Do not encourage children to censor their writing straight away. Editing and censoring to fit certain rules is necessary, but only after they have started on two or three paragraphs. If you load them with rules before they begin, they may not have the confidence to fully explore their creativity. Concentrate on pushing them to scrawl down as many thoughts and ideas as possible.
Ask children to think of certain topics of interest they might have. This could range from memories and pets to family members or hobbies. Ask them to write about the chosen interest in as much detail as possible. This way children practice writing compositions without having to concentrate on too much research.
Let students know that writing is suited to different audiences and explain the role of genres in writing. Point out that different genres suit different audiences. Explain that the purpose of a report is to inform the reader on information about a certain subject, whereas the purpose of a story is the reader's enjoyment or entertainment.
Second grade students should be aware of certain structural requirements in different types of writing. For creative writing, they should be aware of a beginning, middle and end, while they should know that writing an essay or report requires an introduction, body and conclusion. Ensure that they are capable of separating their writing in this way.