Writing opinions
Compose opinion pieces using drawing, dictating, or writing that name a topic or book and state a preference or opinion about it
Lesson: Writing Opinions
Subject · English Domain · Writing Composition Age band · 5–7 Type · Procedural Centrality · Supporting (0.026) Taxonomy ID · mt_91f1XFvGZq Standards · CCSS.W.1 (Kindergarten–Grade 1 Opinion Writing) Tailored for · Gifted 5y9m, IQ 125–130+, asynchronous (reading 98th percentile, math 2–3 grade ahead, emotional age 5)
Read this first. Your son is almost certainly past the baseline version of this lesson. A child reading at the 98th percentile and doing Grade 2–3 math already has strong language and reasoning. What he may not have yet is the genre awareness — the understanding that "opinion writing" is a particular kind of writing with its own purpose, structure, and reader expectations. Run the 60-second mastery check at the bottom first. If he passes cleanly, this becomes a 5-minute conversation and you jump straight to Stretch.
Why this matters
Opinion writing is your son's first encounter with persuasive rhetoric — the idea that language has power beyond reporting facts. For a gifted child, this is bigger than "I like dogs." It's the seed of argumentation: stating a claim, supporting it with reasons, and addressing a reader who might not agree.
The risk with gifted kids is they jump to sophisticated content without building the genre scaffolding. He might write a beautiful sentence about why trains are the best — but not know he's writing an "opinion piece." That matters when he encounters essay structure at 7, debate at 9, and persuasive writing at 11. Naming the genre now gives him a cognitive container he'll reuse for years.
The asynchronous piece: he's emotionally 5. So keep it concrete and personal. He can handle "claim," "reason," and "audience" as vocabulary — but the topic should be his real preferences, not abstract issues.
Learning objective
Your son will compose a short opinion piece (drawing, dictating, or writing) that names a topic, states a clear preference, and gives at least one reason.
By the end, you want him to be able to say: "An opinion is what I think about something — and I can tell someone why."
Before you sit down together
Materials
- 1–2 books or toys he has a strong preference about — something he loves or dislikes. Familiar content frees him to focus on the writing genre.
- Blank paper (larger format if you have it) — drawing is a valid composition mode at this age. Don't force only handwriting.
- Pencils, crayons, or markers — his choice. Agency matters here.
- Optional: a stuffed animal or puppet as "your reader." Some gifted 5-year-olds write with more energy when composing to someone rather than for a parent.
- Optional: 2–3 sticky notes — for labeling "topic," "opinion," and "reason" in guided practice. Makes the structure visible.
Best time of day for this lesson
Mid-morning, after a snack and some movement, tends to be a strong window for compositional tasks. His brain is fresh but not overstimulated.
Consider avoiding: right after screen time (transition friction), late afternoon (fatigue spikes in young children), or moments when he's absorbed in his own project — gifted kids resist writing tasks that feel like interruptions to their thinking.
Activity: "The Favorite Game"
Four-phase procedural sequence. Total ~18–20 minutes.
Phase 1: Model — 4–5 minutes
Sit beside him with your own paper. Tell him you're going to show him how writers share opinions.
"I'm going to write an opinion piece. An opinion is what I think or feel about something — it's not a fact, it's MY idea. Watch what I do."
Pick something genuine — a food, a book, a place. Think aloud as you compose:
"My topic is... pancakes. My opinion is: pancakes are the best breakfast. Now I need a REASON. Why do I think that? Because they're fluffy and you can put syrup on them."
Write or draw in front of him, narrating each choice. Use the words topic, opinion, and reason naturally.
End with: "Now I'll read it to my reader — that's you! What do you think?"
This models that opinions are shareable and that readers can respond — the seed of audience awareness.
Phase 2: Guided Practice — 5–6 minutes
Now it's his turn, with you scaffolding.
"Your turn. Pick something you have a big feeling about — something you LOVE or something you really DON'T like."
