Writing Center Activities for Beginning Writers

Inside: Discover 7 writing center activities that your beginning writers can use independently during your literacy block or choice time. 

The Need for Writing Center Activities

Once again, my kiddos surprised me!

I wasn’t sure if offering writing center activities during choice time would make sense for 5-year olds.  I didn’t think my active little friends would choose such a sedentary pencil and paper activity when activities like blocks, marble chutes and train sets were available.

But I was wrong!

My writing center is always full, which teaches me that what kids are looking for isn’t always active play.  Quiet drawing and writing is just what some kids need in the midst of a busy day and I’m glad I included it as a choice.

Writing Center Activities That Kids Can Do Independently

Establishing the need for a writing center is one thing, but finding activities that beginning writers can do independently is another.  We want children practicing much-needed skills, exploring different forms of writing, and building their identities as writers.

Here are 7 favorite writing center activities, that I use in my own classroom, to support my emerging writers.

Trace and Lace Cards

Success in writing begins with strengthening finger muscles. I always include some fine motor tasks, such as Trace and Lace cards, at the writing center in addition to pencil/paper work.  These cards allow children to trace the straight, curved, and zig zag lines and then lace the edges of the card with a piece of yarn or cord.  The color, laminated version of these cards are always available, but occasionally I offer black and white ones that kids can color, cut out, lace with yarn, and take home as a gift or decoration.

My News

I encourage children to bring their outside lives into the classroom by writing and sharing their news.  They can draw and write this news during choice time, post it on our “News” board and then share it the next day during calendar and news time.

Telling these news stories helps me “plant the seeds” for personal narrative writing that we will be doing later in the year.

Draw it! Label it!

Each season, I include 10 different Draw it! Label it! sheets that children can choose from.  These directed drawing activities help improve children’s visual-spatial sense while also practicing sound spelling through picture labeling.

Class Journals

Another favorite writing center activity are Class Journals.  These allow children to capture the special moments and events in their life through drawing and writing.  If a child goes on a trip, has a boo boo, or loses a tooth, they can visit the writing center and document it in that particular journal.

The children’s entries in these journals also provide great subject matter for mini lessons when we get to our personal narrative unit during writing workshop.

Thank You Cards and Letters

Teaching children to say thank you is an important aspect to building a classroom community and developing an attitude of gratitude.  Each Thursday is thoughtful Thursday in our classroom and we share a kindness that we received during morning meeting.  Thank you cards and letters are always available as a writing center activity for children to express their thanks through drawing and writing.

Dear Teacher Mini Notes

I’m sure you’ll agree that your kiddos have more to tell than you have time to listen.  I make these Mini Notes available in the writing center so children can write what’s on their mind.  In addition to being a writing center activity, it doubles as a classroom management strategy that helps children feel heard.

Depending upon the note I receive, I sometimes write back, and children love, love, love getting a note from their teacher.

Story Maker Mats

The work children do in the storytelling center also spills over into their writing.  As they tell and retell stories using graphic organizers that we call Story Maker Mats, they can also draw and write that story on their next visit to the writing center.  This “oral rehearsal” supports my emerging writers in getting their ideas down on paper in an organized way.

Year-Round Writing Center Activities

These 7 activities make up all of the invitations I offer at the writing center in a single school year.  Some change seasonally such as the Lace and Trace cards and Draw it and Label it, but most are ongoing invitations that change only with variations in paper and line choice to match their growing writing skills.

You can find the first 6 writing center invitations (Story Maker Mats are sold separately) in this Writing Center Bundle along with a Writing Center Start-up Guide that gives you ideas on setting up and maintaining this kind of center in your classroom.

Happy Writing!

For more ideas on supporting beginning writers, visit the Growing Writers page inside the Roots & Wings Resource Library.