write, how much they write and how well they write.

How does practicing penmanship make you a better writer? By not letting penmanship get in your way. When you are not adept at handwriting, you expend energy on the mechanics of it. This interferes with the creative flow of ideas. Once you’ve mastered the pen (or pencil), you can spend all your energy on making your ideas clear.

And don’t underestimate the value of neatness. Throughout your education, you will be asked to write your answers on standardized tests. If test graders

cannot read your responses, you may not get full credit. If you cannot write quickly, you may not have enough time to answer all of the questions.

Follow Washington’s lead and practice your handwriting. Make sure that all of your lowercase letters are the same size. Learn to make all letters correctly and quickly. Be sure that your writing is dark enough. Write on a straight line.

You don’t have to trade in your computer for a pencil. But if you use a pencil, you will sharpen the way you express your ideas. So, write on!

Steve Graham, a professor of education at Vanderbilt University, in Nashville, Tennessee, conducts research on writing instruction and development. He believes that good penmanship sets the foundation for strong writing.

Adapted from TIME For KIds, January 11, 2008

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© 2011 TIME For Kids, timeforkids.com, Edition 5–6. This page may be photocopied for use with students.

Good Grades Are Worth Cash

I grew up in city schools and faced challenges that many kids growing up in poverty face today. My life is now dedicated to helping students succeed by focusing on what kids think is cool and important.

My grandmother, who was a teacher for 37 years, raised me. Since she had a job and earned money to buy things, I wanted to work too. She told me that school was my job, but that didn’t make sense. I didn’t get paid for my work! It was also difficult for kids like me to understand why education was important.

When I was older, I thought about how getting paid is a kind of reward. Rewards motivate us to do well—think about when you’ve worked hard for a pizza party, good grades, or a trophy, or because you love learning. Many parents reward kids for good grades with gifts or an allowance, but some families can’t afford that. Mine couldn’t.

This thinking led me to New York City, where I’ve started the Honoring Performance, or HOPE, program. It rewards some fourth and seventh graders, many of whose parents can’t afford to do so. Students will earn money by improving their math and reading skills.

Here is how HOPE works: All New York City public-school students take 10 tests each year. I know, no one likes tests. The difference for HOPE students is that they will receive cash for their hard work. The better they do, the larger the amount. This year, fourth graders in HOPE can earn up to $250 for doing well, and seventh graders can earn twice as much.

Some people think this could be bad for kids. They worry that once kids start getting incentives for grades, they will only work hard if they get paid. I disagree. I think that kids will find that doing well is fun, and they will be inspired to work harder for their whole education. I wish my grandmother had thought of this!

Roland Fryer is a professor at Harvard University, in Massachusetts. He also works with the New York City public schools. He runs a student-motivation program in which kids are paid for their performance on standardized tests.

Adapted from TIME For KIds, September 14, 2007

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© 2011 TIME For Kids, timeforkids.com, Edition 5–6. This page may be photocopied for use with students.

Name Date

Persuasive-Writing OrganizerPrepare to prove your point of view. Complete the activities below to plan what you want to write.

Write your position, or

opinion, here.

Here is some background information on this issue:

Here is what I would say to persuade others of my opinion:

Those who have a different opinion might say:

In response, I would say:

© 2011 TIME For Kids, timeforkids.com, Edition 5–6. This page may be photocopied for use with students.

Tip: Learning more about a topic can make your argument stronger. Do research. Back up your opinion with facts.