Writing at the Beginning of the Year in Kindergarten - LABELING FREEBIE
K-1 LABELING UNIT
How do I teach my kindergarten and first grade students to write?
I think every teacher has wondered this at some point. It can seem overwhelming... especially when getting started.
I am so excited to share with you how I tackle writing and writer’s workshop!
I will share FREEBIES you can try with your students as well.
Writing in kindergarten and first grade does not have to be stressful.
Our writing curriculum is completely different from others you have tried.
I will be taking you from the the first few weeks in kindergarten all the way through the end of the year.
Our units are sequential and progress with the standards throughout the school year as students' skills develop.
Labeling is the very first unit I teach in both kindergarten and first grade.
This is the perfect introduction to both reading and writing in kindergarten, and great review to start your year in first grade.
I just updated this best selling labeling unit to include even more activities!
The new worksheets and centers shown above are not included on this blog post yet, but you can view them all on TPT on the product preview.
BILINGUAL ACTIVITIES: all of my writing units have also been translated to Spanish as a FREE bonus.
Let’s get started with labeling!
At the beginning of the year, students are learning that words have meaning.
Letters and words can be used to represent plants, animals, objects, places and people in the world around them and on paper.
I often start with using little note cards to label all of the objects in our classroom.
Having print in our classroom environment helps students associate words with the world around them.
Then I do a lesson on "Labeling the Teacher" which they always think is so funny.
We use little stick on notes to label me!
Next, we move on to our anchor charts. The cat is shown above, and the tree is shown below.
These posters come in different formats - one being a large 16x20 poster you can hang up.
We discuss the different parts of the tree (and cat on a separate poster) and how we can use words to label each part.
One poster has the words written on the labels, and the other has blank labels.
Then, we jump right in and students get to label pictures!
At this point in the year, most of my students do not how to write their letters with correct directionality yet.
So while we are working on mastering that, I have my students use pre-formatted labels.
Cutting and using glue can be a lot for my kinders in August and September, so these sticker labels are a life saver!
Plus my students are always so excited to use them.
I have them formatted to print on regular Avery 5160 labels.
They also come formatted for regular copy paper if you prefer to do cut/paste with your students.
Six sets print per page, so prep is super quick - I just print and cut the sets apart so they are ready to pass out.
I made different versions of each “label the picture” set.
Some students need practice matching the letters, so the words are already on the labels.
I encourage students to look at the letters and match the words.
This is the perfect activity for beginning of the year in kindergarten as we are working on letter identification and matching!
Twelve themes are now included!
The labeling activities also come with no words for students who are ready to start decoding - I encourage them to look at the first couple of letters on the labels and practice sounding out the words.
I ask them, “What word would make sense here?”
The color versions are perfect for literacy centers! Laminate the posters and labels and you’re set! It is self-correcting because the color versions already have the words written in so students simply match the labels.
This build confidence very quickly.
Plus, how fun are these mini books? No glue, scissors or stickers!
Perfect for whole group, small groups or even literacy centers. Students draw lines from the word in the box to the correct part of the picture.
This is perfect practice for students to look at the first letter/sound in each word and think…
“What word would make sense here?”
Five themed mini books are included.
Students enjoy the routine of these mini readers and get really good at looking at the picture, looking at the words and connecting the two to make sense.
What is going on in the picture, and what words would make sense here? Words have meaning!
WATCH THIS QUICK VIDEO ABOUT THE LABELING UNIT
This unit is an excellent way for kindergarten students to start the year with writing!
Words have meaning, and when we put letters together in a specific way, we can create new words!
All the prep work is done for you, and this is the first unit in my new kindergarten writing series.
The units are sequential and progressively get harder throughout the school year as students' skills develop.
UPDATE: FREE BONUS DIGITAL TASK CARDS
I now include FREE coordinating digital Boom Cards to support all of my writing units!
These digital task cards are self correcting, so students know right away if their answer is correct.
Audio is included onto the slides, so students can be 100% independent with these activities in a writing center.
They also work so well for whole group lessons and teaching in online classes.
More information on how to use these cards is included in your download, or GO HERE
Watch this quick video to learn more.
Let’s get started with our labeling unit!
“LOVE THIS!! I've been using this in my classroom and it has helped my students so much! The graphics are easy to look at and my students love them!”
“The different levels of support are great. These are simple activities that really support kindergarteners in developing the skill of labeling, and taking the beginning steps to writing! Thank you!”
“By far the best writing kindergarten product out there. I AM A HUGE FAN!”
K-1 WRITING UNITS FOR THE ENTIRE YEAR
Click each unit below to learn more!
SAVE WITH THE WRITING BUNDLE
If you’re new to my writing series, you can download my FREE primary writing curriculum map HERE
This will walk you through the entire scope and sequence of how I teach writing throughout the school year.