Let him choose. Some gifted kids go abstract ("space") — gently narrow it:
"Space is a big topic. What about space do you have an opinion about? Like, 'the moon is the best part of space because...'"
Support him through three moves: - "What's your topic?" → He names it. - "What's your OPINION?" → He states a preference. - "Can you give me a REASON?" → The stretch moment.
If he stalls on the reason:
Him: "I think dinosaurs are the best." You: "Great opinion. What's your reason? Why are they the best?" Him: "Because they're cool." You: "Cool is a start — can you tell me ONE thing that makes them cool? What can they DO?"
Phase 3: Independent Practice — 6–8 minutes
He composes his piece. Valid modes:
- A drawing with dictated words
- A drawing with his own phonetic spelling
- Full sentences in his handwriting
- A combination
"Now make your opinion piece. You can draw it, write it, or both. Tell your reader your topic, your opinion, and your reason."
Step back. The thinking is his job. If he asks for spelling help, you can help — but the ideas and structure come from him.
Some gifted kids will want to write three pages. Let him. Others will draw a detailed picture and dictate one sentence. Both are legitimate.
Phase 4: Wrap-up — 2–3 minutes
He shares his piece with you (or the puppet/stuffed animal).
"Read it to me like I'm your reader. I want to hear your opinion and your reason."
Respond as a reader, not just a praise-giver:
"I heard your opinion: trains are the best. And your reason was they can carry huge things. That makes me think... [genuine reaction]. What if someone disagreed with you? What would you say?"
That last question plants the seed of counterargument. Don't push it — just offer it.
Kid-response scripts
| He says... | What's happening | You might try... |
|---|---|---|
| "I don't have a favorite." | Perfectionism — worried about the "wrong" answer | "You don't need a forever-favorite. Just pick something you like right now. You can change it tomorrow." |
| "Because it's good." | Circular reasoning — common even in gifted 5s | Model specificity: "What makes it good? What does it DO that's good?" |
| Writes three sentences and keeps going | He's in flow — don't stop him | Let him run. Move wrap-up later. This is the best problem you can have. |
| "I can't spell [word]." | Spelling anxiety blocking composition | "Writers don't worry about spelling in a first draft. Write the sounds you hear." Offer to scribe one word. |
| Refuses to write, will dictate | Motor skills lagging behind cognition — classic asynchronous pattern | Dictation is valid composition. Scribe for him. The thinking is the goal, not the handwriting. |
| "My opinion is that 2+2=4." | Conflating fact with opinion — sophisticated confusion | "That's a FACT — true for everyone. An opinion is what YOU think. Can you tell me something people might disagree about?" |
Common misconceptions to watch for
| What you see | What's actually going on | How to gently address it |
|---|---|---|
| States a preference but gives no reason | "I like it" and "why I like it" feel like one thought to him | Model the split aloud: "I like it. STOP. Now: WHY? Let me think..." Make the reasoning slower and more visible than it naturally is. |
| Reason just restates the opinion ("I like dogs because dogs are great") | Tautology — he has the structure but not a distinct reason | "That's the same idea in a different hat! Can you give me a NEW idea? What can dogs DO?" |
| Writes a factual report instead of an opinion | Genre confusion — defaults to "telling facts" because it feels safer | "Great information! But an opinion piece tells someone what YOU THINK. Where's the part where you tell me your idea?" |
| Picks a topic he has no real feeling about | Performing the procedure without connecting to purpose | "Do you actually have a strong feeling about this? Writers write best when they care. What's something you could argue about all day?" |
Stretch (where the real lesson lives for your son)
Stretch 1: "Because, because, because" — 5 minutes
Ask him for three reasons instead of one. Then: "Which reason is the STRONGEST? If you could only keep one, which would it be?" This introduces ranking evidence — a Grade 3+ skill.
