Setting the Tone for Kindergarten Writers at the Beginning of the School Year: Reflective Practice

The Context:

Kindergarten is a transformative year for young writers. Children typically begin with little awareness of how print works, may know only a few letters and sounds, have minimal experience with representational drawing, and most likely have no concept of what it means to be a writer. By the time the school year ends, we hope that most kindergarteners will begin to identify with being a writer because they have learned they have the power to communicate their thoughts, ideas, stories, and content knowledge through drawings, written words, and sentences.

Teachers have SO MANY responsibilities to consider at the beginning of the school year–from building a classroom community, to teaching and practicing routines, to launching curriculum, and much, much more. In the flurry of all these things, setting a positive and inclusive tone for writing in the first few weeks of school can have a big impact even before you launch your writing workshop.

The Details:

If you’re an early childhood educator or kindergarten teacher, I suggest trying some or all of the following action items early on in the school year to help set the tone for writing:

1. Try having a conversation with your students to establish a working definition of what a writer is: Young children have little context for what or who a writer is because their understanding is literally limited by their age and experience. I often hear four and five year olds say things like, “I don’t know how to write.” They may think that writing is only something that older kids or grownups know how to do. In order to make something abstract (being a writer) more concrete, it can help to talk to your students about writing and what writers do. You could keep a basket of books in your classroom of stories written by previous students to share with your current students. You could also find out if any of your students’ parents or caregivers are writers and ask them to talk with the class about writing. And if you’re looking for a working definition of what a writer is, you could say something like, “A writer is someone who draws their ideas with pictures, tells their ideas with their voice, or writes their ideas with letters, words, and sentences.” That will help make writing feel like something everyone can actually do.
2. Build storytelling into your repertoire: It doesn’t have to be pre-planned, although it certainly could be. Find little opportunities to tell stories to your students. They could be about your morning commute, a double rainbow you saw over the weekend, or a visit to the library. Any moment, big or small, will be intriguing to your students because it’s your story and you’re the one telling it. This sends the message that we all have stories to tell. Give time for students to tell their own stories in small and large group settings when possible.
3. Offer writing materials during play and quiet times: Many children will naturally gravitate toward drawing and writing if the option is offered during unstructured play and free choice times. Whether it’s during arrival activities, quiet time, or place centers, try to provide at least one center or area that includes drawing materials and paper choices. One of my favorite things is to set out blank books. I find that when students feel free to write about anything they want, they are much more motivated to choose it. I also like to offer my students some kind of simple journal or pre-stapled booklet of paper (it could be blank paper or whichever paper you use in your writing workshop) that they can use to draw in (and eventually write in) during quiet time after lunch. When time permits, sit with a student to take dictation so they can begin to see the relationship between spoken and written words.
4. Be on the lookout for writing moments: Model the kind of writing you hope your students will do. For example, if a noteworthy event happens within the course of the school day, make it a shared writing experience. Last week my students were at recess and discovered a praying mantis living in a garden box. We were totally fascinated by this alien-like creature. The kids all knew they had to be really careful not to hurt it. However, some of the children were being a little more provocative by using a stick to try and move it. When the more cautious children saw this, they pleaded with them to stop. At one point, squished lantern flies became the focus as a few children began offering them in the hopes that the praying mantis would eat them. I haven’t completely wrapped my head around the experience (it felt very Lord of the Flies), but I think this three day event with all of its wonder, emotion, and suspense would make a wonderful shared story for our class–hopefully one day soon!
5. Enlist students to help label parts of the classroom: One way to send the message that writing can look different depending on context, is by having them help you label parts of the classroom. Use interactive writing to “share the pen” and begin to flex their letter / sound muscles in order to stretch out the words you’re trying to write. We want students to begin to see that they can approximate words that have a function in their everyday lives and spaces.

One Final Thing:

No matter your school setting, class size, or level of teaching experience, it is important to bring who YOU are to your new community of writers. As you consider how you want your classroom to look, sound, and feel, also consider how you might establish a positive and inclusive tone for writing this school year.