Writing Strategies

Building a Confident Writer

Foundational writing skills are critical for children's academic success and ability to effectively communicate throughout their lives. These skills encompass reading comprehension, transcription, sentence construction, and self-regulation, which collectively enable students to express themselves effectively (Explicit Intervention, n.d.). 

As children develop these skills, they move from basic letter formation to more complex writing tasks, with research showing that strong foundational skills positively influence reading, spelling, and overall literacy development (Explicit Intervention, n.d.).

Ultimately, foundational writing skills are not just about writing mechanics, but about empowering students to articulate their thoughts, engage with learning, and succeed across academic and personal domains (Foundational writing skills, n.d.).

Writing Strategies

Foundational Transcription Skills:

• Provide regular handwriting practice

  • • Practice letter formation and spacing

    • Use pencil grips and paper to improve handwriting

• Teach spelling through word-building exercises with manipulatives

  • • Teach phonics rules to help with spelling

    • Use word walls and spelling lists

    • Practice spelling words in context

Composition Strategies:

• Use the "Build It" activity to teach the alphabetic principle and early spelling

• Implement a writer's workshop model for structured writing practice

• Teach simple planning strategies for organizing ideas

Sentence Construction:

• Practice combining simple sentences to create more complex ones

• Use sentence starters to help students begin their writing

Genre-Specific Writing:

• Teach narrative writing through personal story creation

• Introduce informative writing by researching and answering questions

• Elaboration Techniques:

• Use a slinky to demonstrate how to "stretch out" stories with more details

• Employ magnifying glasses as a metaphor for zooming in on specific details

General Instructional Approaches

Multi-Sensory Learning:

• Incorporate hands-on activities and manipulatives in both reading and writing instruction

• Use toys and visual aids to make abstract concepts more concrete ("My Best Friend", "My Favorite Color", "A Fun Day at the Park", and "My Favorite Toy") (Scholastic Parents Staff, 2018).

Regular Assessment:

• Implement frequent, quick assessments to monitor progress

• Use entry and exit slips to gauge understanding

Differentiated Instruction:

• Group students for targeted small group instruction based on assessment results

• Provide additional support for struggling students through parent-supervised homework tasks

Technology Integration:

• Use educational apps and software for writing practice and research

• Implement computer-assisted programs for additional reading support

Writing Processes

Prewriting:

• • Brainstorm ideas and organize thoughts.

  • Use graphic organizers to plan writing.

Drafting:

• • Write freely and focus on ideas.

  • Use invented spelling to sound out words.

Revising:

• • Add details, remove unnecessary parts, and rearrange sentences.

  • Get feedback from peers and teachers.

Editing:

• • Check for capitalization, punctuation, and spelling errors.

  • Use editing checklists.

Publishing:

• • Share writing with others through writing conferences, class books, or family readings.

Vocabulary Building:

• Create personal dictionaries where students write new words and draw pictures.

• Use mentor texts to introduce new vocabulary in context

Writing Genres

Narrative Writing:

• • Write stories with a beginning, middle, and end.

  • Use descriptive language and dialogue.

Informative Writing:

• • Research a topic and write facts.

  • Use headings and subheadings to organize information.

Opinion Writing:

• • State an opinion and support it with reasons.

  • Use transition words to connect ideas.

Writing Practice at Home

• Write Together: Write letters, lists, or stories together.

• Encourage Writing: Provide opportunities for writing, such as journaling or writing letters.

• Read Aloud: Read books that model good writing.

• Positive Reinforcement: Praise your child's efforts and celebrate their accomplishments.

• Student Choice: Allow your child to choose topics that are personally meaningful (Allington & Gabriel, 2012).

References

Allington, R. L. & Gabriel, R. E. (2012, March). Every child, every day. Educational Leadership, pp. 10-15.

Explicit intervention in writing – foundation skills/transcription. ALL Ohio. (n.d.). https://allohioliteracy.org/learning-modules/explicit-intervention-in-writing-foundation-skills-transcription/

Foundational writing skills. Digital Promise. (n.d.). https://lvp.digitalpromiseglobal.org/content-area/literacy-4-6/factors/foundational-writing-skills-literacy-4-6/summary

Not So Wimpy Teacher. (2022, April 29). Close reading strategies that keep kids engaged.

Scholastic Parents Staff. (2018, December 7). Abstract thinking skills in kindergarten. Scholastic. https://www.scholastic.com/parents/family-life/creativity-and-critical-thinking/learning-skills-for-kids/abstract-thinking-skills-kindergarten.html

Shanahan, T., Fisher, D., & Frey, N. (2012, March). The Challenge of challenging text. Educational Leadership, pp. 58-62).