Stretch 2: "The Disagree-er" — 5 minutes
After he shares, respond with a counter:
"I disagree. I think cats are better than dogs."
How does he respond? Can he defend his opinion? This is the seed of counterargument. If he gets upset (he's emotionally 5), keep it playful: "Oh no — Mr. Bear thinks cats are better! What do you say to Mr. Bear?"
Stretch 3: Opinion letter to a real audience — 10 minutes
Have him write (or dictate) an opinion letter to someone who isn't in the room — a parent at work, a grandparent, a favorite author. The shift from "telling Mom" to "writing TO someone specific" develops audience awareness, the bridge to persuasive writing.
Stretch 4: "Fact or Opinion?" sorting game — 5 minutes
Say 5–6 statements. He sorts them into fact (true for everyone, checkable) and opinion (someone's thinking, debatable).
"The sky is blue." / "Blue is the best color." / "Ice cream is cold." / "Chocolate is the best flavor."
Gifted kids often love this kind of categorical thinking. It sharpens the genre boundary.
Stretch 5: Linking words — 5 minutes
Give him connecting words explicitly:
"Writers use words like 'because,' 'also,' and 'another reason' to connect their ideas. Can you use one in your writing?"
This builds directly toward Structured Opinion Writing, the dependent topic.
Quick mastery check (60 seconds)
- [ ] Can he name a topic and state a clear preference? (e.g., "My favorite book is...")
- [ ] Can he give at least one reason when asked "Why?"
- [ ] Can he express his opinion through drawing, dictation, or writing?
If all three are clean → skip to Stretch. If any are shaky → run the full lesson.
Formal mastery check
From the taxonomy evidence:
- [ ] States opinion clearly (e.g., "My favourite animal is a dog because...")
- [ ] Gives at least one reason for the opinion
- [ ] Draws, dictates, or writes to express preference about a book or topic
Assessment prompt: Can {name} write a sentence or two giving their opinion about something — like their favourite book or food — and explain why they feel that way?
Vocabulary to use naturally
Drop these into conversation without making it a "lesson":
- Opinion — "An opinion is what YOU think — not a fact."
- Topic — "What's your topic? What are you writing about?"
- Reason — "Can you give me a reason? Tell me WHY."
- Preference — "You prefer trains over cars — that's a preference."
- Audience — "Your audience is whoever reads this. What do they need to know?"
- Claim (Stretch) — "Your opinion is your claim — it's what you're saying is true for you."
What comes next
- Structured Opinion Writing — adding linking words ("because," "also," "first") and organizing multiple reasons in order. This is the direct next step — he may already be ready for parts of it.
- Drawing conclusions from evidence (age 9+) — in science, the same skill architecture (state claim → support with evidence) appears. Early opinion writing plants this seed.
- Narrative and informational writing — opinion is one of three primary genres. If he hasn't done explicit narrative or informational writing, those round out the composition foundation.
If this lesson didn't land
- Switch the mode. If writing flopped, try pure oral: "Tell your opinion to this puppet / into this voice recorder." Remove the motor demand entirely.
- Try a different time of day. Composition can fail on fatigue or blood sugar alone. Re-attempt mid-morning after a snack.
- Shorten drastically. Some days, 5 minutes is all he has. One opinion, one reason, done. Come back tomorrow.
- Skip and return. Gifted kids sometimes need to chew on an idea before engaging formally. Plant the vocabulary in casual conversation and revisit in a week.
- Check the prerequisite. Can he say a full sentence before writing it? If his oral language isn't there yet for "I think X because Y," back up to oral rehearsal. Saying it always comes before writing it.
Source
Taxonomy ID · mt_91f1XFvGZq Dataset · MasteryTaxonomy (English / Writing Composition) Standards · CCSS.W.1 (K–Grade 1 Opinion Writing); Common Core State Standards Initiative Tailored for · Gifted 5y9m, IQ 125–130+, asynchronous profile Generated by · Parent-facing lesson planner