Write About This Review: Visual Writing Prompts for Elementary Students

One of the hardest parts of getting kids to write is getting them started. "I do not know what to write about" is the most common complaint in any elementary classroom. Write About This solves this problem with visual writing prompts: high-quality photographs paired with thought-provoking questions that give students both a topic and an emotional spark to begin writing.

This review covers how Write About This works, who benefits most from it, and how it fits into a broader writing toolkit.

What Is Write About This?

Write About This is an iOS app that provides a library of visual writing prompts for students. Each prompt features a striking photograph paired with three levels of questions (easy, medium, and challenging). Students can respond by typing text, recording audio, or both. Teachers can also create custom prompts using their own images and questions.

Key Features

Tiered Writing Prompts

Each image comes with three levels of prompts, allowing teachers to differentiate instruction within the same activity. A first grader might answer the simple descriptive prompt while a fourth grader tackles the analytical question. This built-in differentiation saves teachers significant planning time.

Visual Spark for Reluctant Writers

The photographs are carefully chosen to evoke curiosity, emotion, and imagination. A picture of a mysterious door in a tree might prompt questions like "What is behind this door?" or "Who lives here and what is their daily life like?" The visual element gives students something concrete to react to rather than generating ideas from nothing.

Voice Recording

Students can record spoken responses instead of or in addition to typing. This feature is valuable for younger students who have more to say than they can write, for English language learners, and for assessing oral language alongside written expression.

Custom Prompt Creation

Teachers and parents can create their own prompts by uploading images and writing custom questions. This makes the app adaptable to any theme, unit, or learning objective. Students can also create prompts for classmates, which adds a peer element.

Response Sharing

Student responses can be shared via email, printed, or saved to the camera roll. Teachers can review responses and provide feedback. The sharing feature creates a sense of audience and purpose.

Classroom and Home Use Cases

Morning Writing Warm-Ups

Start each day with a Write About This prompt on the interactive whiteboard. Students spend 10 minutes responding, building daily writing fluency.

Writing Center Rotation

Use the app as a writing center activity during literacy block. Students cycle through prompts independently while the teacher works with small groups.

Narrative Writing Practice

The imaginative prompts naturally lead to narrative writing. Students can use a prompt image as the starting point for a longer story that they develop in a separate writing tool.

Assessment Tool

Teachers can use specific prompts as writing assessments, with the three difficulty levels allowing grade-level appropriate expectations. Voice recording provides additional data for oral language assessment.

Travel and Vacation Journaling

Parents can use the custom prompt feature to create prompts from family photos, turning vacations and outings into writing opportunities.

Pros and Cons

What We Love

• High-quality photographs spark genuine interest and imagination
• Three-tiered prompts enable easy differentiation
• Voice recording supports diverse learners
• Custom prompt creation makes it adaptable to any topic
• Simple interface keeps focus on writing
• Develops both creative and analytical writing skills

What Could Be Better

• iOS only (no Android or web version)
• Free version has a limited prompt library
• Premium prompts require additional purchase
• No built-in teacher dashboard for managing multiple students
• Responses are not organized into portfolios
• No collaboration or peer review features
• Does not teach writing mechanics or grammar

Pricing

Write About This offers a free version with a limited set of prompts. Additional prompt packs are available as in-app purchases, typically $1-3 per pack. The full library is available for approximately $5-10 as a one-time purchase. There is no subscription model.

Age Appropriateness and Safety

Write About This is appropriate for students ages 6 to 12. The photographs are curated and appropriate for children. The app contains no social features, ads, or in-app communication. All content stays on the device unless intentionally shared by the teacher or parent.

How It Compares

Against Storybird, Write About This focuses on shorter prompt responses while Storybird guides students through complete illustrated stories. Write About This is better for daily practice; Storybird is better for projects. Compared to Penzu, Write About This provides external prompts while Penzu relies on student-generated topics. Write About This is better for students who need a starting point; Penzu is better for students who already have ideas. Against Book Creator, Write About This is a prompt tool while Book Creator is a publishing tool. They complement each other well.

Our Verdict

Write About This is a focused, effective tool for one specific purpose: getting kids writing by giving them a visual spark and a well-crafted question. It does that job very well. The tiered prompts and voice recording make it particularly useful for differentiated instruction. The main limitations are its iOS-only availability and limited scope: it is a prompt generator, not a comprehensive writing platform. Use it as part of a toolkit rather than a standalone solution.

Rating: 7.5/10

Discover more options in our 15 Best Free Writing Apps for Elementary Students guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Write About This free for teachers?

Write About This has a free version with a limited prompt library. The full library requires a one-time in-app purchase of approximately $5-10. There is no ongoing subscription cost.

Does Write About This work on Android?

No. Write About This is currently available only on iOS devices (iPad and iPhone). There is no Android or web version at this time.

Can teachers create their own prompts?

Yes. Teachers and parents can create custom prompts by uploading their own images and writing questions at three difficulty levels. Students can also create prompts for classmates.