"Would you rather have a pet dragon or a pet unicorn?" Ask that question out loud and a primary classroom erupts. Hands shoot up, voices rise, and someone is already explaining that dragons are better because they can keep you warm in winter. Without realizing it, those children are doing exactly what opinion writing asks of them: choosing a side and backing it up with a reason. The hard part is getting that energy from their mouths onto the page.
This guide shows how to teach opinion writing in kindergarten through 3rd grade using Would You Rather questions as the hook. It covers what young writers need to learn, how to teach facts versus opinions, how the OREO strategy builds a complete piece, the mistakes children make most often, how to differentiate for writers at very different levels, a four-week plan, and simple ways families can keep the conversation going at home.
Why Would You Rather Questions Work So Well
Opinion writing can stall when children do not care about the topic. "What is your favorite season?" may produce one sleepy sentence. Would You Rather questions solve this problem in several ways.
- Every child has an answer. There is no right choice, so even reluctant writers can commit to a side.
- The two options create natural reasons. Comparing two things pushes children to explain why one is better.
- The questions are fun. Silly or imaginative choices lower the stakes and invite creativity.
- They are short. Children spend their energy on reasons rather than on figuring out what the topic means.
- They spark talk. Oral rehearsal with a partner is one of the best ways to prepare young writers, and these questions get everyone talking.
What Young Writers Need to Learn
Opinion writing grows across the primary grades. Kindergarten writers might state a preference and draw a picture; 3rd graders can write a paragraph with an introduction, several reasons, linking words and a conclusion. Along the way, children are learning a few key skills.
Telling facts from opinions
A fact can be checked. An opinion is what someone thinks or feels. "A cat has four legs" is a fact. "Cats are the best pets" is an opinion. Children need to recognize the difference before they can write an opinion on purpose.
Stating an opinion clearly
A good opinion sentence names the choice directly: "I would rather fly than be invisible." Young writers often skip this step and jump straight to their reasons, or bury their choice in the middle of the piece.
Giving reasons
A reason answers "why?" Children often give reasons that are too vague ("because it's fun") or that repeat the opinion ("because I like it"). Teaching them to give a specific reason is the heart of the work.
Adding examples or details
An example makes a reason believable: "I would rather fly because I could get to school fast. For example, I could fly over the traffic on my street." Examples are usually the last piece children learn to include.
Using linking words
Words such as because, also, for example, another reason and that is why connect ideas and make writing flow. They also signal to the reader what is coming next.
Closing the piece
A conclusion restates the opinion, often in slightly different words: "That is why flying would be the best power to have." It gives the writing a clear ending.
Teaching Fact Versus Opinion
Start with talk, not paper. Read short statements aloud and ask children to show a thumbs up for fact and a thumbs down for opinion. Discuss tricky ones together: "Pizza is a food" versus "Pizza is the best food." Ask, "Can we check it? How?"
Next, have children sort sentence cards into two groups. Encourage them to change a fact into an opinion: "Dogs bark" becomes "Dogs are the funniest pets." This shows that opinions often use words such as best, favorite, better, fun or boring.
The Would You Rather Opinion Writing includes a What Is an Opinion? anchor chart and a Fact or Opinion? sorting activity with an answer key, which makes a good first lesson before children write their first prompt.
The OREO Strategy
OREO is a simple, memorable structure for opinion writing:
- O – Opinion: State what you think.
- R – Reason: Tell why.
- E – Example: Give an example or detail that supports the reason.
- O – Opinion again: Restate your opinion to close.
The cookie image helps children remember that an opinion piece has a beginning and end that match, with the reasons and examples as the "filling." It also gives teachers a common language for feedback: "Your Opinion is clear. Can you add an Example?"
Teaching OREO step by step
- Introduce the acronym. Draw a large cookie on chart paper and label each layer.
- Model a full piece. Choose a Would You Rather question and think aloud as you write each part. Point to the cookie as you go.
- Write one together. Choose another question and let the class supply each part while you write.
- Color-code. Have children underline or highlight each OREO part in a different color on a model piece.
- Write independently. Children choose a prompt and write their own, using the chart as a checklist.
