I loved Amanda’s Afterschool Express Post last week about teaching writing with beginning writers. Her little one expresses herself so freely in writing, I love it!. My daughter is also in Kindergarten but is more reserved with her writing and needs a little encouragement. She really wants us to help her spell the words and we’re working on her writing independetnly by sounding it out. I encourage her to use a little alphabet chart with sound pictures when she writes to refer to when she isn’t sure about a sound a letter makes, although she knows all her sounds it’s a great reference instead of an adult.
I found a great post from one of my favorite sites. Mrs. Wills Kindergarten about what the stages are for beginning writers that I think you’ll find useful too. I shared it with my husband, parents and my inlaws so that they’d understand more why I wasn’t correcting her spelling at the stage of beginning writing.
With beginning writers, it’s best to just encourage them to write just what they are hearing. Over time they become more confident in their writing and words will begin to look just as they are read due to phonemic awareness and sight word memorization. However a very important part of the process is to have your child write what they hear. Since my little one is a good reader this skill is hard for her since she kind of knows it doens’t look quite right. A typicaly conversation with me and her is “Mom is this how you spell ____?” My response is usually “Write what sounds you hear when you sound out ______.” It’s taking patience but I know she will master this skill and love writing soon enough. I can’t wait to see how she progresses throughout Kindergarten.
Halloween Story Writing
I am so excited to share this quick as easy way to create a Halloween Story Book. At times it’s useful to be able to spend more time writing then coming up with the pictures. Thanks to Amanda’s find, I bought this adorable sticker books at Target in their Dollar spot to help give us a good story prompt. She decided what it would be about and started putting down stickers and writing her sentences immediately!
I sat beside her to talk with her about her ideas as she was writing. I was really proud of how she sounded things out on her own. She even added her own self into the book in her butterfly costume for Hallween. When she was all done she couldn’t wait to read it to the rest of the family, her very own book. She even has another idea chosen for her next story with the same stickers.
Here’s her book she wrote all by herself!
Fright NightA haunted house showed up.
The bat sees pumpkins.
A ghost was in the air.
A cat and witch were there too.
The sun see smiles.
Hope you get inspired to have your little one try their own Halloween story!
On the Go Tip
The best part about stickers is that they are also great to travel with on airplanes and restaurants. Simply fold over a three pages and staple and now you have a premade book ready to be filled. I try to keep a few out in her craft station so she can always have a place to write when she wants to.
Sticker Books make Great Story Prompts!
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Early childhood teacher, author, speaker and mom of 3. Kim shares ways to make learning fun and parenting an adventure by sharing developmentally appropriate activities.
Thanks Mama Smiles and Raising a Happy Child. So glad to here that mine is not the only one. I think I need to start doing more modeling with her more to just encourage her to put down what she hears.
What a cute way to encourage writing!
This is great! My 7 yr old loves writing stories, great way to encourage it. Thanks for sharing on momstown arts and crafts Halloween linkup!
Thanks Mama Smiles and Raising a Happy Child. So glad to here that mine is not the only one. I think I need to start doing more modeling with her more to just encourage her to put down what she hears.