The start of the school year sets the tone for everything that follows, especially in teaching writing. It’s a fresh start for your students—a chance for them to build confidence, get excited about writing, and see themselves as capable, successful writers.

With the right mindset and routines, you can meet all your students’ needs and create a classroom where writing feels meaningful and achievable.

In this post, we’ll cover three common mistakes teachers make when teaching writing, and what you can do instead to help your students become independent, confident writers from day one.

Mistake #1: Spelling Words for Students

When a student asks how to spell a word, it’s tempting to just give them the answer, especially when you’re short on time. But constantly spelling words for students, even if it only takes a moment, takes away valuable opportunities for them to apply their phonics knowledge, build independence, and develop spelling skills.

That doesn’t mean you overlook their challenges. Instead, in addition to teaching spelling explicitly, provide tools like sound walls, personal dictionaries, and anchor charts. Encourage kids to say the word slowly and write the sounds they hear. This is especially helpful when students are working on invented spelling (phonetic spelling) or using known phonics patterns. You’ll be amazed at how much they can do when given the chance to try – and invented spelling has been shown to have a positive impact on students’ phonics learning!

Want help supporting your students’ spelling as part of their writing development? For a deeper dive, check out my Writing SOS Masterclass—the spelling portion starts around Slide 34 (“How to Improve Students’ Spelling”) and continues through Slide 39 (“Be Consistent with Your Expectations”).

As you think about spelling support, it’s also important to consider how much help you’re giving students with their sentence writing, which brings us to…

Mistake #2: Giving Students Too Much Support with Sentence Writing

Providing sentence frames, sentence starters, or pre-written models can be a helpful scaffold. However, if used too much or for too long (especially at the beginning of the school year), they can actually hold students back.

At the start of the year, your goal is to build confidence. Students need to see that they can come up with their own ideas and write sentences independently. It’s okay if their first attempts are messy or incomplete. What matters is helping them believe in their ability to become effective writers.

This looks different depending on the grade level. For kindergarteners, sentence writing may not happen right away, and that’s okay. Begin with drawing, labeling pictures with known sounds, and gradually move into writing simple sentences as students are ready.

Helping students build independence with sentence writing is just one part of the puzzle—and it starts with explicit instruction. Students need to be taught how to write sentences step by step, not just prompted to do so. This process is broken down in detail in the Writing SOS Masterclass, which provides clear strategies for teaching sentence writing in a way that builds student confidence and independence.

Independent writing time is often when students look to adults for quick answers. But instead of solving problems for them, we want to teach them how to work through challenges on their own.

Mistake #3: Doing the Problem-Solving for Them

When students get stuck, their first instinct is often to raise their hand or follow you around the room. But that kind of dependence can hold them back as writers.

Instead of jumping in with answers, model how they can find support on their own. It might take a little more time at first, but it builds lasting independence. Show students how to use anchor charts, re-read their writing, or ask a peer for help.

These effective strategies help them feel capable and confident. When you confer with students, try asking questions like, “What do you want to say here?” or “Where could you look to figure that out?” Small shifts like these promote problem-solving and help students take ownership of their writing.

In my classroom, I would always tell students to “try three, then me.” This meant they needed to try three different strategies, like checking a chart, asking a classmate, or rereading their sentence, before coming to me for help. It gave them tools to try first and helped build confidence in their ability to figure things out on their own.

Fostering independence is key, but students also need to understand why they’re writing in the first place. When writing feels purposeful, they’re much more likely to stay engaged and motivated.

Set a Purpose for Writing from Day One

When students understand why they’re writing, it builds buy-in and excitement. A great first step is showing them that writing isn’t just for school. It’s a way to share ideas, tell stories, teach others, and express themselves to wider audiences—beyond just their teacher, families, and classmates. Writers create for different purposes, whether it’s to inform, persuade, entertain, or explore ideas through creative writing. Helping students see themselves as real writers with something to say sets a strong foundation for the year.

You might try reading mentor texts from various genres together and asking, “Why do you think the author wrote this?” Or give students a chance to write about themselves in fun ways (like an “All About Me” book or a class blog). Making writing feel meaningful early on helps students feel like real writers, and that mindset sticks.

Once students see themselves as writers with something meaningful to say, the next step is giving them a structure that supports their growth.

Build a Predictable Routine

A predictable routine for teaching writing helps students feel secure and confident. Even something as simple as mini lesson → independent writing time → sharing time can make a big difference. When kids know what to expect, they settle in quicker and stay more focused. During your mini lessons, focus on one manageable skill at a time, like adding details, using punctuation, or stretching out a sentence.

During independent writing time, you can meet with students one-on-one or in small groups to offer constructive feedback, help them identify next steps, and support their growth as writers. Peer review is another great tool. It gives students the chance to share their work and receive feedback, even on days when individual conferences aren’t possible. This also strengthens their critical thinking and communication skills.

At the end of writing time, use the share portion to spotlight a student example that reinforces your mini-lesson goal. I also recommend giving kids time to quickly share with a peer, so everyone gets a chance to share every day (or most days). Over time, this routine helps students internalize key writing skills and recognize growth in their own work and their peers’. This consistent structure not only supports basic writing skills development but also gives students regular opportunities to reflect on and strengthen their own writing over time.

Try posting your writing schedule—like the one found in the Second Grade Writing Workshop Bundle—somewhere visible and practice those transitions early on. Start with short, manageable chunks and build stamina as the year goes on; a predictable routine helps students focus on writing instead of asking, “How much time is left?”

For more support, check out the Kindergarten, First Grade, and Second Grade Writing Workshop Bundles. Each includes 8 units with detailed mini lessons, rubrics, visuals, and everything you need to launch a strong writing block.

Want more tips for launching Writer’s Workshop in your specific grade levels? If you teach first or second grade, check out this blog. If you’re teaching writing in kindergarten, head to this blog for ideas just for that age group.

With a clear routine and the right supports in place, your writing block becomes a space where students know what to expect and feel confident diving in.

Why This Matters

What you do at the beginning of the year matters. When you focus on building confidence, independence, and clear expectations, your student writers will be proud of their own writing skills and stick with it.

If you’re looking to support striving writers or simply want to strengthen your writing instruction this year, the Writing SOS Masterclass is for you. This professional development will give you clear, practical strategies to help your students grow as writers all year long.

In the Writing SOS Masterclass, you’ll learn:

• Practical ideas for bringing joy and engagement into your writing instruction
• Why so many students struggle with writing
• What the research says about building a strong writing foundation in K–2
• How to teach students to spell words correctly in their writing
• How to teach students to write complete and correct sentences
• How to help students move from writing single sentences to multiple connected sentences
• Strategies for supporting kids who struggle to work independently during writing time

Happy Teaching!