For 2nd and 3rd graders, OREO naturally expands to more than one reason and example. Encourage them to add a second reason with another reason or also.
Sentence Starters and Linking Words
Sentence starters are a scaffold, not a crutch. They help children begin, and most writers eventually outgrow them. Useful starters for young writers include:
- I would rather ___ because ___.
- I think ___ is better because ___.
- One reason is ___.
- For example, ___.
- Another reason is ___.
- That is why I would rather ___.
Display linking words on a poster and practice them orally first. Have partners finish sentences such as "I would rather eat ice cream for breakfast because..." and "Another reason is..." before writing.
In the Would You Rather Opinion Writing, kindergarten and 1st grade writers get traceable "I would rather…" and "because…" starters on primary lines, and a Linking Words poster lists because, also, for example, another reason and that is why.
Drawing and Talking as Planning Tools
For young writers, planning rarely looks like an outline. It looks like a picture and a conversation. Both are worth protecting in your writing block.
Draw first, then write
A quick sketch of the chosen option helps kindergarten and 1st grade writers hold onto their idea. When a child draws themselves riding a dragon over the school, they have already started thinking about details: where they are going, what they can see, why it would be fun. Ask them to label one or two things in the drawing, then use those labels as words in their sentence. Keep drawing time short, about three to five minutes, so the picture supports the writing rather than replacing it.
Talk it through with a partner
Before anyone picks up a pencil, have partners take turns saying their whole piece out loud: "I would rather ___ because ___. For example, ___." The listener's job is to ask one question, such as "Why?" or "What would that look like?" That single question often pushes the speaker toward a clearer reason or a stronger example. Children who have rehearsed aloud tend to write more, and with fewer stops to ask what to say next.
Use the class as an audience
Opinions are meant to persuade someone. Remind writers that their reader might have chosen the other option. Asking "How would you convince someone who picked the opposite?" helps older students think about their reasons from the reader's side, which is the beginning of persuasive writing in later grades.
Common Mistakes and How to Fix Them
Not stating a choice
Children sometimes write all about one option without saying they chose it, or they write about both and never decide. Ask them to circle their choice before writing and start their first sentence with "I would rather."
Reasons that repeat the opinion
"I would rather have a dog because I like dogs" is common. Ask, "Why do you like dogs? What would a dog do for you?" Push for a reason that tells the reader something new.
Vague reasons
"Because it's fun" or "because it's cool" does not explain much. Ask, "What makes it fun? What would you do?" Model turning a vague reason into a specific one.
Writing a list instead of a piece
Some children list reasons without connecting them. Teach linking words and show how also and another reason join ideas.
Forgetting the ending
Pieces often stop suddenly after the last reason. Remind children of the final O in OREO and model a closing sentence that restates the opinion.
Changing their mind halfway
Children sometimes switch sides partway through. Encourage them to stay with their choice and explain that writers pick one side and support it.
Differentiation for K–3 Writers
Kindergarten and early 1st grade
- Let children circle their choice and draw a picture first.
- Use traceable sentence starters so they can focus on finishing the idea.
- Accept invented spelling; the goal is getting ideas down.
- Encourage oral rehearsal: children say their sentence to a partner before writing.
- For very early writers, take dictation for the reason and have them trace or copy it.
Late 1st, 2nd and 3rd grade
- Expect a full OREO structure with at least one reason and example.
- Ask for two or more reasons with linking words.
- Encourage a stronger conclusion that restates the opinion in new words.
- Introduce revising: can you add a detail? Can you use a stronger word?
Two versions of the same prompt
Using the same question at two levels lets a mixed class discuss the prompt together, then write at their own level. In the Would You Rather Opinion Writing, each of the 40 prompts comes in Version A for K and 1st, with picture choices, a circle-your-choice option, traceable starters, primary lines and a drawing box, and Version B for grades 2 and 3, with picture choices, the OREO framework and sentence starters on standard lines.
Support for multilingual learners and students with additional needs
- Pair every prompt with pictures of both choices.
- Model and post sentence frames, and practice them aloud.
- Allow children to discuss in their home language before writing in English.
