Kindergarten Writing Paper

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Believe it or not, when my kindergarteners leave my classroom, most of them are able to write a five sentence paragraph. This is shocking to some people that do not realize that kindergarten is the new first grade! The way I approach writing is in a non-stressful environment but they do begin writing from the first day of school. Usually I give them a drawing lesson on an "apple" or an "ant" (something that starts with an 'A.' Then they simply copy the letters on the lines (many don't stay in the lines at this point). Everyday they draw something and then copy the letters. When students have learned the High Frequency Words: I, like, and my, they can form simple sentences.

 "I like my pig." 

Not too much time later, they can add some describing sentences such as:

"The pig is fat.
The pig is pink.
My pig can play in the mud."

If they have practice every day, they will not fight against it and may even enjoy writing! 

 

Types of Writing Styles: Use the PEACE sign to help

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There are at least three types of writing. How do we get our students to remember and know the differences between them? Usually an acronym helps. The most famous one is PIE for writing to PERSUADE, INFORM, and ENTERTAIN. I came up with two more as we are calling they types of writing different names with the arrival of the Common Core State Standards. PIN which stands for Persuasion, Information, and Narrative. PEaCE is my favorite however, because it uses the language from the CCSS. The P stands for PERSUADE as usual, the E stands for EXPLAIN, the small ‘a’ simply means ‘and,’ and CE stands for CONVEY EXPERIENCE (real or imaginary). 

              

by Charlie Chaffin

Writing in Kindergarten

The COMMON CORE suggests that our students master Persuasive, Explanatory, and writing that Conveys Experience, either real or imaginary. 
     
     In KINDERGARTEN, students may not yet able to write persuasive pieces or an argument but an Opinion piece is a baby step. From there, they will be able to support their opinion with evidence. These are both skills that will help with the aforementioned writing styles. 

 Graphic Organizers work well with 'Informative Writing'

     Here is a great example of how a Kindergarten teacher is showing her students the different types of writing styles. Just exposing students to quality WRITING will pay back in millions as kids "get it." An example with pumpkins is great for OCTOBER but the idea can easily be incorporated with any HOLIDAY theme. Imagine a President topic in FEBRUARY. 

What would that look like 
in your classroom?

Charlie Chaffin