Year 5 · Persuasion · WAGOLL
Why You Should Read Every Day
A persuasive piece arguing for daily reading. Models rhetorical questions, modal verbs, statistics, emotive language, and a clear call to action. Meets Year 5 expected standard.
Imagine if you hadHooks the reader by inviting them to picture something. a tool that could make you smarter, calmer, more imaginative —Dash for parenthesis — adds the surprising final benefit. and even improve your sleep. Would you use it?Rhetorical question — the writer answers it themselves. Of course you would.Direct address — assumes agreement. The good news is, you already have it. It's calledApostrophe for contraction (it is). a book.
FirstlyAdverb of number — links the argument structure., reading is the single most powerful way to grow your vocabulary. Children who read for pleasureRelative clause starting with 'who'. for just twenty minutes a day are exposed to almost two millionStatistic — a key feature of persuasion. more words a year than children who don't. Those words become the building blocks of every essay, every test answer, every conversationRepetition (rule of three) — builds rhythm and emphasis.. Without themShort fronted phrase for emphasis., we are simply less able to say what we mean.
SecondlyLinking adverb — moves to the next argument., reading reduces stress. Studies have shownAppeal to authority — cites evidence. that just six minutesSpecific number makes the claim more believable. of reading can lower a reader's heart rate and ease tension in the muscles. In a world full of screens, notifications and bad newsFronted phrase building atmosphere., a book is a place to escape —Dash introducing a parenthetic phrase. somewhere quiet that belongs only to youRelative clause adding emotional appeal..
Some people will sayCounter-argument — addresses the opposite view. they don't have time. They might tell youModal verb 'might' — shows possibility. that twenty minutes a day is too much. But how long do those same people spend on their phones?Rhetorical question that flips the counter-argument. Twenty minutes is the time it takes to make a cup of tea, watch the adverts in a TV show, or scroll through a social feedRule of three — three relatable examples. you'llApostrophe for contraction (you will). forget by tomorrow. The time is there. We choosePronoun 'we' includes the reader — builds shared responsibility. what we do with it.
So tonightCall to action — tells the reader exactly what to do and when.,Commas separate the embedded phrase about reaching for a screen. before you reach for a screen, reach for a book instead. It might beModal verb 'might' — shows possibility, gives the reader options. a comic, a graphic novel, a non-fiction bookRule of three — broadens the appeal. about something you love —Dash introducing the conclusion of the list. it doesn't matter. What matters is that you startShort, punchy sentence for emphasis.. The pages are waitingMemorable closing image..
All teaching points
- Imagine if you had Hooks the reader by inviting them to picture something.
- — Dash for parenthesis — adds the surprising final benefit.
- Would you use it? Rhetorical question — the writer answers it themselves.
- Of course you would. Direct address — assumes agreement.
- It's called Apostrophe for contraction (it is).
- Firstly Adverb of number — links the argument structure.
- Children who read for pleasure Relative clause starting with 'who'.
- almost two million Statistic — a key feature of persuasion.
- every essay, every test answer, every conversation Repetition (rule of three) — builds rhythm and emphasis.
- Without them Short fronted phrase for emphasis.
- Secondly Linking adverb — moves to the next argument.
- Studies have shown Appeal to authority — cites evidence.
- just six minutes Specific number makes the claim more believable.
- In a world full of screens, notifications and bad news Fronted phrase building atmosphere.
- somewhere quiet that belongs only to you Relative clause adding emotional appeal.
- Some people will say Counter-argument — addresses the opposite view.
- might tell you Modal verb 'might' — shows possibility.
- But how long do those same people spend on their phones? Rhetorical question that flips the counter-argument.
- make a cup of tea, watch the adverts in a TV show, or scroll through a social feed Rule of three — three relatable examples.
- you'll Apostrophe for contraction (you will).
- We choose Pronoun 'we' includes the reader — builds shared responsibility.
- So tonight Call to action — tells the reader exactly what to do and when.
- , Commas separate the embedded phrase about reaching for a screen.
- It might be Modal verb 'might' — shows possibility, gives the reader options.
- a comic, a graphic novel, a non-fiction book Rule of three — broadens the appeal.
- What matters is that you start Short, punchy sentence for emphasis.
- The pages are waiting Memorable closing image.
- Use modal verbs to indicate degrees of possibility (might, should, could, will, must)
- Use relative clauses beginning with who, which, where, when, whose, that
- Use commas to clarify meaning or avoid ambiguity
- Use brackets, dashes or commas to indicate parenthesis
- Link ideas across paragraphs using adverbials of time, place and number
- Use rhetorical questions for effect
Show the clean version first — read it together as a class. Then toggle Show annotations to reveal the teaching points. Discuss what makes the text work. Children can attempt their own version of the same text type, then return to this annotated model when they revise.