Writing Support

Writing can often be challenging for primary grade students, and this is to be expected! While reading involves information intake, writing involves output, and that can be difficult, especially in the unique structure of this school year.. 

Focus on PROCESS, not PRODUCT! 

• • If your child can brainstorm ideas, plan out her story, and orally rehearse their writing, this is just as important as what she is able to actually compose. 

  • Celebrate the writing process, not just a finished product!

• Oral Rehearsal and Planning

  • Have your child say his story aloud - not just what he plans to write about, but the actual words he will write. Rehearse more than once. 

  • TIP--Plan across pages by sketching at the top of each page or writing a “key word” to remember the plan. Then, if your child returns to the piece the next day, he will remember what he had planned to write on each page. 

• Spelling 

  • Encourage invented (phonetic) spelling--

    • “stretch out the word to hear each of the sounds and write a letter for each sound.” 

    • Focus on matching letters to sounds, not conventional spelling.

  • TIP: Provide your child with a word wall of sight words that she should work toward spelling correctly. 

  • TIP:  Personal Word Wall--If there are words your child asks how to spell repeatedly, you can add them to a blank word wall, which can include words just for your child!

• Time/Frustration/Fatigue

  • Utilize a timer to try to write for 10 minutes, taking a break if needed. If your child needs to build up to 10 minutes of writing stamina, start smaller and build until she can write for 10 minutes independently.

  • If your child is struggling on a particular day, consider substituting out the writing assignment for the day with a journal prompt or free writing, and be sure to contact his teacher regarding the need for additional support. 

  • TIP: Encourage your child to track her own stamina using a timer and recording the number of minutes she was able to work on her writing piece, in order to encourage ownership and goal setting. 

If writing is causing stress for you or your child, it’s time to stop and move on to the next activity.