Joyful Writing: Fostering Young Writers in PreK and K
Nurture young children’s love for writing through storytelling, drawing, and book making.
This workshop guides early childhood teachers in building joyful writing communities through play, storytelling, book making, and drawing. Participants learn to view children’s early writing with fresh insight and plan purposeful lessons that build confidence, develop craft, and support foundational writing conventions.
- Classroom Teachers & Interventionists
Discover how to nurture joyful, confident early writers in your classroom. This workshop invites teachers to explore the foundations of the writing process and examine how playful, developmentally appropriate practices support young children as they grow as storytellers and book makers. Bring samples of student writing and learn to view children’s marks, drawings, and attempts at writing through a new lens— one that highlights their strengths, intentions, and emerging skills.
Participants will learn to:
- Build a community of young writers through playful, collaborative learning
- Engage children in oral storytelling as a foundation for writing
- Help students develop their writing identities by creating books of their own
- Utilize drawing to help children know what they can do as writers and artists
- Plan and facilitate purposeful focus lessons on writing craft and early conventions
You’ll earn 5 professional development hours in this training.
Heather Rodman, Literacy Trainer
Prior to joining the Center for Literacy Teaching and Instructional Leadership as a Primary Trainer, Heather was a Kindergarten, first, second, third, and fourth grade classroom teacher in Middletown, CT for 16 years. She was also a Primary Literacy Coordinator for five years where she provided literacy training and coaching to K-5 teachers. In addition, she was a member of the Connecticut Department of Education Common Core State Standards Curriculum Design Team for English Language Arts.
Required Materials (mailed to you as part of registration)
- Engaging Young Writers by Matt Glover
Cancellation Deadline & Refund Policies
You have until one week before the first day of this offering to cancel your registration. The cancellation deadline is Wednesday, March 18, 2026 and you will be charged a $50 processing fee. Email centerliteracyteaching@lesley.edu if you have a cancellation or substitution request. Regardless of weather conditions, if the event is held but you cannot attend, you will be billed for the full amount.
Registration Deadline
The registration deadline is 5pm on March 24, 2026.
Requirements for Participation
After the training, you will receive a certificate of attendance for your participation. To receive a complete certificate, participation during the specified times is required. Additional work may be assigned to meet the professional development hours.
In-Person at Lesley University or Virtual Attendance
You may choose to attend this training in-person at Lesley University or virtually in real time. Should any of the conditions change and it is determined the training will be offered virtually only, you will be notified as soon as possible. We recommend that you contact us before reserving travel and lodging.
If you choose to attend in-person, the training room will have Lesley University’s HyFlex Classroom Technology to support an engaging learning environment for in-person and virtual participants. If you have questions about in-person or virtual attendance, please email us at centerliteracyteaching@lesley.edu.
On-Site Professional Development
We can deliver this training to your school/district. This option can be delivered virtually or in-person for a group within your school/district. For detailed costs, complete our online form to request this training for your school/district and we will contact you.
Interested in professional learning at your school or district? Schedule a meeting with one of our faculty trainers.
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