First grade students writing in English as a second language (ESL) are not that different from first grade students writing in English as a first language, because students are only beginning to learn how to write in the first grade. The key difference between ESL and native English speaking first graders is that the latter already recognize much of the spoken vocabulary. In both cases, students rely on listening, speaking, reading and writing as integrated activities.

Interactive Alphabet
For an interactive writing lesson in the classroom, have students come to a dry erase or chalk board and write letters of the alphabet. When the student writes the letter correctly, then invite the other students to identify words that begin with the given letter and assist the student at the board in writing several of the words. Have each ESL first-grader take a turn at the board. Teachers can also use variations on this theme, having students write words instead of letters or write words with similar phonetic and written endings (such as cot, dot, got, hot, and jot).

Dolch Word List
A list of 220 commonly used words that cannot be sounded out phonetically is called the Dolch list, after Edward William Dolch, who first analyzed text to compose the list. These words can be used in simple sentences that are then written repeatedly to achieve sight recognition. One such writing lesson would provide students with sentences where one of the words in the sentence is replaced by a picture and the ESL first-grader then writes the missing word.

The Me Book
Teachers can provide small blank composition books to ESL first-graders and guide them through a series of prompts to help each student create a book about himself. The cover will have a self-portrait and the ESL student’s name. Inside, the students will write “I like ___ to eat,” with a picture of their favorite food. Other pages will include favorite colors, pastimes, animals and toys. Students will learn basic sentence structure and how to write frequently spoken words.

Mapping the Family
Family is the one important experience ESL first-graders all have in common. Naming kinships is a basic skill for learning any second language. Have the students draw all the members of their family at home on pieces of paper. Then have them label the various members of the family, such as father, mother, brother, sister, step-father, aunt or grandmother. They can then place the labeled drawings on a family tree diagram, or in various rooms in a house diagram or around a diagram of the dinner table. Remember that many non-English-speaking families do not conform to the nuclear-family model associated with many English-speaking countries.

Colors, Animals and Other Lists
Any list of easily recognizable items or qualities can serve as a written vocabulary lesson. Give ESL first-graders worksheets with pictures of animals, colors, shapes or common household items. Go over the list with them, writing each of the words on the board. Direct the students to write the same words, one letter at a time, in the appropriate space under the images on the worksheets. The students can recite the letters out loud as they write and repeat the words together.