In kindergarten there are so many amazing things developing with my students. After the first few months of school I love seeing the glimpses of challenge meeting progress...and those light bulbs that go off are the moments that mean so much to see for me. This year, I have three classes that I'm teaching English for which means I not only get to see three classes worth of amazing writing progress, but it also means I have three classes worth of students to track.
Already admitting I'm an organizational fiend and love finding new ways to approach student tracking, I knew that having the caseload I do this year means that I need to have my organization on point. I don't want to have to deal with missing work or having a heap pile of student work samples to sift through...
Monthly Writing Prompts
In order to track my student's English writing progress, I use the portfolio method. This just means that once a month (typically towards the end of the month or before a significant break) I give my students a prompt that I date and hold onto. As each month passes I look at their work, make notes, and keep it in a portfolio until the end of the year. Then, I have them bound and given out at the end of the year celebration to share with parents the hard work their kids have been doing.What's the purpose of this and what do I use it for?
In kindergarten there are a couple of CA writing objectives that acts as a developmental goal for me during the school year. At my school, which is a bilingual school, my students are learning in two languages with only about 6 hours of English instruction a week - which isn't a lot. That means I have the unique ability to expose my students to these skills and have them practice in centers each day I see them. In order to monitor their progress, I use monthly writing samples that act as a way to see whether or not they are developing towards the goal of:
- properly forming their letters
- transitioning to using lowercase letters and one capital letter
- using spaces between their words
- using invented spelling (or phonetically spelling unknown words)
- spelling sight words they've learned correctly
- their illustrations incorporate detail and match what they have written
These are just a few of the things I look for in each writing sample - knowing that each student is developing and working towards the next skill.
The perfect resource for portfolios!
In an effort to make writing progress tracking simple and easy to manage this year, I've created these monthly writing prompts and templates! I've included each month of the year, spanning from August (for those who head back earlier than others) to July. Each month includes:
- Sentence starter prompts that students trace
- Blank templates (great if you want to use your own prompt!)
- Differentiated templates for K-3rd grade
- A simple editing checklist for students (optional for the younger grades)
- A space to stamp or write the date for record keeping
Differentiated for different learners and grades
What's great about this resource is that I kept all different kinds of learners in mind without limiting how other teachers may want to use it in their classrooms. Use either template styles for any grade or even give students the option of using either style...whatever works for you and your kids!
So, this year save yourself time and get organized with these monthly writing prompts and templates. I hope you find them as easy to use as I have and wish you and your class all the best this year!
