8.4: Instructional Practices for Emergent Writers

Instructional Practices for Emergent Writers

The early years are an important time for educators and families to provide young children with experiences that develop not only letter-sound correspondence and handwriting skills, but also their understanding that print is read and writing is a way to communicate their ideas (Gerde et al., 2012). As discussed in previous chapters, there are many ways adults can support children’s literacy development, and specifically, their writing development. Through intentional and explicit opportunities to develop children’s writing knowledge and skills throughout the school day and at home, families and educators support children as they become proficient writers. These opportunities are provided when educators (a) create an environment that supports writing; (b) build on children’s prior knowledge, experiences, and interests; (c) integrate writing into play; (d) infuse writing across the curriculum; and (e) provide diverse instructional writing experiencess (see Table 8.4.1).

Table 8.4.1 “Instructional Practices That Support Writing”

Create an Environment That Supports Writing

• Create uncluttered places with plenty of room for children to write and move around, keeping in mind that children are learning to regulate their bodies and are developing motor skills.
• Have tables and chairs that are the appropriate size and include space for children in wheelchairs and other positioning equipment.
• Provide a variety of writing materials and tools, including paper, dry erase boards, chalkboards, markers, crayons, pencils, chalk, tempera paint, water colors, finger paints, touchscreen tablets, styluses, and computers.
• Place writing materials and tools in places that are easy to reach and easy to put away, such as carts, shelves, tables, bins, and cubbies at the children’s level.
• Display meaningful print with pictures or braille around the room, including name strips, labels, posters, word cards, sentence strips, morning messages, and daily schedules.
• Position print and braille so it is visible and easy to reach.
• Include print and braille materials and writing tools in centers (e.g., children’s literature and magazines in the library, menus and writing pads in the restaurant, envelopes and writing paper in the post office, paper and crayons in construction areas)
• Display children’s drawings and writings.

Build on Children’s Prior Knowledge, Experiences, and Interests

• Engage families in children’s writing experiences.
• Encourage children to use their home languages and write about their home culture and family experiences.
• Ask children to draw and write about what they already know about topics of interest.
• Provide experiences that children can include in their writing, such as nature walks, field trips, hands-on experiments, class visitors, and experiences with community helpers (e.g., talking with firefighters and seeing a firetruck).
• Provide choice of writing tools and topics.

Integrate Writing Into Play

• Include accessible spaces for writing and writing materials and tools in each center.
• Model and explain how writing materials and tools may be used in the center.
• Remind children periodically to use writing materials and tools in the centers.
• Introduce new writing materials and tools into centers regularly.
• Include examples of different types of writing in the writing center, such as models of birthday cards or “I love you” notes to family members.
• Post theme-related and frequently used words in the writing center and around the room.
• Encourage children to copy words posted around the room and words written on cards or sentence strips in the writing center into their writing.
• Encourage children to write play plans that not only indicate where they plan to play (e.g., the kitchen center) but also how they plan to play (e.g., how they plan to share toys and props with classmates or what toys, props, and materials they plan to use).
• Provide intentional, child-specific scaffolding and reinforcement of writing knowledge and skills when interacting with children in centers.
• Follow the child’s lead when interacting with the child to provide scaffolding and instruction.

Infuse Writing Across the Curriculum

• Provide opportunities for children to write about what they are learning across the curriculum, including in mathematics, reading, science, and social studies.
• Incorporate writing activities that activate children’s prior knowledge (e.g., asking them to write about a topic, such as spring or fall, before instruction).
• Encourage children to draw and write about curricular content to foster their learning (e.g., documenting the growth of a plant, writing about sharing, comparing concepts such as hot and cold).
• Use children’s drawings and writing to assess their content knowledge (e.g., examining children’s drawings to assess their understanding of shadows or their writing to assess what they know about recycling).
• Provide opportunities for children to share and talk about their drawings and writing with adults and peers.

Provide Diverse instructional Writing Experiences

• Schedule time for writing instruction and provide opportunities throughout the day to write independently and with support.
• Encourage children to use a variety of writing materials and tools when writing, including digital tools such as touchscreen tablets and computers.
• Provide authentic writing experiences that develop children’s understanding of writing as a means to communicate with an audience (e.g., a story to share with classmates, a card to share with a family member, a note to persuade a parent to not make cooked carrots for dinner, an invitation for a community helper to visit their classroom).
• Include opportunities for children to identify and write their name by signing in for attendance, signing off when completing a task like toothbrushing, or signing up for a responsibility on the jobs chart.
• Model writing by engaging in shared writing experiences.
• Scaffold children’s writing through intentional interactions that develop their writing knowledge and abilities.
• Accept and encourage all forms of writing (e.g., scribbles, letter-like forms, letters, invented spelling).
• Encourage children to use letter-sound correspondence to write words with invented spelling.
• Ask children to read their writing or dictate their story and write down what they read.
• Promote children’s interactions with peers as they write.
• Provide opportunities for children to share their writing with others.

When educators create environments and provide instruction that foster young children’s emergent writing, children develop valuable knowledge and skills that prepare them for future success in school as well as in their daily lives. Assessment and instructional practices, like the ones listed in Table 8.4.1, are examples of the types of experiences educators provide to support young children’s writing development. As educators make decisions about curriculum, assessment, and instruction, it is important that they consider each child’s unique culture, languages, interests, and abilities. By being mindful of the diversity children bring to the classroom, educators provide an inclusive environment where each child feels valued and capable of learning.

References

Gerde, H. K., Bingham, G. E., & Wasik, B. A. (2012). Writing in early childhood classrooms: Guidance for best practices. Early Childhood Education Journal, 40, 351–359. https://doi.or/10.1007/s10643-012-0531-z