How to Write Your First Opinion Piece?

Writing an opinion piece might seem like a huge task. This is because you have to pour your thoughts onto the paper in a way that interests the readers. Writing opinions pieces are very different from writing your everyday academic essays. It is much more fun and also builds your cognitive abilities. It allows you to express your thoughts and opinions freely. Writing your first ever opinion piece can be tough, but adhere to the following tips and tricks to make sure your opinion piece stands out:

Start stronger

The starting of any sort of writing decides the fate of it. If it grabs the reader's attention, then it is read completely. But if it is not up to the mark, it might not get the appreciation that it deserves. Always focus on the start. Make it as strong and appealing as you can. Think about an attention-grabbing line to open your opinion piece. A great opening line always ignites some sort of emotion in the reader. It creates a relevant relationship. You can also start with a strong quotation or surprising facts. It is said that if the reader reads the first four lines of your writing, he will read the rest of it as well.

If writing a great opening sentence is what you struggle at, then write the entire piece first. You can come back to it later, and take help from your writing to write a relevant opening sentence that connects with the reader.

Write the best early

Structure your piece in a way that has the best stuff written early in the writing. It is important to maintain the interest of the reader.

Use Conversational Voice

It is always best to write the opinion piece in active voice. It seems more casual and conversational. It increases the readability of the writing and also helps in developing a personality for you.

How to Help Young Writers Form Opinions With Their Writing

Young minds are very creative and innovative minds. This is because they adhere to no limits. Their little experience in the world of restrictions has not made them vulnerable yet. They are free and ambitious. Their creativity can lead to many new and fresh ideas. One of the best ways to boost their cognition and creativity is to make them write.

Children will become more creative and innovative in their adolescence if they start writing from a young age. It can prove to be the best habit for them. Writing will make them smarter. This would also support healthy learning.

You can also help young writers form opinions with their writings. Writing is a great medium to express inner thoughts. First, you need to set them free mentally. Allow them to think about anything that they are passionate about. Dictated topics will not boost their cognition, instead, it will teach them to stay in the box forever. So, allow them to explore their own thinking and come up with something unique and interesting.

An interesting opinion writing piece knows exactly what sort of questions it is answering. You have to make sure that you let the young writers know that they will be answering a question. Allow them with the freedom to choose their own question. But also tell them to make it as clear as possible. Teach them to write clearly what they have in mind without any possibility for confusion and stand firm at what they believe. Tell them to have some sort of evidence and facts to back up their opinions. They should know that it is important to support your opinion with evidence to increase their own credibility. This will also increase their critical reading skills. The wrap up should contain a summary of the opinion.

How to Encourage Students to Write Their Opinions

Usually, first graders are done with learning how to read and write. They have already mastered the basics in kindergarten. Now, it is time to develop their thinking and cognitive abilities. It is time to let them observe everything they see and form perceptions. At this age, almost every child has certain opinions to adhere to. But they do not really know how to express them. This is the perfect age to make them learn the importance of expressing opinions and respecting the opinions of others as well. Here are a few ways that can help you to encourage first graders to write their opinions:

Give Them Open-Ended Questions

Open-ended questions are a great way to make children focus on what they believe and how they perceive things. After concluding a reading activity in class, you can give your students an open-ended question. You should decide the question beforehand and give it a good thought. The question should have the ability to snatch the opinions right out of the minds of young children. It should not be just a plain simple question about the story. You should make it interesting by asking if that specific character should have responded in the way that he did or do you think that character made the right decision. These questions will help the children focus on their beliefs and opinions. Give them all plenty of time to think and write the answer.

Encourage Journaling

Journaling has tons of benefits for both children and adults. It would be great if you encourage this habit from an early age. Journaling is one of the best ways to pour out the ideas and thoughts from their mind and onto the paper. It would be great for first graders to write their opinions. You can make this more interesting by arranging a fun trip to the market with the kids to buy journals.