Morning Message

Shared Writing Part Three
The morning message is used to provide children with a daily predictable, shared writing experience. It is an interactive writing activity that is done on a daily basis and introduces students to the writing process in a shared experience.


When using morning message students will actually see and hear the adult write, which will lead to the understanding of written word and oral language more clearly. When you write morning message with your students you are creating successful, independent writers.

By participating in the writing of the morning message, students learn…

• Writing is speech written down
• Proper letter formation
• Upper and lowercase letter recognition
• Punctuation, like period and question mark
• Left to right progression
• Associate letters and sounds
• Differentiate between a letter, a word, and a sentence
• Spacing between words
• Reading common sight words

What does our Morning Message look like?


I have a big book stand in the circle area where our dry eraser board sits.

Next to the board is a basket with different types of writing tools and items to make our Morning Message more meaningful.

• Dry eraser markers
• Different kinds of pointers
• Name plates
• Microphone (that lights up)
• Magnifying glass (Extra Large)
• Post it Notes

The first sentence of the Morning Message is always the same

____________ is the leader today.

___________ said “____________.”

This makes it more meaningful to the students, because they can identify their own name and those of their friends.


As I model the writing I point out how I make space between each word and say each word as I write it. When I come to the end of the sentence I will place a period, question mark and quotations marks, giving them the name of the punctuation aloud.

The leader of the day comes to the front of the class and we write the message together. The leader talks into the play microphone.

Write what the child said. Give ideas as needed.

“I like to __________.”
“I like __________.”
“I ate __________ for breakfast.”

“I ate __________ for dinner last night.”
“____________ went _________.”

When the message is finished we read it together as a whole group reading, using a pointer. Once we have read it together as a whole the leader pick a pointer of choice and reads the Morning Message to the class.

Tami is the leader today.

Tami said, “I like to play in the play house.”

Keep it fun and meaningful to the children. The possibilities are endless!


Be creative… and watch them write!