Integrate writing and reading in a non-traditional way using RAFT writing prompts.
These writing assignments provide students context for writing purposefully and fluently for an audience.
What Is the RAFT Strategy?
The RAFT technique, great for both fiction and nonfiction texts, aims to demonstrate what students know about a topic.
This flexible method helps students to understand their role as a writer, the audience they will address, the format in which they will write, and the topic that they will share.
The RAFT writing strategy helps students understand content from various points of view and present the information in many formats.
Approaching writing this way prompts students to analyze concepts, ideas, or events through different lenses and voices.
What Does RAFT Stand For?
- R stands for Role. – Who is the writer’s voice, and what is her/his point of view?
- A stands for Audience. – To whom is the writer writing?
- F stands for Format. – What form will the writing take?
- T stands for Topic. – What’s the subject of this piece of writing?
RAFT Writing Prompts
RAFT writing prompts are written assignments that encourage students to write about topics from a perspective other than their own.
RAFT writing prompts engage critical thinking and creativity as students use their imaginations plus knowledge to mold information in new ways.
Following you will find many great RAFT writing prompt examples.
Example #1
Role: Butterfly
Audience: Flower
Format: Book report
Topic: Life cycle of a butterfly
Writing Prompt: Write a book report from the viewpoint of a butterfly that explains to a flower a butterfly’s life cycle from egg to adult.
Example #2
Role: Travel Guide
Audience: Tourists to your city
Format: Tourist Guide
Topic: The best sights to see in your city
Writing Prompt: Create a travel guide that highlights must-see locations in your city to current and prospective tourists.
Example #3
Role: Student
Audience: Pen Pal
Format: Friendly letter
Topic: Getting to know you
Writing Prompt: Draft a friendly letter that introduces yourself and asks questions about the pen pal’s life, hobbies, interests, etc.
Example #4
Role: Presidental Candidate
Audience: Country’s citizens
Format: Speech
Topic: Issues that will be solved if elected
Writing Prompt: Write a convincing presidential campaign speech that outlines what types of issues the candidate is promising to solve if elected. Mention any prior experience that supports his or her position.
Example #5
Role: Pet Owner
Audience: Local Community
Format: Lost Dog Advertisement
Topic: Dog is missing and owner needs help finding
Writing Prompt: Create a “missing dog” ad that provides characteristics of the dog and tells what reward will be given to the person who finds it.
Example #6
Role: Teacher
Audience: Parent
Format: Kind Note
Topic: Child’s good behavior in school this week
Writing Prompt: Write a kind note to a parent of a child who has demonstrated good behavior at school all week.
Example #7
Role: Restaurant
Audience: Patron
Format: Menu
Topic: Special of the Day
Writing Prompt: From the perspective of a restaurant, persuade patrons to purchase the delicious “special of the day”. Describe all parts of the meal.
Example #8
Role: They’re
Audience: Student
Format: Comic
Topic: understanding the differences between and how to use these homophones their, they’re, and there.
Writing Prompt: Sketch and label a comic that explains the differences among the homophones their, they’re, and their.
Example #9
Role: Cloud
Audience: Lightning
Format: Legend
Topic: The origins of lightning
Writing Prompt: Write a legend that explains the origins of lightning from the viewpoint of a cloud.
Example #10
Role: Bed
Audience: Pillow
Format: How-To-Guide
Topic: How to make a bed
Writing Prompt: Draft a how-to-manual that explains in detail how to make a bed.
Example #11
Role: Astronaut
Audience: NASA
Format: Scientific Log
Topic: Making entries about each planet you visit while in space
Writing Prompt: Make a scientific log that details key information that you gather after visiting a planet.
Example #12
Role: Poet
Audience: Student
Format: Poem
Topic: How to use figurative language to bring writing to life
Writing Prompt: Write a poem that teaches students how to use figurative language such as similes, metaphors, onomatopoeia, etc. to bring clarity to writing.
Example #13
Role: Library
Audience: First-Grade Classroom
Format: Book Recommendation
Topic: Type of book that would be great on a first-grade classroom shelf
Writing Prompt: From the viewpoint of a library, share a good book recommendation that should be checked out for a first-grade classroom.
Example #14
Role: Flower
Audience: Sun
Format: Love Letter
Topic: Showing gratitude and appreciation
Writing Prompt: As a flower, draft a heartfelt letter to the sun, thanking it for giving you growth and life.
Example #15
Role: Student
Audience: Classmate
Format: Post-It Note Response
Topic: After-school plans
Writing Prompt: Outline or scribble on a post-it note your after-school plans. Ask if your classmate would like to join you.
Example #16
Role: Letter E
Audience: Letter Z
Format: Book of Positive Affirmations
Topic: Seeing your value even if not greatly used
Writing Prompt: Make a book of positive affirmations that encourages the letter z to be thankful for his contributions to the alphabet system. Emphasize the fact that lower usage does not equate to less value.
Example #17
Role: Earth
Audience: Moon
Format: Reader’s Theater Script
Topic: Characteristics of the eight planets
Writing Prompt: From the perspective of Earth, draft a fun reader’s theater script that teaches the moon about the characteristics of the eight planets.
Example #18
Role: Waterfall
Audience: Tree
Format: Interview
Topic: Life story and a typical day in your life
Writing Prompt: Generate a list of interview questions (with responses) that you would ask a tree if you were a waterfall. What is a typical day like in its life? What is its life story?
Example #19
Role: Elf
Audience: Rudolph the Reindeer
Format: Biography
Topic: Santa’s life from birth to now
Writing Prompt: From the viewpoint of an elf, tell Rudolph Santa’s life story, starting from the day Santa was born up until the time he became Mr. Claus.
Example #20
Role: Notepad
Audience: Pencil
Format: Grocery List
Topic: Ingredients needed for a Thanksgiving feast
Writing Prompt: Create a grocery list from the viewpoint of a notepad that includes everything needed to make a fabulous Thanksgiving dinner.
Example #21
Role: Journalist
Audience: Senior Citizens
Format: News Article
Topic: Attendance at a local event this weekend
Writing Prompt: Draft a news article informing and inviting senior citizens of the local community to a special event this weekend.
Example #22
Role: Square
Audience: Cube
Format: Email
Topic: Reaching out to a “relative”
Writing Prompt: Write an email from the viewpoint of a square that reaches out to a “relative” it hasn’t spoken to in a while explaining how they are connected.
Example #23
Role: House Plant
Audience: Self
Format: Diary Entry
Topic: Day without sunlight
Writing Prompt: Write a diary entry from the perspective of an indoor plant sharing its day without any sunlight.
Example #24
Role: Ant
Audience: Sloth
Format: Motivational Speech
Topic: Tips for being more productive
Writing Prompt: Produce a motivational speech from the perspective of an ant that offers tips to sloths on being more productive on a daily basis.
Example #25
Role: Human Body
Audience: Junk Food
Format: Complaint
Topic: Effects of a poor diet
Writing Prompt: Write a complaint about the negative effects of junk food on the body. Explain how junk food changes the body.
Final Thoughts On RAFT Writing Prompts
Students improve their writing skills, creativity, and critical thinking skills when using the RAFT method.
These RAFT writing prompts provide students with opportunities to put into practice this meaningful writing technique.
So try a few of them in writer’s workshop soon.
Related: See more RAFT writing prompt ideas.