Supporting Kindergarten Writers: Telling Their Stories

For the most part, we agree that everyone has a story, though we may differ on how and when those stories are told. As a kindergarten teacher, I am often faced with the question of when and how young children should share their stories. Rather than getting preoccupied with these questions, I focus on creating a print-rich environment and providing consistent opportunities for children to express themselves and interact meaningfully with their surroundings.

Long before children come to school, they are exposed to people and a world that relies on writing to communicate thoughts and ideas. From parents reading to their children, labels on household items, environmental signs, and even watching a doctor write on a notepad-these are some of the interactions that help children establish the relationship between spoken language and written print. These everyday moments are critical, as they underscore the power of writing in young lives.

As teachers of young children, we build on these rich early experiences to nurture children’s ability to write and become storytellers. It is imperative that we engage children early, as the benefits are well documented. Scarborough and Dobrich (1994) postulate that children who learn to write early are more likely to write stories and share their thoughts through text. This supports the call to invest in early writing experiences. As a kindergarten teacher, I am fully aware that children come with different experiences, abilities, and comfort levels when it comes to writing. However, one thing remains constant: every child has a story to tell. My role is to create the opportunity for that story to emerge.

In my classroom, I model storytelling and writing by thinking aloud, sketching ideas into imperfect drawings (which my students often giggle at), and then labeling the drawings using letter-sound correspondence. This conveys to children that words are made of sounds, and those sounds can be written down using letters. I provide opportunities for all children to participate-those who can’t yet write are encouraged to scribble or dictate their thoughts. Through these early engagements, children begin to understand the powerful connection between spoken words, objects, and written language.

 A long time ago, when my own son was in kindergarten, he had an amazing teacher who introduced him to Power Writing-an integrated approach to writing that develops rich word choice, sentence fluency, organization, voice, and more. Remarkably, my son grasped the core elements of Power Writing early. By the end of kindergarten, he could write several paragraphs fluently and explain each step clearly. After witnessing the impact of Power Writing on my son, I implemented it in my own classroom-and found it to be equally transformative for my students.

In addition to Power Writing, I also use the Writing Process model with my students. The Writing Process engages children in brainstorming, drafting (through drawing and writing), revising, editing, and publishing. It gives them a sense of ownership and a structure for improvement that encourages persistence and creativity.

No matter which model we choose, here are some key strategies for supporting children as developing writers:

• Encourage daily writing.
• Allow children to write about self-selected topics.
• Focus less on when to teach writing and more on creating frequent opportunities to write.
• Use intentional, direct instruction in writing.
• Integrate writing into all areas of the curriculum
• Let children experience the full writing process

References

 Langan, L. (n.d.). An overview to the Power Writing approach. PASD Tech Tips Wiki. http://pasdtechtips.pbworks.com/f/An+Overview+to+the+Power+Writing+Approach.pdf

 ReadWriteThink. (n.d.). Implementing the writing process. National Council of Teachers of English. https://www.readwritethink.org/professional-development/strategy-guides/implementing-writing-proc ess-30386.html

Svensson, M., & Lundin, M. (2019). Influential factors on children’s reading and writing development: The perspective of parents in a Swedish context. Early Child Development and Care, 191(13), 2117-2129. https://doi.org/10.1080/03004430.2019.1590348

Scarborough, H. S., & Dobrich, W. (1994). On the efficacy of reading to preschoolers. Developmental Review, 14(3), 245-302. https://doi.org/10.1006/drev.1994.101