Guided Writing
Stages and Characteristics to Look for In Writers
The first 3 stages describe children who have not made the soundto-symbol connection but are beginning to understand that marks
on paper convey a message.
Stage A – Pictorial Writer (Scribbling)
Characteristics of Writing
What to Model
1. communicates by drawing or
*choosing a topic
making random marks
*telling about drawing
2. may or may not be able to tell about
*responding orally to pictures
pictures or marks (no understanding
*labeling elements of a drawing
that symbols convey a message)
*using symbols
*making letters – those in his/her
name and starting consonants
*choral reading with repetitive texts
*left to right
*spacing
Stage B – Verbal Informer (Linear Direction)
Characteristics of Writing
What to Model
1. chooses own topic
*responding orally to picture prompts
2. tells about pictures
*telling about pictures while drawing
3. drawing contains few details
-what’s happening
4. may make random symbols
-descriptive attributes
5. some letters and numbers show
*labeling drawings with starting
great variation of form and have no
consonants
relation to sound
*writing a two sentence message
below the drawing
*making letters – those in his/her
name and starting consonants
*choral reading with repetitive texts
*left-to-right
*spacing
Stage 1 – Letter Copier (Random Letters)
Characteristics of Writing
What to Model
1. chooses own topic
*responding orally to picture prompts
2. may draw or cut and paste pictures
*telling about pictures orally and in
3. tell about pictures
writing
4. labels drawing with symbols or
-what’s happening
letters
-descriptive attributes
5. may write strings of letters (often
*writing a two sentence message
those in name) with no sound-symbol
below the drawing using label letters
relation
and symbols
6. copies environmental print and text
*letter to sound connection
from books
*list making: symbols and pictures
*choral reading with repetitive texts
*left to right
*spacing
*text wrapping
*stressing the beginning sound of a
word
*showing the one-to-one
correspondence of written and spoken
words using dictation (child repeats
and traces your writing)
Stage 2 and 3 describe children who are learning that letters
represent language sounds and that words and text convey
meaning.
Stage 2 – Labeler (Beginning Consonants)
Characteristics of Writing
What to Model
1. chooses own topic
*picture-prompted writing for target-
2. drawing is more detailed
skill concepts
3. labels important parts of the
*telling about pictures
drawing with the starting letter of the
-what’s happening
word
-where things are
4. tells about the drawing with details
integrated
-descriptive attribute of color,
number, size
5. writes strings of consonants with
*choral reading with repetitive texts
some sound-symbol relationship
*left-to-right
6. left-to-right movement of writingf
*spacing
*text-wrapping
*single starting-consonant writing
*writing 2 or more related sentences
about the topic (drawing)
*list making
*period at the end of all writing
Stage 3 – Inventory (Beginning/Ending Sounds)
Characteristics of Writing
What to Model
1. chooses own topic
*picture-prompted writing response
2. tells about picture
*using target skills
3. writes with letter-to-word
*consonant writing, including blends
correspondence (b is boy)
*listening for and adding ending
4. some words consist of first and last
sounds
consonants
*writing several related sentences
5. begins to write inventory of known
*using spaces
letters, words, or phrases
*editing by ear for periods at end of
sentences
Stages 4 and 5 describe children who understand which letters
represent which language sounds and that words and sentences
follow a standard form.
Stage 4 – Sentence Maker (Beginning, Middle, and Ending Sounds)
Characteristics of Writing
What to Model
1. chooses own topic
*picture-prompted writing response
2. more emphasis on writing than
for target-skill concept
drawing
*using target skill in description and
3. begins to use spaces
informational writing
4. generates strings of words using
*list making
first and last consonant, some medial
*creating titles
vowels, words learned
*skipping lines
5. may wrap text
*editing by ear for punctuation
6. begins to put periods at end of
*writing several related sentences
writing
about a topic
*starting a new page for continuing
text
*using word banks and environmental
text for writing words
*using a question, exclamation, or
onomatopoeia for a hook
Stage 5 – Information Communicator/Story Maker (Transitional)
Characteristics of Writing
What to Model
1. chooses own topic
*picture-prompted writing response
2. emphasis mainly on writing
for target-skill concept
3. drawing often follows writing
*using target skill in description and
4. more consistency in letter form
information writing
(lowercase and uppercase)
*list making
5. uses blends, digraphs, medial
*creating titles
vowels
*skipping lines
6. writes more than one sentence
*editing by ear for punctuation
about an idea or topic
*writing several related sentences
about a topic
*starting a new page for continuing
text
*using word banks and environmental
texts for writing words
*using a question, exclamation, or
onomatopoeia for a hook
*additive revision
*expanding sentences with where and
when phrases
*concrete sorting of information for
and expository piece
*using attributes, verbs, comparisons
in description
*using transition in narrative
*capital letter to start sentences and a
person’s name