“Easy writing ideas?” you ask. “But my students don’t even know how to write!” You’re in luck. These ideas are suitable for children with limited word and print knowledge, in the beginning stages of reading and writing. Each can be adapted for any ability level, from prewriter to fluent writer. By providing options for students at different stages in their literacy journey, you help them build confidence and set every child up for success in writing.

These ideas will help your students learn to write in different and clever ways:

1. Prewriting

2. Dictated Writing

3. Picture Writing

4. Stamped Writing

5. Bubble Writing

6. Traced Writing

7. Carbon Copy Writing

8. Fill-in-the-Blank Writing

9. Manual Alphabet Writing

10. Alphabet Writing

11. Secret Code Writing

12. Name Writing

    

13. Constructed Writing

14. Sounds Writing

 
15. Rebus Writing

16. Title, Caption, and Label Writing

17. Left-to-Right Writing

18. Predictable Writing

19. Lift-the-Flap Writing

20. Question and Answer Writing

21. Speech Bubble Writing

22. Pop-Up Picture Clue Writing

 23. Erasable Writing

24. Mechanics Writing

25. Poetry Writing

Writing Tools

To get the creative juices flowing for all little learners, provide pencils, pens, markers, crayons, and colored pencils that have: 

• Special Effects (gel, glitter, shimmer, glow-in-the dark, paint, watercolor, 3-D)
• Special Uses (fabric, bingo, windows, posters, whiteboards, construction paper, body, bathtub)
• Different Tips (broad, fine, wedge, conical, bullet, smooth, brush, stamp, double, triple, dual-ended, calligraphy)
• Different Ends (erasers, novelty erasers, feathers, streamers, chew top)
• Different Shapes and Sizes (doodling, coloring book, fat, thin, large, jumbo, mini, pipsqueak, rocks, long, short, full-length, triangular, hexagonal, pentagonal)
• Different Styles (standard, twistable, clickable, scented, erasable, telescoping, dual-ended, finger, beeswax, smooth, woodless sticks, textured, weighted, doodle top, water-filled, see-through, light-up, motorized)
• Different Colors (classic, bold, 96-color variety, tropical, bright, vibrant, fluorescent, neon, metallic, true-to-life, multicultural)
• Color Effects (color-over, color-changing, color-mixing, rainbow, tricolor, color explosion, clear/color-revealing)

Include paper that gives students visual and physical cues to teach the complex skill of handwriting. You don’t have to buy special paper. Simply draw bold black lines on bright white paper, highlight alternating lines, raise lines by applying glue, or add colors or pictures.

The Author's Chair

Writing stories is the best way to practice writing skills, and sharing stories is the best way to get kids motivated to write. Children love to share their stories and feel like published authors. Give them the opportunity to sit in the author’s chair.

Using scaffolding techniques, remaining flexible, giving feedback, and introducing novelty into your writing centers are all tried and true ways to support your students as writers. Most importantly, remember that writing is fun! You really can’t go wrong with writing activities in preschool and kindergarten. Small children are natural-born storytellers, so in the end, it’s the children themselves that make it easy.

Do you have any good writing ideas? 

Have a stuPENdous weekend!

~Allie