Persuasive Writing Resources for Australian Teachers

Teaching Persuasive Writing in Australian Primary Schools

Persuasive writing — also called exposition or argument writing — is one of the core text types in the Australian Curriculum. Students learn to form an opinion, support it with reasons and evidence, and present their argument in a structured way that influences the reader.

It's also one of the text types assessed in NAPLAN. From Year 3 onwards, students are expected to write a persuasive text under timed conditions, making it a skill that needs consistent practice throughout primary school.

This page covers how persuasive writing fits into the Australian Curriculum, practical strategies for teaching it at each year level, and ready-to-use resources created by Australian teachers. Whether you're introducing persuasive writing to Year 1 or preparing Year 5 students for NAPLAN, you'll find what you need below.

Australian primary schools typically teach the following structure for persuasive texts. The complexity and length increase as students move through year levels, but the fundamental structure remains the same.

Title

A clear, attention-grabbing title that signals the writer's position. For example: "Why Every School Should Have a Vegetable Garden" or "Screen Time Should Be Limited for Children."

Introduction (Thesis Statement)

The opening paragraph states the writer's opinion clearly and previews the arguments that will follow. Young students might write: "I think we should have longer lunch breaks." Older students develop a more sophisticated thesis: "Australian primary schools should extend lunch breaks to 45 minutes because it improves concentration, supports physical health, and strengthens social skills."

Body Paragraphs (Arguments)

Each body paragraph presents one argument that supports the writer's position:

• Topic sentence — states the argument clearly
• Elaboration — explains the argument in more detail
• Evidence — provides facts, statistics, examples, or expert opinions
• Linking sentence — connects back to the main argument or transitions to the next point

Year 3–4 students typically write 2–3 body paragraphs. Year 5–6 students may write 3–4 with more developed evidence and reasoning.

Conclusion

The conclusion restates the writer's position and summarises the key arguments. Stronger writers include a call to action — telling the reader what they should do or think. For example: "For all these reasons, our school should introduce a weekly kitchen garden program starting next term."

Persuasive Language Features

Students learn to use specific language techniques to strengthen their arguments:

• Emotive language — words that appeal to the reader's emotions ("devastating", "incredible", "unfair")
• Rhetorical questions — questions that don't expect an answer ("How would you feel if...?")
• Modal verbs — words that express certainty or obligation ("must", "should", "need to")
• Connectives — linking words that build arguments ("furthermore", "in addition", "therefore")
• Inclusive language — words that create a sense of shared experience ("we all know", "as Australians")
• Facts and statistics — specific data that adds credibility ("According to...", "Research shows that...")
• Expert opinions — quotes or references from authorities on the topic

The Australian Curriculum v9 for English includes persuasive writing within the Literacy strand, under "Creating texts." Students are expected to create persuasive texts with increasing sophistication as they progress through primary school.

Foundation & Year 1

At this stage, students learn that people have different opinions and that writing can be used to express a preference. They create simple texts that state what they like or want, using basic sentence structures: "I like dogs because they are friendly." The focus is on forming an opinion and giving a reason.

Effective activities at this level include:

• Class debates on simple topics (best pet, best fruit, best season)
• "I think... because..." sentence frames
• Shared writing where the class constructs a persuasive text together

Year 2 & Year 3

Students begin writing structured persuasive texts with an introduction, one or two reasons, and a conclusion. They learn to give reasons that support their opinion and start using basic persuasive language like "I believe" and "you should." Year 3 students are introduced to NAPLAN persuasive writing expectations.

Effective activities at this level include:

• Writing letters to the principal about a school issue
• Persuasive posters with a headline, image, and reasons
• Scaffolded persuasive paragraphs using graphic organisers

Year 4 & Year 5

Students write well-structured persuasive texts with multiple arguments, each supported by evidence or examples. They use paragraphs to organise their ideas and employ persuasive language features including rhetorical questions, emotive language, and modal verbs. NAPLAN preparation becomes more explicit at this level.

Effective activities at this level include:

• Analysing real-world persuasive texts (advertisements, letters to the editor, speeches)
• Writing for authentic audiences (school newsletter, local council, class blog)
• Peer assessment using persuasive writing rubrics
• Timed practice for NAPLAN writing preparation

Year 6

Year 6 students write sophisticated persuasive texts that demonstrate control over text structure, language features, and rhetorical devices. They consider counter-arguments and can rebut opposing viewpoints. Their writing shows a clear authorial voice and deliberate word choices designed to influence the reader.

Effective activities at this level include:

• Formal debates with researched arguments
• Writing persuasive essays on current issues
• Analysing bias and persuasive techniques in media
• Comparing persuasive and discussion (exposition vs. discussion) text types

Persuasive writing is one of the text types assessed in the NAPLAN writing test. Students in Years 3, 5, 7, and 9 are given a persuasive writing prompt and asked to write a response under timed conditions.

What NAPLAN Markers Look For

NAPLAN persuasive writing is assessed against ten criteria grouped into three areas:

Ideas and Content

• Audience awareness — writing that considers the reader
• Persuasive devices — use of rhetorical techniques to influence the reader
• Ideas — quality and development of arguments

Structure

• Text structure — introduction, body paragraphs, conclusion
• Paragraphing — logical organisation of ideas
• Cohesion — use of connectives and linking devices

Language

• Vocabulary — range and precision of word choices
• Sentence structure — variety and complexity of sentences
• Punctuation — accurate use of punctuation
• Spelling — correct spelling of common and topic-specific words

Preparation Tips

1. Practise regularly — one persuasive text per fortnight from Year 3 onwards

2. Use timed conditions — students should practise writing under time pressure (Year 3: 30 minutes, Year 5: 40 minutes) > Tip: Five minutes of planning before writing under timed conditions produces significantly stronger persuasive essays — teach this as a non-negotiable step.

3. Teach the planning step — students who spend 5 minutes planning write significantly better texts than those who start writing immediately
4. Build a bank of persuasive topics — practise with a wide range of topics so students aren't thrown by an unfamiliar prompt
5. Focus on paragraphing — the most common weakness in NAPLAN persuasive writing is poor paragraph structure

Looking for NAPLAN-aligned persuasive writing practice? See our NAPLAN Practice Resources page.

Running out of persuasive writing topics? Here are ideas grouped by year level, covering topics Australian students can relate to.

Foundation – Year 2

• The best pet is a...
• Why we should have more play time
• My favourite season is the best
• Why everyone should try [food]
• We should be allowed to wear hats inside
• The best Australian animal

Year 3 & Year 4

• Should students have homework?
• Why our school should have a vegetable garden
• Screen time should be limited for children
• Why we should protect the Great Barrier Reef
• Students should be allowed to choose their own seats
• Why reading every day is important
• Our school should ban single-use plastic

Year 5 & Year 6

• Should mobile phones be allowed in schools?
• Why Australia should do more to address climate change
• School uniforms: for or against?
• Should the school week be four days instead of five?
• Why every Australian student should learn an Indigenous language
• Social media should have stricter age limits
• Should junk food advertising be banned during children's TV?
• Why art and music are as important as maths and English