4 Tips for Teaching 2nd Grade Writing

Teaching writing at the second grade level is a task that requires patience and appropriate strategies. While it might seem easy to write at a second grade level, students are still learning the basic skills required to form words, sentences and paragraphs that create a written project. Teachers can follow a few tricks to help improve student abilities to write.

Review the Basics

Although students in the second grade know letters, words and basic sentences, they need to spend some time reviewing the skills learned in first grade before moving forward. According to Time4Writing.com, second grade students are ready to start exploring the differences in writing styles and developing an awareness of their audience. By taking time to review the basics of writing and sentence structure, teachers are providing the opportunity to provide lessons related to audience awareness.

Early in the year, teachers should review the lessons learned in first grade and provide lessons in pre-writing skills. Those skills are the key to developing paragraphs, essays and stories. It sets the foundation that teachers can build on throughout the year.

Start at the Beginning

Teaching a classroom of students to write at the second grade level must start at the beginning. Southwood Elementary School teacher Mrs. Pennino requires her students to learn beginning hooks to get started in writing. By starting from the hook and working on developing the story or essay from that point, students are learning the basics of outlining and developing ideas.

The hook is always the beginning and teachers need to explore that point before moving into developing a paragraph from that first sentence. It helps develop an awareness of the audience and teaches students that they should always start at the beginning and work out from the points they hope to make.

The first sentence or paragraph sets the foundation to build the entire essay or story. It develops the main points of the written work and allows a student to work on developing support for the points. Teachers can begin lessons in paragraph development and writing by focusing on finding points.

Have Students Write in a Journal

Student journals are an effective teaching tool that allows students to practice the writing skills as they learn. A dialogue journal helps students learn to put their thoughts into sentences and writing. Although teachers cannot write a dialogue journal with every student each day, having students spend a short time writing in a journal about different topics will help develop the same skills.

The journal writing activity can help students practice on developing thoughts, basic writing skills and telling their ideas in a sentence and paragraph form. As students learn new lessons, the writing activity can develop and change to reflect the new tasks, lessons and ideas that students are developing.

A daily journal allows teachers to evaluate student growth and performance. It also allows teachers to catch weaknesses early and work on a plan to improve the writing skills before students become confused.

Employ Worksheets in the Classroom

In early education, worksheets are a powerful learning tool that teachers can use to help students learn new ideas, lessons and information. While teaching writing second grade, a challenge that teachers might face is the grammar lessons. Worksheets help teachers with grammar lessons because it shows several examples that students can apply to their writing activities.

Worksheets are also useful for the practice students obtain while working on questions or problems. The questions on the worksheets help students develop a complete understanding of conjunctions, verbs, nouns, transition words and similar skills that are required for effective writing.

Worksheets can help students learn different skills based on their grade level, writing abilities and the lessons that teachers are providing. It offers the opportunity to work through the ideas before students apply it in writing assignments.

Teaching writing to second graders is a task that requires patience and the right teaching tools. Although teachers have a wide range of activities, tools and options available, it is the practice and style of teaching that helps improve student performance. By providing a wide range of opportunities to practice, teachers are allowing students to develop effective writing skills.