Hello friends! We are one week into July and on day 7 of #31daysofkindergarten. Today is all about the Writing Station in Kindergarten. This is another favorite station of my students and I love watching their writing grow!
What You Need for a Writing Station
I am fortunate enough to have a really big classroom and so I am able to have a specified area designated for my writing station. I know that this is not the standard for everyone and oftentimes space is the issue. But even with space limitations, you can still create a small nook for a writing station. Here is a list of items you might want for your writing station.
- hard writing space like a table or clipboards
- stacking trays with different types of paper
- pencils (I keep my ‘fancy’ character or themed pencils here in the writing station)
- crayons
- markers
- colored pencils
- dry erase boards & dry erase markers
- picture dictionary
- picture vocabulary cards
- cards
- stickers
- stamps
- envelopes
- display area for 5 star writing pieces
- handwriting practice
Do plan to place your writing station very close to your word wall, so your students can easily access those words.
What to Teach Your Students About the Writing Station
- How to make a list (This is the 1st skill I teach. And my students LOVE making all kinds of lists!)
- We make lists of friends, school words, Halloween costumes, favorite candy, Christmas gifts, things we love…the lists are endless! Every 2-4 weeks, I add new words and lists. (Scroll to the bottom for your list freebie!)
- What can I write about (These are great anchor charts to help you teach this…)
- How to get ideas for writing
- How to use the writing tools and supplies
- stickers
- stamps
- ink pads
- envelopes
- cards
- What to do if you don’t know how to spell a word
- How to make a card
- How to write a note
- How to write a recipe
- How to label a picture
- How to revise edit
- How to publish your writing
What Students Do at This Station
- practice handwriting
- make lists
- label pictures
- label a stamp
- label a sticker
- write a note
- make a card
- write a recipe
- write a book
- illustrate
How to Keep the Writing Station from Getting Boring
- add new themed or colored paper
- add fun pencils or pens
- new picture cards
- author study posters
- new stickers
- new stamps
- die cuts
- themed pictures
A request I get frequently is for my fun writing lists! I have lists for everything!! I like to include picture cards for my students to use as well. Here are a few samples of what list writing looks like in my classroom. The first list we learn to make is My List of Friends. I print all of my students pictures and names into a template and print and laminate. I cut apart and punch a hole and attach with a binder ring. I usually put all the boys on one ring and all of the girls on the other ring.
Here is a list of My Favorite Candy. I printed out a bunch of candy environmental clip art and attached them to a ring. My students can then use these candy pictures to make a list.
Another easy and fun activity for the writing station is to have parents donate stickers and have students to label the stickers. I have a friend who is in to journaling and scrapbooking. She went through her supplies and donated a huge amount of stickers and stamps and this resulted in me creating these fun templates for this station. As you can see, my kids love this! (You can download this FREE Label a Sticker for free!
So are you convinced now to create your own writing station?! And just a little quick note…my writing station evolves over the school year. Students have the opportunity to write stories and revise and edit, but these are a few ideas to keep in your writing station. Ready for your freebie?! Get your FREE version of I Can Write a List here. It includes several different lists for throughout the year and includes school-themed picture cards for the first months of school! Enjoy and happy writing station!
This is another one of the favorite stations. Students in my classroom are almost always engaged and always have something to do at this station. I hope you got some great ideas today! Please let me know with a comment or tag me on social media when you use one of these suggestions…I love to hear from teacher friends!! Keep following along with the 31 Days of Kindergarten series to get more ideas and tips for your students and classroom!
Have you been following along with our 31 Days of Kindergarten posts?
You can check them out here:
Procedures and Rules for the Kindergarten Classroom
Music and Movement in the Kindergarten Classroom
How to Start Literacy Stations in Kindergarten
The Library Station in Kindergarten
I seriously have a notebook of information from your back to school posts. GREAT information. THANK YOU! I am first year kinder teacher.
Thank you so much for the amazing comment! I am so glad that all of my blog posts are so helpful!!
Where are you selling the “Label a Sticker” worksheet? I would love to have it!
Love your blog post! So inspirational!! Where did you get your environmental candy pictures? Are those available in your TPT shop? Would love to snag them! Thank you
Hello, just found your amazing blog! Where can I get the label
A sticker template? I downloaded the list templates, but I don’t see this Label a sticker sheet. Thanks I. Advance!
I just found your website and am in love! Do you have the sticker label sheet for download and I am also interested in the environmental candy pictures. Thank you so much!
I just found your website! I am a homeschooling mom of a kindergartener and I have a question. We are just learning to read. Just got through the vowels and now adding them to consonants. Do the children need to know how to read before using these writing stations or the making sentences stations?
Hi,
Love your posts! I am interested in your picture cards that accompany your writing lists. Are they available to purchase? Also, I love the idea of the sticker label sheet. Do you have template for purchase?
Look forward to hearing from you soon.
I love your list writing ideas and was wondering if you sell the bundle with the picture cards and sticker label template?
Hello! I would love to purchase your picture label cards and the label a sticker template. I have searched TpT and your blog but can’t see them anywhere. Would you consider selling the picture label cards?
Hi Jennifer and thank you for leaving a comment! At this time, I do not have them listed yet. I do plan on finishing creating them and then I will post them!
With the label a sticker idea, did you also create word lists like for the list center or were the children just spelling those words with inventive spelling?
No. Students are using inventive spelling, using their spelling strategies!:-)
Have you created the label a sticker sheet yet?
Yes, it’s on the Freebie Exclusive Member Club page!
I love your writing resources! Where did you get your label a sticker sheet?
Hi and thank you for reading and leaving a comment! You can find the Label a Sticker sheet in the Kindergarten Chaos Exclusive Member Club FREEBIE vault!
Hello! I absolutely LOVE all of your resources and your website. Are you selling the candy cards? If not, where did you get the clipart of the candy?
Hello and thank you for your comment/message! I have the free candy cards in my Exclusive Member vault. It’s a free membership, that gives you a password to access all the freebies that I offer/ 🙂
Hi, I love all of your ideas! I have so many of your pages bookmarked, thanks! Where did you get the “WRITING” banner that is in the penguin picture. I would love this for my writing station.
Thanks!
Hello and thank you for reaching out! I am pretty sure that I got it off TPT years ago! 😉
Hi there,
when I try to sign up for the free writing list freebie I get the label a stamp one on the confirmation page and in my email. Can I buy it on tPT?
Thank you for letting me know. I have fixed it now. 🙂
It’s been updated to reflect the correct freebie!
Hi! I am trying to download the writing lists freebie but when I submit my email it takes me to an error page.
I am not sure why it is not working, but I sent you an email with the freebie!
I keep trying to access the free writing lists but I never get a response in my email account. I really like the suggestions you make for setting up the writing center.
Hi Brenda! I looked in our email system and it shows that 4 emails have been sent to your wiseshopper09@hotmail email address, but none have been open. I would check your spam/bulk folders and/or do a search for Kindergarten Chaos and you should find out.