At the beginning of first grade, it is not at all unusual for students to enter in September at varying developmental stages of writing. This is very common and to be expected. I like to think of the development of a writer as an on-going process. Not all of the children in the class will be working on the same skills at the same time. Although all of the students are exposed to whole-group mini lessons on specific writing skills, I also meet with individual students throughout the week to provide each of them with an individualized focus for their writing.

The best way to become a better writer is to WRITE! If you want to help your child at home with their writing, keep the following suggestions in mind:

• Model good writing for your child. Let them see you writing grocery lists, notes to family members, or perhaps even write notes back and forth with your child.
• Encourage your child to write, even if their writing is not perfect. One of the biggest hurdles for a child to overcome is the motivation to want to write.
• Praise the small steps that your child makes. As adults we sometimes forget the wonderful benefits of positive reinforcement. I know I always feel great when someone has something nice to say about my work!

Below I have attached two writing rubrics to give you a better understanding of the spectrum of writing that is commonly seen in the first grade.

First Grade Writing Rubric

Content and Conventions Rubric