Writing - What are the Different Types of Writing?

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     In school, students are asked to create specific types of writing assignments. 

     Writers use different forms of writing such as: poems, friendly letters, procedures, narratives, reports, book reviews, and recounts to name a few.  Writers can also combine these forms of writing.  For example, a student can write a report that is meant to inform and persuade the reader.

     The forms of writing have their own purposes.  For example, students can write stories, narratives, plays, and poems to entertain their audience.  Persuasive writing involves letters to the editor, business letters, and informative articles with a good argument.  Explanations consist of how something works and informative articles are written as reports, news articles, and book reviews.

     Knowing these forms helps your child focus the content of his/her writing.  For example, if your child is asked to write about recycling, is his/her writing going to focus on the informative aspect of recycling (i.e. statistics about garbage, etc...) and/or is the writing going to focus on the persuasive aspect (i.e. reasons why we should recycle)?  Understanding these forms of writing give the writer clear focus and direction when writing.    

  The audience is also a key factor with regards to deciding on which form of writing your child should use.  A good writer should think about the reasons why he/she is writing.  The audience (which is usually the teacher), has expectations when reading a piece of written work. 

 Here are some questions your child should think about before planning his/her writing:

1.    What is my audience really looking for?  Your child must decide if the writing is going to be entertaining, informative, explanatory, or persuasive.

2.    What will my audience want to read in order to keep them reading on?  Does your child’s persuasive article have strong opinions backed up by evidence and detail? Is his/her explanation organized?

3.    Will the audience understand?  Make sure your child’s writing is not too simple or too complex for the intended audience.

4.    Is my writing voice appropriate?  If the writing is intended to entertain, it should have a playful tone.  Or perhaps the writing is persuasive, then it should contain a confident voice.

     Before starting to write, your child should make a plan.  Together, you can decide on the format, the voice, the details, and other characteristics that create a focus and goal that is intended for the audience.