Have kindergartners start with tracing basic letters and words. Handwriting worksheets that allow them to trace certain letters and words are encouraging for them, especially if they receive plenty of praise after completing them.
Have students read more. Kindergartners who read more end up also writing more. Have kindergartners copy short stories from books they enjoy. This will help them to see how to create story structure.
Practice, practice and practice some more. Children need all the practice they can get when establishing and conquering a new skill such as writing. Continue with handwriting worksheets, fill-in-the-blank type worksheets and other writing activities to hone their skills.
Teach children to predict what a poem is going to be about. First, read the title of the poem aloud to the class. Then let children talk among themselves and announce what they believe the poem will be about. This will create excitement about learning poetry. Be sure to read the poem aloud to the class.
Discuss vocabulary words within the poem. Have students highlight or underline vocabulary words that they find interesting or may not understand. Discuss all of the terms and words with them at an age-appropriate level. Ask your students if they think the meaning of the poem is different now that they understand all the vocabulary words.
Go over rhyming words. Discuss any rhyming words within the poem you are using. You can also discuss how some poems may rhyme, while others do not. Give an example of both. You can have students create a list of rhyming words on the board.
Go over comprehension. Ask open-ended questions about the poem such as, "What happened to character x in this poem?"
Give students a copy of the poem with a space to draw a picture of their rendition of the poem.