Let’s begin with my personal reflections of my children as emerging writers:

My son:

My son’s first story consisted of a series wavy lines and curlicues written in black marker across the back of a leather sofa. Upon completion, he declared, “Look! I wrote my story in grown up writing!” (For those of you who are wondering, yes, it was a permanent marker.)

With great pride, he read us his story. As he pointed to each “word” he shared an action packed and well developed account of Spiderman’s most recent adventure.  While the writing itself was unreadable to anyone else, every other trait of writing was there: ideas, organisation, voice, word choice, sentence fluency. It was clear that my son was a writer –  he just had to learn how to share his stories with others. As a mother, I hoped that the formal school instruction in spelling, spacing, and letter formation wouldn’t overshadow his enthusiasm for writing stories.

My daughter:

My daughter’s first piece of formal writing, a letter to her dad –  wishing him a speedy recovery from knee surgery –  survived:

I think you’ll agree that my daughter’s letter provides the reader with a clear sense of the event, the details of the event, and the impact of the event. (And yes, that’s just what her dad looked like when he came home from the hospital.)  She was also using some of the conventions of text – a greeting at the top of the page:

and a closing:

This somewhat misplaced grouping of letters:

   is actually evidence of an almost correct spelling of her name, which is Michèle. (Yes, her name is presented on two lines rather than one, there are a few extra horizontal lines in the “E”, but she had a clear sense of using letter shapes to share her ideas)

Michele was also editing her work, which is clear when she realised she’d made a mistake:

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Young children are writers

The point of this is: as children begin drawing or using some form of letters to share their ideas, they are writers. Early years teachers acknowledge these these early can dos, encourage more exploration, and provide timely guidance focussed on the next steps:

1. Begin with talking about the story:

• Ask them to read the story to you and listen carefully.
• Respond to the reading with questions about the details.

2. Provide feedback about the can dos:

• the content of the story
• some element of the conventions (letter formation, spelling, spacing, etc.) that is developing well

3. Keep notes focussed on the known and next steps. When the time is right, use these notes to plan the next lesson that builds on these accomplishments.

The process described above is not only student responsive, it’s recursive. While the examples above illustrate the youngest of writers, this responding and feedback loop provides the foundation for writing instruction throughout a person’s writing career. Learning to write takes time, practice, instruction, and ongoing feedback about what’s been accomplished and what’s next. Effective support maintains the early joy of sharing a story by focusing on the student’s learning, interests, and voice.

Is spelling important?

One key point to consider:  Correct spelling is a component of good writing, not a definition of good writing, so encourage children to explore and develop their ideas through interesting word choice and sentence structures as they learn how to spell. 

HINT: Using a rubric to search for evidence of writing

If you’re not sure what the developmental progression of writing looks like, check out  Education Northwest Grades K-2 Illustrated Rubric K-2. 

Here’s an example of this process. The segment runs from 4:02 until 9:30.