How to Develop Kindergarten Writing Skills
Make sure that all students have strong letter recognition skills., Teach children that writing goes from left to right by demonstrating on a chalk or white board. , Assess each child's writing level by providing a short sentence for the kids to...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Make sure that all students have strong letter recognition skills.
You cannot teach kindergarten writing to children who struggle with letter recognition.
It's okay if they write some letters backwards, as long as they know what all letters look like. -
Step 2: Teach children that writing goes from left to right by demonstrating on a chalk or white board.
, As children advance, begin writing short paragraphs or stories for the kids to copy daily. , This will appeal to students with a natural writing ability, since they know they are spelling and using the words correctly in their writing. , Kids enjoy being creative, and being able to write about something that they created will help them relate personally to the writing.
Have them draw anything they want and write a sentence or words describing the picture.
For young kindergartners, don't focus on capitalization or punctuation until later in the year.
Provide a question or fun idea for the kids to draw about, then have them write a sentence or words that describe the picture. , As kids begin to remember all the letter sounds, they can start trying to spell words on their own.
This helps them write independently and advance from using only a few letters in their writing to creating words, although many will be misspelled. , The repetition will insure that kids know proper pencil direction when writing letters and understand how to write upper- and lower-case letters on lined paper. , Encourage kindergartners to write in their journals daily, using a prompt you provide or their own idea.
There are writing journals available that have a large blank space on top for an illustration and lined paper beneath for a sentence or story. , This will let you know if students are ready to move onto the minor mechanics of writing, such as adding periods and capitalization, or if they still need help organizing and writing down ideas. -
Step 3: Assess each child's writing level by providing a short sentence for the kids to copy.
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Step 4: Create a word wall with common sight words that children commonly need to use in writing.
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Step 5: Integrate kindergarten writing activities with drawing or painting.
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Step 6: Mesh your writing instruction with phonics instruction.
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Step 7: Use a handwriting copybook or worksheets throughout the year.
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Step 8: Have students keep a writing journal.
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Step 9: Take a mid-year assessment to determine how to develop kindergarten writing skills for the rest of the year.
Detailed Guide
You cannot teach kindergarten writing to children who struggle with letter recognition.
It's okay if they write some letters backwards, as long as they know what all letters look like.
, As children advance, begin writing short paragraphs or stories for the kids to copy daily. , This will appeal to students with a natural writing ability, since they know they are spelling and using the words correctly in their writing. , Kids enjoy being creative, and being able to write about something that they created will help them relate personally to the writing.
Have them draw anything they want and write a sentence or words describing the picture.
For young kindergartners, don't focus on capitalization or punctuation until later in the year.
Provide a question or fun idea for the kids to draw about, then have them write a sentence or words that describe the picture. , As kids begin to remember all the letter sounds, they can start trying to spell words on their own.
This helps them write independently and advance from using only a few letters in their writing to creating words, although many will be misspelled. , The repetition will insure that kids know proper pencil direction when writing letters and understand how to write upper- and lower-case letters on lined paper. , Encourage kindergartners to write in their journals daily, using a prompt you provide or their own idea.
There are writing journals available that have a large blank space on top for an illustration and lined paper beneath for a sentence or story. , This will let you know if students are ready to move onto the minor mechanics of writing, such as adding periods and capitalization, or if they still need help organizing and writing down ideas.
About the Author
Grace Jackson
Grace Jackson specializes in education and learning and has been creating helpful content for over 4 years. Grace is committed to helping readers learn new skills and improve their lives.
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