One advantage of using picture books is they show the link between reading and writing. Choose books that have the words positioned away from the pictures. This makes it easier to cover up the words. Once the words are covered, have the students look through the book and write their own stories, based on what they see. You will be surprised by how many different stories the students will write. Then read the book and have them compare the original story to their versions.
Not only are journals a way to have students practice writing every day, they are also a way for the students to keep a memento of their school years. You can have the students make their own journals using construction paper and copy paper, or buy premade journals from an office supply store. You can give the students a topic to write about or they can write about what they learned that day.
An idea box is simply a shoe box covered in paper and stickers. Cut an opening at the top large enough for a child's hand to fit through. Fill the box with different objects. You can use anything from items about your next lesson, to trinkets you find around the house. Let one student pull out an item, and then have the class write a story with that item in it. Have the students add pictures and share their stories.
Round-robin writing is a way for students to put their heads together to create one story. Give the students a starter sentence, such as "Tommy was late for school," and have the students write for three minutes. Next, have the students rotate their papers in a group. Those students will read the story and continue writing it for three minutes. Do this for three rounds. The students will read their final story to see how it has changed.