- Break the writing into one OREO part at a time.
- Offer a word bank of describing words and reasons.
Stretch for strong writers
- Ask them to write about why someone might choose the other option.
- Have them invent their own Would You Rather question and write a response.
- Encourage more precise vocabulary and varied sentence beginnings.
Assessing Opinion Writing
Keep assessment simple and focused on the key parts. Did the writer state an opinion? Give a reason? Add an example or detail? Use linking words? Restate the opinion? A short rubric with these parts helps both you and the student.
Have students use a student-friendly version as a self-check before turning in their work. When children check their own writing against the OREO parts, they begin to internalize the structure. Look at one piece from early in the unit and one from the end to see growth.
A Four-Week Opinion Writing Plan
Week 1: What is an opinion?
Introduce facts and opinions with talk and sorting. Ask a Would You Rather question each day and have children share their choice and a reason out loud. Introduce the anchor chart and OREO. Write a shared class piece by the end of the week.
Week 2: Opinions and reasons
Focus on stating a clear opinion and giving a specific reason. Children write one prompt a day or every other day, with sentence starters. Do quick conferences to push vague reasons to be specific.
Week 3: Examples and linking words
Introduce examples and linking words. Model adding "For example" to a reason. Children write responses with a reason and example, and older writers add a second reason. Begin using the rubric as a self-check.
Week 4: Putting it all together
Children write complete pieces with all OREO parts. Hold a class vote on a favorite question and graph the results. Let children write their own prompts, share their writing with the class and celebrate with an award.
Classroom Management Tips
- Start every writing session with talk. Two minutes of partner discussion makes the writing faster and better.
- Keep prompts in a bin or binder. Children choose a prompt when they finish other work, which makes Would You Rather writing a great early finisher option.
- Use the class vote. Graphing the class's choices turns a writing lesson into a quick math discussion and lets children see that people disagree.
- Model often. Short, frequent think-alouds are more effective than one long lesson.
- Celebrate sharing. Use an author's chair or partner share so children hear each other's reasons.
- Keep the OREO chart visible. Point to it every time you give feedback.
Bringing Opinion Talk Home
Families can build opinion skills in everyday conversation:
- Ask a Would You Rather question at dinner or in the car, and always follow up with "Why?"
- Ask children to give two reasons instead of one.
- Share your own opinions and reasons as a model.
- Talk about the difference between facts and opinions in books, signs and ads.
- Keep it playful: there are no wrong answers, only reasons.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can kindergarteners really write opinions?
Yes. Kindergarten opinion writing might be a circled choice, a drawing and a short sentence such as "I would rather swim because it is fun." That is a real opinion with a reason, and it lays the groundwork for longer writing later.
What is the difference between a reason and an example?
A reason tells why you think something. An example gives a specific detail or situation that shows the reason is true. "I would rather be a bird because I could fly" is a reason. "For example, I could fly to visit my grandma" is an example.
How long should an opinion piece be?
It depends on the grade. Kindergarten writers might write one sentence with a drawing. First graders often write two or three sentences. Second and third graders can work toward a paragraph with an opinion, reasons, examples and a conclusion.
Should I worry about spelling during opinion writing?
Focus first on the structure and ideas. Encourage children to spell words by sound and to use word walls and charts for common words. Spelling can be addressed during editing, but it should not stop children from getting their reasons down.
How often should children write opinion pieces?
Short, frequent practice works well. Many teachers use a Would You Rather prompt several times a week during a unit, then keep prompts available all year for journals, centers and early finishers.
How do I keep students from choosing the same reason every time?
Brainstorm reasons together before writing and post them on a chart. Ask children to choose a reason that is different from their partner's, or to give two reasons instead of one.
Give Every Writer an Opinion Worth Sharing
Opinion writing comes alive when children care about their choice. Would You Rather questions give them that spark, and a clear structure like OREO turns their excitement into organized writing. The 93-page set includes 40 original prompts in two versions, an anchor chart, a Fact or Opinion? sort, a Linking Words poster, a rubric, a four-week plan, a class vote graph, a Make Your Own Prompt page and an Opinion Writing Star Award.
