Supporting your child with persuasive writing doesn’t require teaching experience. In fact, many parents are surprised at how much progress can be made with a few simple strategies. Persuasive writing is highly structured, making it one of the easiest writing styles to help with at home. Here’s how you can guide your child effectively and confidently.
Start With a Clear, Repeatable Structure
Persuasive writing follows a predictable pattern. Students perform best when they learn and practise a structure they can use every time:
- Introduction – State your opinion clearly
- Body Paragraph 1 – First reason + explanation
- Body Paragraph 2 – Second reason + example
- Body Paragraph 3 – Third reason + impact
- Conclusion – Summarise your argument
Teaching this structure alone often results in an immediate improvement.
Use Simple Sentence Starters to Guide Thinking
Many children struggle to begin sentences. Sentence starters give them confidence and keep writing flowing.
Examples:
- “Firstly, one important reason is…”
- “This is important because…”
- “For example…”
- “This shows that…”
- “Finally…”
These help students organise thoughts, link ideas, and stay on track.
Brainstorm Ideas Quickly (No Overthinking!)
Before writing, spend 3–4 minutes generating ideas. A fast brainstorm helps avoid blank-page anxiety and gives the student clarity about what they want to say.
A simple prompt like:
“Why should children learn to swim?”
might generate ideas such as safety, exercise, and confidence.
Turning these into three strong arguments becomes easy.
Boost Vocabulary With Small, Focused Lists
You don’t need to teach long word lists.
Choose 10–15 high-impact words and encourage your child to use them regularly.
Examples:
- “essential,” “significant,” “effective,” “beneficial,” “challenging,” “however”
These give writing a more persuasive, confident tone.
Use a Planning Sheet Every Time
A reusable persuasive writing planner helps your child organise thoughts clearly.
It should include:
- Opinion
- Three reasons
- Explanation/examples
- Conclusion
This makes writing structured and manageable.
Provide Positive, Focused Feedback
You don’t need to correct every mistake.
Use this simple formula instead:
- One thing done well
- One thing to improve
- One suggestion for next time
This keeps feedback constructive and encouraging.
Final Thoughts
With consistent structure, supportive language, and simple tools, persuasive writing becomes far less intimidating. Students learn to organise their ideas, express themselves clearly, and develop confidence — all essential skills for NAPLAN writing success.
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