Publishing What You Wrote
A 35-minute Kindergarten lesson on preparing a piece for somebody else to read, and using a device to share it.
Publishing What You Wrote is a free 35-minute Kindergarten English lesson plan for Common Core standard W.K.6 — use a computer or tablet, with help, to make and share a piece of writing. It is timed across 5 sections, gives the exact wording to use where the wording carries the mathematics, names 3 misconceptions with the teaching move that addresses each, and ends with an exit ticket and a printable worksheet with its answer key.
- Grade:
- Kindergarten
- Length:
- 35 minutes
- Standard:
- W.K.6
Kindergarten · Writing
W.K.6
With guidance and support from adults, explore a variety of digital tools to produce and publish writing, including in collaboration with peers.
Objective
Students will be able to prepare a short piece of writing for a reader who is not in the room.
Students are successful when they can
- Names who will read it.
- Checks it makes sense to somebody who was not there.
- Types or records it with help.
What you need
- A tablet or a computer, one between four
- A real audience — another class, a display, a family newsletter
- The printable practice sheet linked at the end of this plan
The lesson
Warm-up — who is going to read this?
5 min- Name the real audience. It has to be real.
- Ask what that person already knows, and what they do not.
“They were not here. They do not know who Sam is. So we have to say.”
Teach — writing for somebody who was not there
11 min- Read a piece that assumes too much: 'Then he did it again and we all laughed.'
- Ask what the reader would not understand. Who is he? Did what?
- Fix it together, out loud, then in writing.
- Type two sentences on the device while they watch, saying what you are doing.
- Show that typing is slower than writing at this stage, and that it is worth it because it can be sent.
Guided practice — read it to a stranger's ear
9 min- Pairs read their piece to each other pretending to know nothing about it.
- The listener says every place they were confused.
- The writer fixes one of them.
Independent practice
8 min- Groups take turns typing their sentences with adult support.
- Those waiting complete the writing page.
Close
2 min- Read one typed piece aloud as the audience would receive it.
- Ask whether it makes sense without anyone explaining.
What goes wrong, and why
Each of these is a reasoning error rather than carelessness. The fix addresses the reasoning.
Assumes the reader knows the people and the events.
Why: The writer knows them, and there is no experience of a reader who does not.
Fix: Make the audience real and absent. Reading it aloud to somebody who genuinely was not there is the only convincing test.
Spends the whole session hunting for letters on the keyboard.
Why: The keyboard is unfamiliar and finding letters is genuinely slow.
Fix: Type only two sentences. The standard is about producing and publishing with support, not about typing speed.
Changes the words while typing and loses the sense.
Why: Retyping from a page is hard, and dropping a word is easy.
Fix: Read the typed version back against the handwritten one. Reading back is part of the job, not a check on it.
If they are not there yet
- Type it for them while they read it aloud to you.
- Record it as audio instead. Publishing does not have to mean typing.
If they finish early
- Add a title.
- Choose which of two pieces to publish, and say why.
- Write a one-line introduction for the reader.
Exit ticket
Who is going to read this? What did you have to explain to them that you did not have to explain to us?
What to look for: Naming one thing added for the absent reader. That is the whole skill; the typing is the medium.
Printable practice for W.K.6
Free to print and copy, answer key included. Each sheet can generate a fresh set of problems for a retake.
- Plan Before You TypeDraw in the space, then write on the lines.
Questions about Publishing What You Wrote
How long does the Publishing What You Wrote lesson take?
35 minutes, split across 5 timed sections: warm-up 5 min, teach 11 min, guided practice 9 min, independent practice 8 min, close 2 min. The minutes are stated per section and add up to the stated length, so the plan can be cut or extended at a section boundary rather than abandoned halfway.
Which standard does Publishing What You Wrote teach?
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.K.6 — W.K.6, Writing for Kindergarten: “With guidance and support from adults, explore a variety of digital tools to produce and publish writing, including in collaboration with peers.” In plain terms, use a computer or tablet, with help, to make and share a piece of writing.
What do I need to teach this lesson?
A tablet or a computer, one between four, a real audience — another class, a display, a family newsletter and the printable practice sheet linked at the end of this plan. Everything listed is either ordinary classroom equipment or a free printable from this site — there is nothing to buy and nothing to prepare beyond photocopying.
What mistakes should I expect in this lesson?
Three, each a reasoning error rather than carelessness: assumes the reader knows the people and the events; spends the whole session hunting for letters on the keyboard and changes the words while typing and loses the sense. The plan gives the thinking behind each one and the teaching move that addresses the thinking rather than the symptom.
How do I know whether the lesson worked?
The exit ticket asks: “Who is going to read this? What did you have to explain to them that you did not have to explain to us?.” Naming one thing added for the absent reader. That is the whole skill; the typing is the medium. That tells you whether the class needs a reteach or a thirty-second conversation before you plan tomorrow.
Is there a worksheet to go with Publishing What You Wrote?
Yes — 1 printable W.K.6 worksheet, linked at the end of the plan and free like the rest of the site. Each one comes with an answer key and 25 versions, so the practice after the lesson can be a different paper on every desk.
Is Publishing What You Wrote free to use?
Yes. The plan, its printables and their answer keys are free to read, print and photocopy for your own class, with no account and no email capture. It was last reviewed on 7 September 2026. Please do not resell it or republish it as your own.
Last reviewed 2026-09-07. Aligned to W.K.6 of the Common Core State Standards for English language arts.