15 writing prompts for a sub day, by grade
A good sub day writing prompt is one a substitute can write on the board and students can start right away, with no teaching first. These fifteen are original and grouped by grade band: five for K–2, five for 3–5 and five for 6–8. Each says the prompt, how long to write and what to do with students who finish early.
K–2
1. The tiny door in the tree
Write on the board: You find a tiny door at the bottom of a tree. Who lives behind it? Students draw the door and the creature, then write two or three sentences. Younger writers can label the picture and dictate a sentence to the substitute.
Grades K–2You need Paper with space to draw, pencils and crayons
2. Make a brand-new animal
Write: Mix two animals into one new animal. What is it called, what does it eat and where does it sleep? Students draw it first, then write a sentence for each question. Early finishers can draw its baby.
Grades K–2You need Paper, pencils and crayons
3. If my pencil could talk
Write: Your pencil can talk today. What does it say about the work you did this morning? Students write what the pencil says, using a speech bubble if they like. Ask for at least three sentences from second graders.
Grades K–2You need Lined paper with a drawing box
4. A day as a cloud
Write: You are a cloud for one day. Where do you float, and what do you see down below? Students write three things they see and draw the view from the sky. The substitute can read a few aloud at the end.
Grades K–2You need Lined paper and crayons
5. A robot for our classroom
Write: A robot is coming to help in our classroom. What job does it do, and what is the one thing it is not allowed to touch? Students draw the robot and write about its job. Encourage silly ideas with a real reason.
Grades K–2You need Paper and pencils
3–5
6. Shrunk during silent reading
Write: During silent reading you shrink to the size of an eraser. Tell the story of your trip across the classroom to the door. Ask for a beginning, a middle with one problem and an ending. Students who finish draw a map of their route.
Grades 3–5You need Lined paper
7. A brand-new playground game
Write: Invent a new game for recess. Explain the rules so clearly that a new student could play it tomorrow. Students list what you need, how to win and three rules. Early finishers swap with a partner and check whether the rules make sense.
Grades 3–5You need Lined paper
8. A letter from the lost and found
Write: A single glove has been sitting in the lost and found for weeks. Write the letter it sends asking someone to pick it up. Students give the glove a voice and at least two good reasons. The substitute can collect the funniest for the teacher.
Grades 3–5You need Lined paper
9. The museum of ordinary things
Write: A museum has put an ordinary object on display, like a paper clip or a shoelace. Write the sign beside it explaining why it matters. Students choose their object and write five to seven sentences in an informative voice.
Grades 3–5You need Lined paper or an index card
10. Should recess be longer?
Write: Should recess be longer? Give your opinion and two reasons, then answer one thing someone on the other side might say. This is a short opinion piece. Remind students to end with a sentence that states their opinion again.
Grades 3–5You need Lined paper
6–8
11. The last paper book
Write: In the future, there is one paper book left in the city library and everyone wants to borrow it. Write the scene where it goes missing. Students write a scene of at least two paragraphs with dialogue. Finishers write the next scene's first line.
Grades 6–8You need Lined paper or a notebook
12. A city built on a raft
Write: Your class must design a small city that floats on a giant raft. Describe how it works: food, power, rules and one problem nobody expected. Students write an informative description with headings and may add a labeled sketch.
Grades 6–8You need Lined paper and a pencil for a sketch
13. The most underrated invention
Write: Choose an invention most people never think about, such as the zipper, the stoplight or the paper clip. Argue that it changed daily life more than any famous one. Students write a claim, two reasons with examples and a counterargument.
Grades 6–8You need Lined paper or a notebook
14. Two-sentence mystery, then the story
Write: Write a mystery in exactly two sentences. Then trade with a partner and write the full story behind their two sentences. Students spend five minutes on the short version and the rest of the time on the partner's story.
Grades 6–8You need Lined paper or a notebook
15. Advice for next year's class
Write: Write a letter to a student who will sit in your seat next year. What should they know about this grade, and what do you wish someone had told you? Ask for at least three pieces of specific, kind advice.
Grades 6–8You need Lined paper or a notebook
Making it work
- Write the prompt on the board exactly as printed, with a time: ten minutes for K–2, fifteen for 3–5 and twenty for 6–8 works for most classes.
- Ask the substitute to collect the writing in one pile per class so you can read it and see how the day went.
- For more prompts at every grade, the writing prompts page has a set the substitute can put on the projector.
- A writing pack gives the substitute a whole writing block with directions if you need more than a single prompt.
- Tell the substitute it's fine for young writers to draw first and write after; the drawing helps them plan.
Questions teachers ask
- What is a good writing prompt for a substitute day?
- One the substitute can read off the board and students can start without a lesson first. Imaginative prompts and short opinion pieces work well because every student has something to say and nobody needs outside information.
- How long should students write on a sub day?
- About ten minutes for kindergarten through second grade, fifteen for third through fifth and twenty for middle school is a good starting point. The substitute can extend the time if the room is calm and focused.
- Why keep sub day prompts away from personal topics?
- A substitute doesn't know the students, so prompts about their private lives can land badly. Imaginative and school-based prompts let every student write freely and keep the day low-stakes for everyone.
- Should the substitute grade the writing?
- Usually not. Ask the substitute to collect it and note who finished, and read it yourself when you return. A short comment or a star on each piece shows students the work mattered.
Written for teachers by Peabody Teach. No ads, no affiliate links. Something wrong or missing? Tell us.