Hey there! Do you use writing folders with your students? If you don’t, you are definitely going to want to after reading this post – I have some ideas to share about what to put in students’ writing folders, as well as 30+ pages of writing folder freebies for you!!
Okay, so maybe your kiddos already have writing folders, but are they just a place to store student work? Writing folders can be SO much more than that! I like to create student folders that have tools and supports that students can use during writing time. I do this because Kindergarteners, firsties, and second graders can need a LOT of support with their writing! And unless you are lucky enough to have lots of assistants in your room or a machine that allows you to clone yourself, there is only ONE of you to support 20+ little writers. This gets tricky!
One of the most simple tools you can give young writers is an alphabet chart. This helps with letter formation and spelling. I always expect my kids to spell words without my help. When my Kindergarteners first began adding words to their pictures, I would always respond to the question, “How do you spell _____?” by saying, “How do you think you spell it?” or “Listen for the sounds in the word” or “What strategy are you going to use to figure it out?” Here are the 3 letter charts included in the free download – an alphabet chart, blends and digraphs chart, and a vowel chart (the download also has them in black and white).
Another great tool to put in students’ writing folders is an editing checklist. I can’t tell you how many times I had this conversation with my second graders:
Student: I’m done!
Me: Did you already edit?
Student: Yes!
Me: Did you check for capital letters and periods?
Student: …No… (shuffles back to desk)
If the kids have their editing checklists right in front of them, they are more likely to remember to edit without you having to have that conversation with them! I recommend using writing folders with 3 prongs in the middle – you can place an editing checklist and other resources in the middle of the folder, without them getting shoved behind other papers in one of the pockets.
Another handy tool is a genre mini-anchor chart. The charts I’ve created guide students through the process of writing narrative, informational, or opinion persuasive pieces. Teaching lots of minilessons on a genre is great, but these anchor charts consolidate the most important points of writing in a given genre.
In addition to the alphabet charts, editing checklists, and genre charts, you’ll also find transition and temporal word banks, blank booklets for keeping sight words or interesting words, and more. There’s a lot of material, so make sure you teach students how to use each component before having them add it to their writing folders!
Click to get your free download! Some of the materials are adapted from parts of my Kindergarten, 1st grade, or 2nd grade writing curriculum bundles. All of the freebies will go along nicely with the writing minilessons from the bundles!
Happy teaching!
