I have been asked so many times over the years,  “How do you get your students to be such strong, confident writers?”  There are so many answers to that question, but one of my very favorites is that I will always have a writing station in my classroom and it’s one of my student’s favorite areas. An effective writing station gives children ample exposure to the purposes of writing.  

    Crayons, pencils, markers,  paper….  So many materials?? How do you set up a writing station in your kindergarten or first-grade classroom? Setting up a writing station in your classroom can be challenging, but can also be one of the most amazing ways to give your students opportunities for authentic writing experiences.      

    As I am setting up a writing station in my classroom, one of the first things I will think about  is that I want my students to be writing for a purpose. The first thing I do is give my students an overview of what the writing center is and all the different ways that they can write in this area. I give students options to write stories of all genres, write letters to friends and family, write lists and to even have paper choices available to teach others about something. I do this by posting examples of each of these different types of writing. At the beginning of the year, especially in Kindergarten, I will have my whole class practice one writing style for a bit before placing it into the station. After that, I will post examples of student writing for each type of writing available in the station.  

     After thinking through the purpose and types of paper including lined paper, unlined paper, books, and colored paper available for students writing, I begin to think about what all materials and tools I will want students to use. I believe strongly in giving students the agency and choice of materials to support their creativity and meet their needs. For example, after teaching students how to use the stapler and tape, we will place it in the station so that students can add to or take away from their stories on their own. We will have a variety of colored pencils, markers, crayons, pens, and pencils. It is awesome to see students using multimedia choice in their writing.   

     To support students’ thinking and creativity, I will have books available in the writing station to show them how to draw various people, animals and things using simple shapes. I will also have published mentor texts close,  such as Mo Willems books or Eric Carle books where students can see examples of authors who have various author’s craft techniques or Illustration techniques to support their thinking as well.  

     One of my students’ very favorite (and mine too) parts of the writing station is writing letters to friends in the classroom and school. I laminate 5 X 7  manila envelopes with my student’s pictures and names on them and some of our school friends, think administration,  reading specialist,  specials teachers, etc… We spend time talking about what is appropriate and how to write letters to friends. As students write letters to one another and our school friends, it creates a culture of community and I see their growth just flourish. I see so many kind and sweet notes of encouragement between classmates and then I also see a community of caring and kindness develop. The smiles of those receiving letters  (and everyone gets a letter before envelopes are put back in) is so special.     

With all the different types of writing being done in this station, we have a place designated for students to place their published pieces of writing so that all students in the classroom can enjoy. I will organize in such a way that pieces are on display,  just like we do in the class library for special books and topics we are learning about. It’s another way to develop community as students share with one another.  

Having an organized, creative and purposeful writing center is an amazing addition to your classroom.  

  Writing Station Benefits in Your K/1 Classroom: 

• Increased engagement –  Writing stations build excitement for purpose and audience. 

• Improved writing skills  –  Writing stations can help improve writing skills as students are given a lot of voice and choice for their writing.  

• Increased confidence & motivation –  Writing stations can help students to feel more confident in their writing  as they have examples and samples of mentor texts and a variety of materials to support the writing they are wanting to do.  

• Increased creativity –   As students use the writing station,  they are more likely to try out various techniques as they have access to a variety of materials and support,  which gives them more autonomy and agency over their writing.   

I believe that writing stations can be a valuable resource for students of all ages and abilities. They can help to improve their writing skills, increase their confidence,  become more motivated to write and help to develop a community of writers.