Distance Learning and Writing

Teaching writing through distance learning is not an easy task.  However, it can be done.  Just a few weeks ago, I began writing instruction formally with my kindergarten class. 

During our last supply pick-up, they each received a writing notebook.  It was nothing fancy, newsprint-lined paper stapled between two sheets of yellow construction paper.  The fanciest part about it was a label that had their name printed that read- Emily's Writing Journal- or whatever their name was...

We started out slowly with using our sight words to write our first sentence.  We were learning about our Five Senses, so the words I, can, and see worked perfectly.  I walked them through beginning a sentence with a capital letter and how to make spaces between words.  Together we wrote,

I can see _______.

Next, I asked them to look around their home and pick one thing they wanted to write about.  then they were to say the word a few times slowly and write the first letter of that word, then write any other sounds they could hear in the word.  When they were finished.  they ended the sentence with a period.

Now it was time to be an illustrator.  They needed to draw a picture of what it was they saw.  Making sure to add details to their picture, just in case the person reading their story needed help reading.  They finished their stories offline taking a photo and uploading it to Seesaw.

Our next writing prompt was I can hear______.  Together we wrote the word hear.  They then worked on their pictures after finishing their writing and again shared them with me via Seesaw when finished.  We have been working like this on writing using our various basic sight words for a few weeks now.   I see, I like, I can...

This week we learned about reindeer and changed the subject from I to reindeer.  My students needed to use the information they had learned from our stories to include it in their writing.  Reindeers can... was the first prompt

We finished out the week with a more glamorous writing page that gave them a word bank to use if they wanted.  I am so pleased with their writing already.  I know that some kids had help from family, but I am ok with this.  They would have had help in the classroom to some extent.

This writing page is from my Non-Fiction Writing Prompts- if you are interested in this resource- just click the image above. These are great for in-class or distance learning.  

I hope I've given you a little bit of a starting point to how writing can work virtually.  To learn how I begin writing in person in the classroom.  You might want to check out Creating a Writing Center in Kindergarten.