What do the Most Effective Kid Writing Classrooms Look Like?

Visual Supports for Children

One crisp, clear, alphabet chart (may have multiple copies) – Lower case letters highlighted with yellow highlighting tape
High frequency word wall (black on white, no names or theme words)
KidCrowns (King of ing, Sir of were, Gent of went, etc.) – doesn’t say King of...
Name wall or chart (photographs, alphabetical by first names); also, names used functional (graphs, etc.)
Rime Chunk Houses (et house, net, bet, pet, etc. – kids add words – shows picture as example of rhyme – eg. Picture of a bat for at house) – Dr. Suess hat as roof on house for nonsense rhymes
Theme words (Halloween, spiders, etc.) illustrated
Variety of family words with pictures (Dad, Daddy, Father etc.)
Tell-A-Story words (First…When… After that….Finally….etc.) with post-it notes that children sign when they use these words – Begins in first grade
Number words/color words – take up a small amount of wall space
KWL Charts and Venn Diagrams related to science, social studies, literature
Pocket Charts with stories, poems, directions, etc.
Useful environmental print – eg. “come in” on door, “stop/go” on bathroom door
Clip-on name badges – phonics elements highlighted as taught
Digraph photo charts (eg. Child touching cheek and chin for ch)

Visual Celebrations for Children

Kid Writing Wall of Fame (Tamika is famous for using talking marks) with praise point highlighted directly in the writing
Interactive Writing (large chart or captions – teacher shares the marker)
Displays of children’s writing (Ouch Pouch, Speech Bubble display, etc.)
Expensive Words (fabulous words that kids used in writing!) and Interesting Words (from children’s literature)