As part of your child’s preparation for the CAASPP (California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress), one key area they will be assessed on is opinion writing. This essential skill helps students express their thoughts clearly and persuasively, supporting their opinions with strong reasons and evidence.

How to Support Your Child in Opinion Writing

1. Understand the Structure of Opinion Writing

In opinion writing, students express their viewpoint on a topic, support it with reasons, and conclude by reinforcing their opinion. Here’s a typical structure:

• Introduction: Clearly state the opinion on the topic.
• Body: Provide at least two or three supporting reasons, each backed by specific examples or evidence.
• Conclusion: Restate the opinion in a compelling way and briefly summarize the main reasons.

2. Practice with Simple Prompts

Encourage your child to practice using opinion-writing prompts such as:

• Do you think school should start later in the day? Why or why not?
• What is your favorite season, and what makes it the best?
• Should kids be allowed to have cell phones at school? Give reasons.

Tip: Have your child write their opinion first, then come up with at least two strong reasons to support it. Each reason should be backed by an example or evidence to make it convincing.

3. Help Organize Their Thoughts

Before writing, teach your child to organize their ideas using a graphic organizer like this:

• Topic: What is the question or issue?
• Opinion: What is their viewpoint?
• Reasons: Why do they feel that way?
• Examples: What evidence or examples support their reasons?

This structure ensures their writing is clear, logical, and well-organized.

We’ll continue next week with next steps. Happy prepping!