Kindergarten Writing Standard 1: Habits and Processes
We expect kindergarten students to:
Ø Write daily;
Ø Generate content and topics for writing;
Ø Write without resistance when given the time, place and materials;
Ø Use whatever means are at hand to communicate and make meaning: drawings, letter strings, scribbles, letter approximations and other graphic representations, as well as gestures, intonations and role-played voices;
Ø Make an effort to reread their own writing and listen to that of others, showing attentiveness to meaning by, for example, asking for more information or laughing.
Writing in Kindergarten
During our Writers’ Workshop, Kindergarten students write every day. They choose and develop their own topics. Below this paper is a chart titled Evolution of a Child’s Writing. The chart shows samples of the writing stages that a child may progress through as he is becoming a writer. A student’s writing may have evidence of more than one of the stages. As a child acquires knowledge of letters and sounds and they practice writing everyday, their ability to write “texts” becomes more sophisticated. At this time of the year in Kindergarten, we expect students to write the first letter of a word to represent the word. They should be able to put these beginning sound letter strings together to form sentences. When conferring with their teacher, they should be able to make an effort to reread their own writing.
Commentary
Jacob is at the Scribble Stage. He makes marks all over his paper. He makes some mock letters but mostly he is just expressing himself. He can not tell you about what he has drawn or written.
Commentary
Andrew is in the Mock Letter Stage. He does attempt a picture. Most of the letters he does write are in his name. He writes all over his paper with no clear intention. He tells an elaborate story that does not match the writing.
Commentary
Trinity is in the Letter String Stage. She does move from left to right and from top to bottom. Her picture is detailed. She is not able to reread her work. Some of the letters match what she is saying but most of them are randomly written.
Commentary
Bryce is in the Environmental Print Stage. He is copying words from a crayon. The words have nothing to do with his picture. His picture and the words he tells you about his story match but the words he has written do not match his oral story.
Commentary
Cole is in the Stage where he is using Beginning Letter and Ending Letter to Represent Words. He is able to reread some of his words, however his oral retelling matches his picture.
Commentary
Lexie is in the Stage where she Hears Medial Sounds. She is able to write the beginning and ending sounds as well as many medial sounds. She is able to reread all of her work. Her sentence matches
her picture.
Commentary
Lainey is in the Phrase Writing Stage. She is able to write the beginning and endings sounds of words. She is also writing many of the medial sounds. She can reread most of her writing but treats it as one
long phrase.
Commentary
Chase is in the last stage of writing Whole Sentences. He clearly has two thoughts written down that he can easily reread. He also has used spaces between his words, which helps with his rereading.
All children go through the writing stages at different times. Some students will skip stages and some will not. We have found that children who participate in Writer’s Workshop daily move through the writing stages quickly. No matter what stage a child is at in writing, given the opportunity to write, they will become proficient in the stages of writing.