Do you need fun writing activities to keep your students engaged and writing during the holiday seasons? Or maybe you just want a new engaging way to help your students practice their writing skills. Either way, “finish-the-story” writing prompts are a great option! This post will offer tips for using these types of writing prompts and a way to get 22 total FREE writing prompts, two prompts for each of the 11 covered holidays or seasons.
What are “Finish the Story” Story Starters?
A “Finish the story” writing prompt, also known as a story starter, is a sentence or paragraph that is used to begin a story. It typically contains one or more characters and description of the setting. It may also include dialogue and action. The idea behind a story starter is to provide a foundation for the story, giving the reader an idea of what will happen next. A good story starter should be interesting and create a sense of anticipation in the reader. It should also be easy to continue, so that the story can flow smoothly from beginning to end.
“Finish the Story” writing prompts help students write because they are able to focus on their writing and not worry about coming up with an idea for their story. These types of prompts allow students to start writing right away.
Why Use “Finish the Story” Writing Prompts?
These types of writing prompts are a great way to practice writing.
- They motivate and support students as they write because they are able to focus on their writing and not worry about coming up with an idea for their story.
- These types of prompts allow students to start writing right away with no wasted time staring at a blank piece of paper.
- Students are able to try out different genres and plot ideas that they might not think of on their own.
- They can help students with sentence structure, grammar, and vocabulary as the beginning of the story can be used as a mentor text of sorts.
- They help students find and use voice in their own writing.
Ideas for Using the Prompts in the Classroom
There are many ways that you can use these writing prompts in the classroom. Here are a few ideas:
* Use them as a writing assessment. This is a great way to see how well students understand the prompt and comprehend the story.
* Use them as a writing activity. Give students a prompt and have them write a story. They could even share their stories with the class or a small group. This is a great way to get students engaged and writing during the holiday seasons.
* Use them as an early finisher activity for students who finish other assignments before others.
* Use them as a writing center. Set up a station with story starters and supplies (paper, pencils, etc.). Then, let students choose a prompt and write a story. They could even work with partners or small groups.
About the FREE “Finish the Story” Writing Prompts
This FREE set of “Finish the Story” writing prompts has 22 total story starters that cover the 11 holidays and seasons listed below (two prompts for each).
- Back to School
- Halloween
- Fall
- Thanksgiving
- Christmas
- Winter
- Valentine’s Day
- St. Patrick’s Day
- Spring
- Easter
- Summer
The writing prompts are included in both printable and digital formats.
The printable version has each story starter and writing response all on one page, so it is easy to copy and distribute to each student.
The digital version comes in two versions.
- two slides per story starter: full-page story and full-page text slide for writing response
- one slide per story starter: half-page story and half-page text box (with an extra full-page text slide if needed)
Get the FREE “Finish the Story” Writing Prompts
To get these free “Finish the Story” writing prompts, simply click on the image below, enter your email and they will be sent straight to your inbox. You will receive via email a PDF containing the printable version. Digital access links are included on the PDF.
These look great!
I can’t believe these were free! My kids have really enjoyed them! Thank you very much!