Same Writing › Stories, reports and summaries › Informational writing organizers
How do kids plan informational writing?
Informational writing teaches the reader about a topic. Kids plan it on a web or organizer: the topic in the middle, three subtopics around it, and facts under each subtopic. Each subtopic becomes a paragraph, with an introduction before and a conclusion after.
- Topic: what the whole piece is about.
- Subtopics: one paragraph each.
- Facts come from research, in the writer's own words.
Why schools teach it
Reports need facts grouped into sections
Kids write to examine a topic, group related information into paragraphs and sections, and develop it with facts, definitions and details (W.4.2, W.6.2). A web turns a pile of research notes into a plan.
Grouping facts by subtopic is the hard thinking. Once that's done, each paragraph is a topic sentence and its facts.
At the kitchen table
What to say, and what to skip
Say this
What are three big parts of your topic?
SubtopicsWhich facts go under each one?
Can you say that fact in your own words?
No copyingWhat will the reader learn from your introduction?
Skip this
- Opinions in a report.Informational writing sticks to facts. Save “I think” for opinion pieces.
- Copying sentences from the source.Take notes in your own words, then write from the notes.
- Facts in random order.Group them by subtopic first.
See it in action
Planning a report on sharks
Topic and subtopics
Sharks: their bodies · what they eat · their sensesFacts under each
Bodies: skeletons made of cartilage, not bone · rows of teeth that are replacedWrite each paragraph
Sharks have bodies built for the ocean. Their skeletons are made of cartilage, the bendy material in your ears...
Text features like headings, bold words and diagrams often count in informational writing.
Free practice sheet
Make an informational writing web
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Parents also ask
What's the difference between informational and opinion writing?
Informational teaches facts. Opinion argues for a point of view.
How many subtopics?
Usually three for grades 3–5. Older students may have more sections with headings.
Where do the facts come from?
Books, articles and websites the class uses, or a text given with the assignment.
What's expository writing?
Another name for informational writing: writing that explains.