Skip to content
LessonPrint

Writing and Publishing on a Computer

A 40-minute Grade 2 lesson on using digital tools with peers to produce and publish writing, including collaborating.

Writing and Publishing on a Computer is a free 40-minute Grade 2 English lesson plan for Common Core standard W.2.6 — use digital tools, with help, to write and publish with others. It is timed across 5 sections, gives the exact wording to use where the wording carries the meaning, 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:
Grade 2
Length:
40 minutes
Standard:
W.2.6

Grade 2 · Writing

W.2.6

With guidance and support from adults, use a variety of digital tools to produce and publish writing, including in collaboration with peers.

Objective

Students will be able to work with a partner to type, format and publish a short piece of writing using a word processor or class blog.

Students are successful when they can

  • Types a title and three sentences with capitals, spaces and periods.
  • Uses the keyboard keys for capital letters (shift), spaces and new lines (enter).
  • Takes turns at the keyboard with a partner and agrees changes before making them.
  • Chooses a register that fits the reader of the published piece.

What you need

  • One laptop or tablet per pair with a word processor or class blog open
  • A printed draft "How to Make a Jam Sandwich" (in the Teach section)
  • Keyboard key cards: shift, space, enter, backspace
  • The printable practice sheet linked at the end of this plan

The lesson

Warm-up — find the key

5 min
  1. Hold up the key cards one at a time. Children point to the key on their device: shift, space bar, enter, backspace.
  2. Ask: "Which key makes a capital letter?" (Hold shift and press the letter.) "Which starts a new line?" (Enter.)
  3. Ask: "Which key fixes a mistake?" (Backspace.) Say mistakes on a computer are easy to fix — that is one reason we publish on it.

Teach — draft to published

13 min
  1. Show the paper draft: "How to Make a Jam Sandwich. First, get two slices of bread. Next, spread butter on one slice. Then, spread jam on top. Last, put the other slice on and cut it in half."
  2. Type the title live on the projector. Model shift for the capital H, the space bar between words, and enter after the title.
  3. Type the first sentence and make a deliberate mistake: "Frist." Show backspace and fix it. Ask: "How is that easier than paper?"
  4. Show one formatting tool: select the title and make it bold or bigger. Explain that the reader should see the title first.
  5. Model taking turns: the "typist" types one sentence, the "checker" reads it aloud and looks for capitals and periods. Then swap.
  6. Talk about the reader. If the piece is going on the class blog for families, ask: "Should we write 'Dead easy, just do it' or 'This is easy to make'?" Fish for the second — the reader is a grown-up we may not know.
“Typist types, checker checks. Swap after every sentence. Agree before you change anything.”

Guided practice — pair publishing

12 min
  1. Pairs choose a short piece they wrote this week (four to five sentences) and type it together, swapping roles after each sentence.
  2. The checker reads every sentence aloud and points at capitals and periods on the screen.
  3. When the text is typed, pairs make the title bold and add one picture or emoji only if it helps the reader.
  4. Walk round and check: is the checker reading? Did they agree before changing? Is the title clear?
“Before you click publish, read the whole thing aloud together, top to bottom.”

Independent practice

8 min
  1. Students complete the printable. One sheet asks them to write a piece ready for publishing, with a checklist for title, capitals, periods and a clear ending; the other asks them to circle the sentence that suits a reader, such as a school report, a newspaper letter or a note to a brother.
  2. Pairs who finish can type their printable writing as a second published piece.

Close

2 min
  1. Show one pair's published piece on the projector. Ask: "Would a parent reading this understand it? What makes it look finished?"

What goes wrong, and why

Each of these is a reasoning error rather than carelessness. The fix addresses the reasoning.

Types with caps lock on, producing "HOW TO MAKE A JAM SANDWICH," or with no capitals at all.

Why: Caps lock is one easy press and makes capitals "work"; shift needs two keys held together, which is harder for small hands.

Fix: Teach shift-plus-letter as a two-finger move and practice typing names: "Ada," "Sami." Turn caps lock off and stick a dot on shift.

One partner types everything while the other watches; or both grab the mouse.

Why: Taking turns at a device is not natural, and the faster typist takes over to get it done.

Fix: Give named roles, typist and checker, and swap after every sentence. Use a role card on the desk that flips over at each swap.

Spends most of the time changing fonts and colors, and the text is unfinished.

Why: Formatting is new and fun, and it feels like "making it look good" is publishing.

Fix: Rule: words first, one format change at the end. Show a fancy-font title nobody can read beside a plain bold one.

If they are not there yet

  • Type only the title and first sentence, with an adult as the checker.
  • Provide a keyboard sheet with shift, space, enter and backspace colored.
  • Use a device with word prediction or a speech-to-text tool to reduce typing load.

If they finish early

  • Add a comment to a classmate's published piece on the class blog, using "I liked ___ because ___."
  • Insert a photo or drawing and write a caption that explains it.
  • Publish the same piece twice, once for a friend and once for a parent, changing the register.

Exit ticket

Write the steps to type a capital "H" and start a new line. Then write one rule for working with a partner at the computer.

What to look for: Hold shift, press H; press enter. A turn rule, e.g. "Swap after every sentence." "Press caps lock": it works but they need the shift habit. No partner rule, or "the fast one types": collaboration needs practice with roles.

Printable practice for W.2.6

Free to print and copy, answer key included. Each sheet can generate a fresh set of problems for a retake.

Questions about Writing and Publishing on a Computer

How long does the Writing and Publishing on a Computer lesson take?

40 minutes, split across 5 timed sections: warm-up 5 min, teach 13 min, guided practice 12 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 Writing and Publishing on a Computer teach?

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.2.6 — W.2.6, Writing for Grade 2: “With guidance and support from adults, use a variety of digital tools to produce and publish writing, including in collaboration with peers.” In plain terms, use digital tools, with help, to write and publish with others.

What do I need to teach this lesson?

One laptop or tablet per pair with a word processor or class blog open, a printed draft "How to Make a Jam Sandwich" (in the Teach section), keyboard key cards: shift, space, enter, backspace 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: types with caps lock on, producing "HOW TO MAKE A JAM SANDWICH," or with no capitals at all; one partner types everything while the other watches; or both grab the mouse and spends most of the time changing fonts and colors, and the text is unfinished. 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: “Write the steps to type a capital "H" and start a new line. Then write one rule for working with a partner at the computer.” Hold shift, press H; press enter. A turn rule, e.g. "Swap after every sentence." "Press caps lock": it works but they need the shift habit. No partner rule, or "the fast one types": collaboration needs practice with roles. 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 Writing and Publishing on a Computer?

Yes — 1 printable W.2.6 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 Writing and Publishing on a Computer 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 October 8, 2026. Please do not resell it or republish it as your own.

Last reviewed 2026-10-08. Aligned to W.2.6 of the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts.