Standard: K.W.2 – Use a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing to compose informative/explanatory texts in which they name what they are writing about and supply some information about the topic.
Grade level: Kindergarten
Subject: English Language Arts
Domain: Writing
Teacher Overview
This standard focuses on helping Kindergarten students use a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing to create informative texts. It is important because it lays the foundation for future writing skills by encouraging students to express their ideas clearly and coherently. Students should be able to draw simple pictures, understand that pictures can convey meaning, and speak in complete sentences about their drawings.
After mastering this standard, students will be able to write more detailed and organized informative texts, using descriptive language and structured sentences.
Common Misconception 1
Some students may think that just drawing a picture is enough to meet the standard. This is incorrect because the standard requires both drawing and writing to explain the topic.
Intervention 1
To address this, teachers can model how to add a sentence to a drawing and provide sentence starters to help students begin their writing.
Common Misconception 2
Another common misconception is that students must write perfectly. This can cause anxiety and reluctance to write. The focus should be on content rather than perfection.
Intervention 2
Teachers can emphasize the importance of expressing ideas and praise students for their effort, creativity, and improvement, rather than just correctness.
Prerequisite Knowledge
Students should be familiar with basic drawing skills, understand that pictures can represent ideas, and have some experience with speaking in complete sentences.
Subsequent Knowledge
Students will develop the ability to write more detailed and structured informative texts, use descriptive language, and organize their writing more effectively.
Instructional Activities
- Have students draw a picture of their favorite animal and write one sentence about it.
- Create a class book where each student contributes a drawing and a dictated sentence about a shared topic.
- Organize a ‘show and tell’ where students draw and write about an item they bring from home.
