Setting Up and Managing a Writing Center

An engaging and purposeful writing center is possible in your kindergarten classroom. Implementing a writing center will reinforce the writing skills that are you learning in class through creativity and student choice. Keep reading for tips and ideas on setting up and managing a successful writing center, and grab a FREE writing center.

Check out these related posts:

How-to-Use Writing Journals in Kindergarten

Word Bank Writing Centers for Kindergarten

Teaching Letters & Sounds in Kindergarten

THIS ACTIVITY GOES WELL WITH THESE SIMPLY KINDER RESOURCES:

Setting Up a Writing Center

You want to create a writing center space that is inviting and accessible to students. These tips will help you set up the ideal writing center for your classroom.

1. Consider your classroom space when setting up your writing center. Do you have room for a longer table or connected desks? Will your writing center need to be mobile or easily moved around the classroom?

2. Provide seating that is comfortable and flexible. Stools, beanbags, saucer chairs, or ottomans will work well at your writing center.

3. Incorporate fun school supplies for students to use. Fill supply caddies or small organizing drawers with markers, pens, crayons, glue sticks, fun pencils, scissors, tape, and a stapler. Students will enjoy getting to use writing tools they wouldn’t use on a regular basis.

4. Store writing activities or paper in a way that is easy for students to access. Stacked paper trays are a great option. Other ideas would be file folders or individual paper trays.

5. Display reference tools that students will need while working independently at the writing center. If wall space is limited, you can use a tri-fold project board that can be moved around the room. Anchor charts, vocabulary word banks, and examples will be helpful for students to see when visiting the writing center.

Managing a Writing Center

Managing your writing center well will ensure that it provides meaningful and intentional opportunities for your students to improve their writing abilities.

1. Decide how often your students will visit the writing center and create a schedule that students can follow.

2. Practice routines and procedures for using the writing center. Model how to use materials and the writing activities you will provide for students.

Tip: It is helpful for students to know where to store unfinished writing activities and for them to take ownership of keeping the writing center organized.

2. Come up with a routine for rotating the materials at your writing center. Swap out writing utensils, refresh supplies, and writing activities on a consistent basis.

3. Choose writing activities that provide differentiation to meet all the needs of your students. Our word bank writing centers available HERE at Simply Kinder is the perfect fit for any student in your class. Students can label a picture, create a list, write sentences, make a book, or respond to story prompts centered around a theme.

4. Give students a choice when they visit the writing center by providing several writing activity options. This will increase student engagement as well.

Other Writing Center Ideas

1. Encourage student collaboration at the writing center. This is a perfect time for students to share writing pieces with their peers and to discuss ideas.

2. Utilize the writing center as an early finisher activity or allow students to revisit the writing center throughout the week if they need to complete unfinished writing activities.

FREE WRITING CENTER:

You can try out a FREE writing center all about our classroom by entering your information below. The Simply Kinder Freebie fairy will send it right to your inbox. Already a Simply Kinder + Printable Member, grab the entire bundle HERE now!

Grab your yearlong kindergarten writing center bundle HERE for everything you need to implement a successful writing center. Our bundle includes 7 different writing activities for each theme and a variety of vocabulary options to assist students with their writing. With 46 themed options, your writing center will be a favorite all year long!