Teaching Writing the First Week of School: Don’t Forget These Three Things

A smiling elementary school girl in a yellow sweater writes at her desk during class, with the blog title “Teaching Writing the First Week of School: Don’t Forget These Three Things” displayed.
Start your writing block off strong with these three simple, teacher-tested strategies for the first week of school.

The first week of school can feel like a whirlwind — assemblies, baseline assessments, unpacking mountains of supplies (how do 27 tissue boxes even fit in one classroom?), and just getting everyone settled. Writing might not seem like the most urgent thing to tackle… but here’s the truth: the sooner you set your foundation, the smoother the rest of the year will be.

Here are three simple ways to start strong without adding stress.

1. Lay the Foundation

Before diving into specific assignments, take time to introduce your students to the writing process and the traits of writing. This gives everyone the same base knowledge to build on throughout the year.

One of the easiest ways to do this? Incorporate read-alouds — even with older grades. Picture books are short, engaging, and give all students a shared text to refer to in lessons. Choose a few that highlight strong writing traits or show the stages of the writing process.

Helpful resources: [Traits of Writing resource] and [Writing Process resource]

A diverse group of smiling upper elementary students walk down a school hallway carrying colorful backpacks, with the text “Backpacks In. Game On — Start the Year Strong” over a yellow banner.
The first week of school is here — make every minute count with engaging, purposeful activities that set the tone for learning.

2. Get an Extended Writing Sample

Before any formal lessons, have students complete an extended writing sample. This serves two important purposes:

  • It shows you their current strengths and needs.

  • It creates a baseline that you and your students can refer back to when setting goals and measuring progress.

To make scoring and peer review easier, start with the same topic or prompt for everyone. This way, you can teach students how to evaluate their own work and give feedback to peers using a consistent example.

Prompt ideas:

  • Summer Camp Adventure

  • My Summer Vacation

  • My Crazy First Day of School

(We have ready-to-use versions of all three right here: My Summer Camp Adventure, My Summer Vacation, The Craziest First Day of School)

3. Give a Writing Survey

Before students even pick up a pencil, find out how they feel about writing. A short, kid-friendly writing survey can give you valuable insight into their confidence, struggles, and attitudes toward writing.

Sample questions:

  • How do you feel when you hear the word “writing”?

  • What is your favorite type of writing?

  • What’s the hardest part of writing for you?

  • What is something you’re proud of in your writing?

When students share their thoughts, you can start the year with a clearer understanding of where they’re coming from — and they’ll feel seen and heard.

Need a ready-to-use writing survey? Grab my free one here!<


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A classroom of upper elementary students sitting at desks, writing in notebooks, with the text “Start the Year with a Writing Win” displayed over a yellow banner.
Engage students right away with meaningful writing activities that set a positive tone for the year.

Final Thought

The first week of school will always be full of distractions. You may have assemblies, technology glitches, and more glue sticks than any human could possibly store. But these three steps will give you and your students a solid base to build on all year.

Next week, we’ll build on this by looking at how to create a classroom writing rubric together and how to add writing conferences into your routine — without making it overwhelming.

Want to Know What Your Students Really Think About Writing?
Get my free, ready-to-use Student Writing Survey and find out how your students feel about writing before they even pick up a pencil. It’s quick, insightful, and will help you plan lessons that meet them where they are.