STRATEGIES FOR WRITING SKILLS FOR CHILDREN
WRITING WARM-UP
COLLABORATIVELY WRITE
SHARE IDEAS BEFORE WRITING
PROVIDE CHILDREN WITH WRITING TOOLS
USE SENTENCE STARTER
CONFERENCE WITH CHILDREN INDIVIDUALLY AND IN SMALL GROUPS
Children orally share ideas before writing. This gets their creative juices flowing. Students who struggle with coming up with their own ideas might get inspired by their classmates’ thoughts. Having children share their ideas also helps to solidify and ground the idea so it is not lost.
This is an opportunity for the whole class to get involved. Instead of having children start writing on their own, first, collaboratively write together as a class. Have different children share ideas to create a collaborative writing sample. This demonstrates for struggling writers how to approach the assignment and it provides them with ideas of what to write about.
Can help children in developing and triggering new ideas to start writing. Often times a children will say, “I don’t know what to write about,” and a sentence starter can help guide them with their writing.
Writing warm-ups are great to help children get their creative juices flowing. It can encourage the children to write down their thoughts using a writing warm-up like Power Writing or Freewriting of their ideas can flow and they don’t have to deal with writing paralysis.
TEACHER LEAD MODELING AND GUIDED WRITING
PRE-WRITING
Pre-writing skills are essential for the child to produce legible writing. These skills contribute to the child’s ability to hold and use a pencil, and the ability to draw, write, copy, and colour. A major component of pre-writing skills are the pre-writing shapes. These are the pencil strokes that most letters, numbers and early drawings are comprised of. They are typically mastered in sequential order, and to an age specific level.
Before having your children begin a writing assignment, show them models. Additionally, if you are having a children write a hook, model to the class, how you would write a hook. By thinking aloud, this demonstrates for the struggling writers how they can approach the same situation. This is a good time to encourage children to share their samples. Additionally, this helps spark ideas in students who might be stuck.
SENSE OF PURPOSE
MINI WRITING LESSONS
CHILDREN CHOICE
Do not expect the children to know how to write an engaging lead sentence, or use transitional phrases fluently. These are excellent mini-lessons to incorporate into your writing block. Take 10 - 15 minutes to teach and practice a writing strategy. Then, children immediately practice it in their writing. As you introduce more mini-writing lessons, don’t forget to still touch on ones you have covered in the past.
Giving children a writing toolbox will give them a resource to get support with their writing. For instance, provide children with a list of transitional words and phrases for the writing they are tackling. Or give children a list of Dead Words that they should avoid using in their writing and a list of alternative words to use instead.
Give children choices with what they write about. Even a little choice goes a long way with children writing. When children feel invested in a topic they will have more to say, thus more to write.
There is little drive and motivation to do their best work when children are simply writing for a teacher to grade. Thus it is important to create an authentic writing situation for students. Have them write a short story to share with the entire class. When there is a greater purpose to their writing, even struggling writers invest more in the assignment.
Since children are so different with their writing abilities and their struggles, it is important to find a time to meet with children in small groups or individually to identify each children’ strengths and weaknesses. Knowing which areas to target for each writer will allow you to scaffold and support each student in the area in which they could benefit the most.
EXAMPLES OF SENTENCE STARTERS
- When
- Soon
- Once
- Next
- First
- I
- It
- After
PICTURE OF HOW TEACHER LEAD CHILDREN DO WRITING
THE TITLE OF CHILDREN'S CHOICE
- My favorite animal
- My mama
- My pet animal
- My teacher
BENEFITS
- provides opportunities for children to ask many different questions and for you to answer or help children find answers.
- allow you to ask questions based on individual children’s imaginations and understandings
Teacher can add "Sharing" space in class where each day children can write down ideas that they'd like to share with others. This open ended opportunity for writing helps encourage all children to share their ideas, regardless of what developmental stage of writing in which they are.
Teacher can add writing space in building area so that children can record their construction ideas in print. Today a child will excited to share what they had made using the 3D connectors. Accurately, they will draw their creation by tracing it, and then added the words after. This can help them to increase ideas and vocabularies on what topic write about.
Activities to practice motor skills:
-playing playdough = Just playing with playdough is great for building strength in hands. Practice making balls, rolling playdough into snakes, or create fun designs.
-Lacing = Teacher can buy lacing cards or create on children own from foam sheets or card stock, like lacing hearts or lacing crowns. It’s really great practice for fine motor skills
-playing beads
-cutting practice
=Using scissors is a great way to build hand strength.