Easy Kindergarten Writing Center Ideas

My first year in Kindergarten I struggled with what to put in my writing center.   I couldn't find writing centers on TPT that had little or no prep and I didn't have the time or energy to create cute and fun centers.  Or I would find centers that were too advanced for my kids.  So what did I do?  I started searching and asking around and here is what I came up with:

1.  Draw and Label

This center requires no prep and is perfect for the beginning of the year.  Put blank paper, crayons and a pencil out and the kids can draw a picture and label it.  Simple.  Easy.  You can even change it up by putting colored pencils or markers out.  Or put out a white board and expo markers.

Here is the example I made for my kids.  I made this page in Word and it only took me a minute.

2.  Make a List

Here I passed out half sheets of papers where they could write down a list of words based on a topic.  I would have them use the word wall or vocabulary cards to complete the list.

•  list of friends 
•  list of colors
•  list from grocery store or catalog
•  list of countries or states by looking at a map or globe

Grab this freebie to get you started.  The last page has a blank topic so you can create your own.

3. Sticker Stories

My kids LOVE stickers and I bet yours do too.  I put out my stickers and tell the kids they are only allowed to pick 5.  At the beginning of the year we label the stickers.  As the year goes on they create a story using the stickers and then write down their story.

4. Write the Room

I've created a product that can be used all year long and involves no prep.  Each week in my room we review a letter of the alphabet.  So whatever the letter is for that week, I print off the sheet to match the letter, I put it on a clipboard and my kids walk around the room looking for words with that letter in it.

You can find this write the room center here in my TPT store.

5. Alphabet

For this center the students can practice their handwriting.  It sounds boring, but a way to make it more fun is to let the students trace the letters in highlighter or marker.  This center is a good way to practice their penmanship when there isn't always time during a school day.

6. Mail Center

This is a fun center to use towards the end of the year once the students have a good grasp of how to write a sentence on their own.  Put out paper and envelopes.  I always model how to do this and then leave my sample at the center.  The kids can write to their parents, classmates or whoever they pick.  If they write to a classmate I let them place the letter in their cubby.  This inspires the recipient of the letter to write back.

7. Free Write

Here is another easy one.  Just put out paper and let them write stories or sentences on their own.  I make little blank books for my kids too.  I take three sheets of paper, put a color on top, fold it in half, cut it and staple it to create a book.  My kids LOVE this one.  They love creating their own book and showing them off.

School Supply Emergent Reader

My kids come to Kindergarten wanting to read.  Obviously reading doesn't come with some magically lesson so I created a school supply emergent reader with predictable text that can be used after teaching the kids about school supplies.  We spend all week talking about our school supplies and how we can and can't use them and then on Friday we read this book together.

My kids love it because they are reading and I love it because it is easy prep as I can print it 2-2 sided, cut it in half on the paper cutter, and then staple it.  My students can then color it and take it home and show their parents that they can read a book.  

This book is also great for ESL students of all ages who are newcomers.

You can find the book here in my TPT store.

The glue page comes with 3 different versions in case you only use glue bottles or glue sticks.

Year Long Write the Room Center

My first year teaching kindergarten I was scrambling to create and make centers for my kids.  I had seen all these writing centers out there that were expensive or took a lot of prep or were expensive and took a lot of prep.  I was looking for something fun for my kids and yet something that took little or no prep.  So I created this write the room center.

Each week I would print a page for whatever letter we were reviewing that week and the kids would go around the room with a clipboard and pencil and would write down words that had that letter.

My kids loved it because it gave them the freedom of picking what words they wanted.  They got to use a clipboard and they got to roam around the room which they loved.

And on special occasions we pulled out goofy glasses or colored pencils to make it more exciting.

My kids loved this center and it took me a minute to prepare each week.  I simply would print the page I needed, place them on the clipboards and down.  The words were already up all around the room.  

You can purchase this center for only $2 here in my TPT store.  There is a page for each letter of the alphabet plus the 5 digraphs sh, th, wh, ch, and ph and the best part is it can be use all year.

Back to School Read Alouds

Well it is August 1st, which is always the day my brain switches from summer mode to school mode.  As much as I try to enjoy my last week of summer my teacher brain is never fully turned off.  One of the first things I do is visit my local library and grab all my favorite back to school read alouds.  I love the 1st week of Kindergarten because it is relaxed and there is permission to simply enjoy a good book without having to teach a lesson with it.

So without further ado...here are some of my favorite go to back to school books.

On the First Day of Kindergarten is an adaptation of the 12 days of Christmas so the text repeats and allows the children to know what is coming.  It's a great book to kick off the first day and to read just for fun.

Miss Bindergarten gets Ready for Kindergarten is always a must read in my class and is the first in the Miss Bindergarten series that we read during the year.  Another fun book for the students to enjoy or you can talk about what the kids did to get ready for Kindergarten.

I feel like in order to be a Kindergarten teacher you have to know about this book.  The Kissing Hand is about Chester Raccoon, who doesn't want to go to school.  His mom lets him in on a secret of the kissing hand so that she will always be with him.  Its a great book that naturally leads to how the kids felt about their first day.  

Who doesn't love Pete the Cat?  I use this story to lead into a shoe coloring activity and a tour of the school.  At the end of the book I write a note from Pete the Cat saying he has hidden shoes around the school.  We then go on a classroom tour of the library, office, art room, etc looking for the shoes Pete has hidden talking about each room as we go.  When we come back to the room we color a picture of our school shoes.

David Goes to School is a great read aloud to introduce class rules.  We make a T chart of things David did and things we should do at school.

My least favorite thing about Kindergarten is all the tattling.  I let them tattle the whole first week and then Friday comes along and I read this book and we talk about tattling vs. telling.  And then the next week we keep talking about tattling vs. telling and finally by Halloween I am getting only one tattle a day.  The kids remember the title so they are quick to repeat it when a friends says I am telling on you.  

Too Much Glue is a great book to read right before you talk about using glue.  Matty loves glue!  One day Matty pours a lake of glue before belly-flopping right in the middle and finds himself stuck to the desk.  

Those are some of my favorites.  What are some of yours?