Last fall, This Reading Mama and I teamed up to share a series of simple first and second grade writing lessons. We’re back – and this time we’re sharing ten preschool and kindergarten writing lessons. No, I’m not talking about handwriting practice – I’m talking about teaching children to put their ideas onto paper. And it’s going to be fabulous!
If your preschooler is only scribbling, you might think this series doesn’t apply to you. I’m excited to share that this series is for any preschooler or kindergartner who can make a mark on paper.
These lessons aren’t going to look like those you’ll see with older kids. We’re not teaching report writing, paragraph structure, how to use quotation marks, or the proper use of a thesaurus.
Preschool and kindergarten writing lessons
Click on each lesson title to bring you to the post!
1. We model what good writing looks like.
How exactly do we get our kids’ attention long enough to do this? We write to and for them. For years, teachers have been sharing morning messages in classrooms. This Reading Mama shares a variety of ways to model writing right at home.
2. We celebrate all forms of writing.
Some preschoolers are scribbling. Eventually their scribbling resembles letters. After real letters start to form, so do words. How can you support your child in her developmental stage while encouraging her to move into the next one? We’ll cover that in Lesson Two.
3. We help children understand the purpose of writing: to communicate.
For children who are scribbling or using forms that only resemble letters, it can be hard to communicate through writing. We’ll show you how your child can dictate while you’re the scribe.
4. We help children find topics for writing.
That age old question “What do I write about?” is something we covered in our primary writing series. In Lesson Four, we’ll give you some tips and tricks to help our youngest writers find topics that are meaningful to them.
5. We support our children as they write.
Young writers can be easily frustrated by what they’re unable to do. That’s why it’s sometimes helpful to “share the pen.”
6. We teach them that we write for many different purposes.
No, we won’t be writing stories or reports. We’ll talk about notes, labels, journals, and more.
7. We find ways to inspire our reluctant writers.
If I asked you if you knew a reluctant writer, I’ll bet every one of my readers would say “yes.” It might even be you! Let’s get our children excited about writing from the very beginning.
8. We help them understand what to do about spelling.
Some children need to be encouraged to write a word with a single letter. Others can streeetch out a word and share its sounds. What about the children who refuse to write a word unless they know it’s spelled perfectly? We’ll cover that too.
9. We teach them how to write a sentence.
Some children will be ready to move toward story writing. Before that happens, they need to understand how to write a simple sentence. “Magic lines” are perfect for that. Curious? Stay tuned!
10. We help them gain confidence as writers.
By giving children regular writing time and giving them opportunity to share with others, they’ll become confident writers.
For more information about writing with young children, visit this post:
Do you teach kindergarten? You’ll love this.
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Jeanine says
Soo excited!! I am so glad I signed up for your emails! I have a days-away-from 5yr old, with developmental delays (cognitive & speech basically). She knows her ABCs doesnt necessarily “love” them but will play with them, short periods. Just learned to count above 20 (some reminders but not worried). STILL, wont sit still through a full book at home. I try as much smaller books as i can, cuz her understanding levels she gets bored & distracted or talks over me. SORRY, I just NEED THIS series & appreciate BOTH your sites & posts verrry much–looking forwar to this! ;D
Anna Geiger says
Hi again, Jeanine! I’m so glad you’re following along with us on the series! That’s tough getting her to sit for a book… is there any time that she is in a position where she can’t get away that she might listen to a full one? Like reading to her when she’s eating or taking a bath? Would love to keep hearing your comments to know if our ideas are helpful!
Shonda says
Even though I taught Kindergarten for 12 years I was never taught how to teach kids to journal. I did teach a lot of kids to write, but with my own son, I think it’s a whole different story. Being at home is much different than the classroom. I am very excited about this series and was hoping you would be doing this soon. My son has learned to read and starting to write and I am ready to draw him out and teach him more. Perfect timing!!
Anna Geiger says
Yes, it is definitely different at home! Somehow it can be more frustrating when it’s not going well, and it can also be much easier to just not do it to avoid conflict. I am talking to myself, here — I look forward to doing this more regularly along with my readers!
Kate says
This is great! My 3-year-old loves dictating letters to his grandparents. They are HILARIOUS! But he cannot write any letters on his own yet. We’re working through the alphabet, and he likes the Letters of All Sizes pages…but I’m not pushing him beyond that, yet. I’m very curious what you’ll suggest for a scribbler who has a great sense of language, communication, and vocabulary, but can’t write yet.
Anna Geiger says
As you’ll see, it’s mostly doing a lot of modeling and shared writing. I think it’s also important for kids who scribble to know that what they produce is writing too — but it sounds like your little guy may already have figured that out. 🙂
Megan @ Teaching Every Day says
I’m excited for this series! I have a three and five-year-old who aren’t doing much writing…yet!
Anna Geiger says
So glad you’re following along, Megan! Would love to hear from you as we move along… let us know if you try some of our ideas and how they work for you.
Mama to 5 BLessings says
I am working on this myself with my preschooler. Great tips.
Anna Geiger says
Thank you!
Dianna @ The Kennedy Adventures says
I’m looking forward to learning more from this series, since my boys struggle with writing!
Thanks so much for linking up with The Thoughtful Spot!
Anna Geiger says
Thanks for checking it out, Dianna! We hope you find a lot of useful information in the next couple of months.
Play School In Patna, Bihar says
Thanks for the brilliant post. It was a good read. All kids learn writing at different ages but if assisted well they learn them quickly.
Anna Geiger says
Thank you for checking it out!
Vicki Tanck says
Hello, the link for #5. We support children as they write, (Share the Pen) is not working.
thank you.
Anna Geiger says
Sorry about that, Vicki – it’s fixed now!
Natalie B says
Hi there, wondering if you have any posts re teaching your child how to hold a writing instrument (pen, marker, pencil). Is this something that develops naturally, or something that needs to be taught? Also, how do you know which hand to model? My son just turned 4yo, but still switches between hands and uses a variety of holds when he draws/writes (none of them being the one people traditionally use). Thanks!
Anna Geiger says
Hi Natalie! For some children it develops naturally, but other children need to be taught correct letter formation. It’s also developmental, so a child may not be ready to use the correct pencil grip at a particular age. I don’t have any posts on it, but here are some great resources from other bloggers:
http://stayathomeeducator.com/pencil-grasp-development/
http://happybrownhouse.com/6-tips-for-correcting-pencil-grip/
http://mamaot.com/2012/07/19/3-tricks-to-help-kids-learn-to-hold-their-pencil-correctly/
hoa says
thank you for giving me!
Anna Geiger says
You’re welcome!
Lucia says
Millions Thank You.. I really appreciate the free-stuff you give to me and all the information from your web. Its help me a lot in educate my children in English lesson.
Anna Geiger says
You’re very welcome, Lucia!
Melba says
Thank You Anna for sharing your knowledge to me in teaching children. You are a great help!
Love Melba
Anna G says
You’re very welcome, Melba! Thanks so much for reading!