Persuasive devices (AFOREST) explained, with examples
AFOREST is a memory aid many schools use for persuasive writing. Each letter is a device that can make an argument more convincing. Children often learn the list quickly and then use every device at once, so the real skill is choosing a few and using them well.
What the letters stand for
Here is each device with an invented example for the topic "Should children walk to school?"
- Alliteration: words that start with the same sound. "Safe, sensible strolls to school."
- Facts: things that can be checked. "Walking is free, and cars add to traffic outside the gates."
- Opinion: what the writer believes, stated with confidence. "I strongly believe walking is the best start to the day."
- Rhetorical question: a question asked for effect, not an answer. "Who would not want a calmer, quieter morning?"
- Emotive language: words that make the reader feel something. "Children deserve to arrive happy, not rushed and anxious."
- Statistics: numbers that back a point. In a child's piece, only use a number they really know. Otherwise say "many" or "most".
- Triple: three words or ideas together. "Healthy, cheap and fun."
Choose three or four
A paragraph with every device in it sounds forced. Ask your child to pick the three or four that suit their argument and place them where they matter most: a rhetorical question to open, a fact to prove a reason, a triple near the end.
Devices need reasons
Devices decorate an argument but do not replace one. Check that the piece still has a clear position and reasons with explanations. A strong persuasive piece with a few devices beats a weak one with many.
Keep facts honest
Children sometimes invent figures to sound convincing. Teach them that a made-up number is not a fact. If they do not know a figure, they can say "many children" or give an example they know to be true.
Practise at home
Pick a small argument, such as a later bedtime or a class pet, and ask for three sentences, each using a different device. Then read them aloud and ask which one sounded most convincing and why.
Where it shows up in LiteracyLab AI
For persuasive pieces from the upper primary years, the feedback includes an AFOREST check: which devices the writer used, quoting the exact words from their own piece, and one device they could try next.
Common questions
Does every persuasive piece need all seven?
No. Using a few well-chosen devices is better than using all of them.
Is AFOREST used everywhere?
It is a teaching aid, not a rule of any exam. Schools use different memory aids, so ask your child's teacher which they use.
Get feedback on your child's writing
LiteracyLab AI reads a child's own writing and gives specific feedback: what worked, one thing to try next, and a corrected version, matched to their year and curriculum. The Free plan includes 3 pieces a month and needs no card.