When I first started teaching, my district provided a writing curriculum that told my students to just go off and write... in August. And every part of me knew that wasn't right. 5 and 6 year olds need explicit Instruction. They need oral storytelling, drawing time, modeling, guidance, and space to build confidence before anyone ever asks them to write independently.
So I shut my door. I trusted my instincts. And I started creating writing lessons that were developmentally appropriate, research-based, and actually made sense for early writers. As I taught those lessons, I watched my students' confidence grow, their drawings become more detailed, their sentences take shape, and their writing soar.
Those lessons eventually became the writing units and mentor texts I create today. Everything I make is rooted in what worked in my own classroom with real kids and what wish every teacher had access to when teaching writing.
If you are ready to rethink your writing block, I would love to help. Explore my Growing Writers mentor texts and kindergarten writing curriculum to give your students the clear, step-by-step writing instruction they deserve.