Writing Prompts for Middle School

To learn any language, sound writing skills are a must. That's why, kids in schools are encouraged to put their thoughts, feelings and experiences in words, by way of creative writing. However, not all students are able to express themselves aptly in words. Some of the students need certain writing prompts which would lead their thought process in a specific direction.

If you ask me, one of the best writing prompts is to ask the child to pick any random five words from a dictionary and then write three-four paragraphs, using all those words. Of course, if the words are a bit difficult, you need to explain their meaning to them before they get on with the writing. Scroll down to know some more fun writing prompts...

Journal Writing Prompts

• Write about yourself. The kind of person you are. Your likes, dislikes. What you want to become when you grow up. Write about things that make you happy or sad. The things that stress you out. Is there anything that you want to change about yourself?
• Write about your favorite genre of music. Mention your favorite singers who are known for especially singing in this genre. Write about the history of this kind of music - how, when and why it became popular.
• Daily write about things, experiences or conversations during the day which left an impact on you. The entries can be about something good, something sad or about the things learned.
• Write about your friends and family, people who are close to you. How they are an important part of your life. The things that you like about them and the things that you don't. Write why you feel connected to them.
• Write about any picnics or vacations you have been to in the past. The people that you met there, the experiences you had, the picnic or vacation spots that you saw, etc.

Creative Writing Prompts

• Narrate an incident in your life in which you desperately wanted something (like winning a match or topping an exam or something as simple as a particular gift from your parents), but were not able to get it. Write how did you react to the situation. What course of action did you take, etc.
• Narrate how the last year in your school went. Write about your first day in the class, any incidents that stand out or moments that were special, anything new you discovered about yourself or your schoolmates or teachers. Write about the things that you look forward to doing in school in the coming year.
• Write an article describing any of your hobbies. For instance if you like to bake cakes, write your favorite cake recipe. If you like to play soccer, write a composition describing the rules and some winning ways of playing it.
• Imagine that you could change into a celebrity one day. Who would that be and why? Narrate how would you spend your day as that celebrity.
• Write about the changes that you would make, if you were made the principal of your school for one day. The subjects that you would introduce or the teachers that you would shuffle or the students that you would want out!
• Do you think that cell phones should be allowed in schools? What, according to you, are the pros and cons of students getting their cell phones to schools.
• Technology, as is said, has changed the way we live. How has technology impacted your life? Have computers changed the way we socialize? Do you think that you or any of your classmates have got addicted to the Internet or television? What, according to you, is the solution for this?
• Teen obesity is very widespread in the USA. How can it be curbed? What is a healthy lifestyle and how can students incorporate it in their daily living?

During middle school, students are encouraged to take up narrative writing, descriptive writing, fiction writing, persuasive writing, essay writing, etc. The writing prompts mentioned above, will surely help them with each of these writing styles. A writing prompt can be anything - even something as small as a pencil. You can ask the children to describe its various uses and they will come up with hordes of them. So, make use of the prompts given here, come up with a few of your own and the children will surely be "prompted" to write beautifully and effectively!