The first few weeks of school set the tone for the entire year. You’re busy building routines, establishing expectations, and learning names. Here’s one tool you can use to strengthen literacy skills: back to school writing prompts!

These easy-to-use prompts are more than just a fun activity; they help students express themselves, build community, and ease into a writing routine. Whether you’re teaching 1st grade or 5th, having a ready-to-go list of engaging writing prompts can make the beginning of the year smoother.

Why Use Back to School Writing Prompts?

Starting the year with writing prompts has many benefits:

• They give students a safe and familiar way to share about themselves
• They offer a window into students’ personalities, experiences, and writing abilities
• They help you assess writing fluency and mechanics from day one
• They build classroom community through shared stories and reflections

Plus, they’re easy to integrate into morning work, writing centers, or your ELA block.

Types of Back to School Writing Prompts

Here are 5 categories of back to school writing prompts. You can mix these prompts in your classroom:

25 Back to School Writing Prompts to Try This Year

Here is a ready-to-use list of back to school writing prompts to help your students ease into the school year:

1. What are three words that describe you?
2. What is your favorite memory from summer break?
3. If you could bring one thing from home to school, what would it be?
4. What are you most excited to learn this year?
5. Describe your dream school day.
6. What do you want your teacher to know about you?
7. If you were the teacher for a day, what would you do?
8. Write about a time you were brave.
9. What’s something you’re really good at?
10. What would you do if you found a time machine on the playground?
11. Write about a perfect recess.
12. What’s your favorite subject and why?
13. Describe a great friend.
14. What’s something new you want to try this year?
15. What would happen if the school were held at night instead of during the day?
16. How do you feel on the first day of school?
17. What advice would you give to a new student?
18. What’s your favorite book and why?
19. If you had a pet dragon, how would you take care of it at school?
20. What’s something you hope never changes about school?
21. What would your ideal classroom look like?
22. Write a story about your backpack coming to life.
23. Who do you admire and why?
24. Describe your perfect lunch.
25. What’s one thing that makes your classroom special?

How to Make the Most of Writing Prompts

To get the most value from your back to school writing prompts, here are a few tips:

• Use a prompt of the day as a morning warm-up or journal activity
• Encourage sharing with partners or the class to build community
• Provide sentence starters or visuals for emerging writers
• Let students illustrate their responses to tap into creativity
• Save their writing to show growth later in the year

Want to Extend the Prompts?

Want to take it a step further? Try these ideas:

• Turn responses into a class book
• Record students reading their work to share with families during back to school night
• Create a hallway display using written pieces and self-portraits
• Keep a writing folder or journal for students to track their progress

These back to school writing prompts are the perfect extension and are ready to go! Check them out by clicking the images below.

Using back to school writing prompts is a simple and powerful way to build relationships, support student voice, and start the school year strong. Whether your students are brand-new writers or seasoned storytellers, a thoughtful prompt can help them feel seen and excited for the year ahead. If you are looking for creative Writing prompts for every season, make sure to check out this blog post.