Skip to content
LessonPrint

Saying What You Think About a Book

A 35-minute Kindergarten lesson on writing an opinion about a book — naming it, saying what you think, and giving a reason.

Saying What You Think About a Book is a free 35-minute Kindergarten English lesson plan for Common Core standard W.K.1 — draw and write to say which book you liked, and that you liked it. It is timed across 5 sections, gives the exact wording to use where the wording carries the mathematics, names 3 misconceptions with the teaching move that addresses each, and ends with an exit ticket and a printable worksheet with its answer key.

Grade:
Kindergarten
Length:
35 minutes
Standard:
W.K.1

Kindergarten · Writing

W.K.1

Use a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing to compose opinion pieces in which they tell a reader the topic or the name of the book they are writing about and state an opinion or preference about the topic or book (e.g., My favorite book is...).

Objective

Students will be able to name a book and say what they think of it, with a reason.

Students are successful when they can

  • Names the book.
  • States a preference rather than a summary.
  • Gives one reason for it.

What you need

  • Three books the class knows well
  • A drawing-and-writing frame with a box and lines
  • The printable practice sheet linked at the end of this plan

The lesson

Warm-up — which one, and why

5 min
  1. Hold up two books. Ask which they would take home.
  2. Take three answers and ask each child 'why?'
  3. Do not accept 'because I like it'. Ask what about it.
“You have told me which. Now tell me why that one.”

Teach — three things in order

11 min
  1. Write your own opinion in front of them, saying every word as you write it.
  2. Name the book first. Then say what you think. Then say because.
  3. Point at the three parts and count them: name, think, because.
  4. Draw a quick picture in the box that shows the reason, not just the book.
  5. Say a fourth sentence that is a summary rather than an opinion, and reject it out loud. 'It is about a bear' is not an opinion.
“Name it. Say what you think. Then say because.”

Guided practice — say it before you write it

9 min
  1. Pairs say their three parts aloud to each other before writing anything.
  2. The listener counts the parts on their fingers.
  3. Only when all three are there do they pick up a pencil.

Independent practice

8 min
  1. Students complete the opinion frame: draw in the box, write on the lines.
  2. Scribe for any child whose sentence is longer than their spelling. Dictating is in the standard.

Close

2 min
  1. Two children read theirs out.
  2. The class counts the three parts.

What goes wrong, and why

Each of these is a reasoning error rather than carelessness. The fix addresses the reasoning.

Writes what the book is about instead of what they think of it.

Why: Retelling is the familiar thing to do with a book, and it is what most questions about books have asked for.

Fix: Ask 'would you tell a friend to read it?' That question cannot be answered with a summary.

Gives 'because I like it' as the reason.

Why: It is literally a reason and it does answer the question as asked.

Fix: Ask what in the book made them like it. Push once, every time; the second answer is always better than the first.

Draws the book's cover rather than the reason.

Why: The cover is the easiest thing to draw and is undeniably about the book.

Fix: Ask what their picture shows about why. If the answer is nothing, the picture is decoration.

If they are not there yet

  • Give the sentence starter aloud: 'My favourite book is ___ because ___.'
  • Scribe the whole thing and have them read it back.

If they finish early

  • Give two reasons and join them with 'and'.
  • Write an opinion about a book they did NOT like, which is harder to do kindly.
  • Add a closing sentence after the reason.

Exit ticket

Which book, what do you think of it, and why?

What to look for: All three parts. A summary in place of the opinion means the 'would you tell a friend' question needs to become the standing prompt.

Printable practice for W.K.1

Free to print and copy, answer key included. Each sheet can generate a fresh set of problems for a retake.

Questions about Saying What You Think About a Book

How long does the Saying What You Think About a Book lesson take?

35 minutes, split across 5 timed sections: warm-up 5 min, teach 11 min, guided practice 9 min, independent practice 8 min, close 2 min. The minutes are stated per section and add up to the stated length, so the plan can be cut or extended at a section boundary rather than abandoned halfway.

Which standard does Saying What You Think About a Book teach?

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.K.1 — W.K.1, Writing for Kindergarten: “Use a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing to compose opinion pieces in which they tell a reader the topic or the name of the book they are writing about and state an opinion or preference about the topic or book (e.g., My favorite book is...).” In plain terms, draw and write to say which book you liked, and that you liked it.

What do I need to teach this lesson?

Three books the class knows well, a drawing-and-writing frame with a box and lines and the printable practice sheet linked at the end of this plan. Everything listed is either ordinary classroom equipment or a free printable from this site — there is nothing to buy and nothing to prepare beyond photocopying.

What mistakes should I expect in this lesson?

Three, each a reasoning error rather than carelessness: writes what the book is about instead of what they think of it; gives 'because I like it' as the reason and draws the book's cover rather than the reason. The plan gives the thinking behind each one and the teaching move that addresses the thinking rather than the symptom.

How do I know whether the lesson worked?

The exit ticket asks: “Which book, what do you think of it, and why?.” All three parts. A summary in place of the opinion means the 'would you tell a friend' question needs to become the standing prompt. That tells you whether the class needs a reteach or a thirty-second conversation before you plan tomorrow.

Is there a worksheet to go with Saying What You Think About a Book?

Yes — 1 printable W.K.1 worksheet, linked at the end of the plan and free like the rest of the site. Each one comes with an answer key and 25 versions, so the practice after the lesson can be a different paper on every desk.

Is Saying What You Think About a Book free to use?

Yes. The plan, its printables and their answer keys are free to read, print and photocopy for your own class, with no account and no email capture. It was last reviewed on 7 September 2026. Please do not resell it or republish it as your own.

Last reviewed 2026-09-07. Aligned to W.K.1 of the Common Core State Standards for English language arts.