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Writing WorkshopBrenda Baker, Literacy Coach
Writing involves having something to say, someone to say it to, language to express it, and knowledge of standard ways of getting language down on paper.
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Writing is a process of selecting, organizing, and developing ideas; expressing them in effective language; arranging them in logical sequences; and presenting them in neat, standard forms of handwriting and spelling.
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Learning to write involves developing increasing skill in all these stages of the writing process.
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What is Writing Workshop?
Writing workshop is a literacy block where children learn the processes of how to write.
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The teacher structures the time to ensure that children have an opportunity to plan, organize, and carry out writing projects.
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During writing workshop, students learn how to select their own topics and develop these topics through multiple drafts.
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Prewriting
The writer begins by identifying the purpose and audience for your writing.The prewriting stage is about planning, gathering and organizing ideas for writing.
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Drafting
Now the writer begins to draft, or record, his ideas on paper. Content is the emphasis. This is a time to organize and reorganize.
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Revising
Not to be confused with Editing!The writer rereads the message for clarity and best choice of words.
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Techniques used may include:� Carets � Crossing out� Circling to move pieces� Cut & pasteThis is a time to share with a listener for feedback.
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Editing
The writer proofreads her composition for mechanical mistakes. These may include:+ Spelling (ie., circles misspelled words)+ Grammar+ Punctuation
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Publishing
Here the student must decide how to lay out the text in the most appealing way to the reader.
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Writing ProcessThink Think about a topic for writing.Plan Plan your topic.Write Write your text.Revise Add to your text and X out what you don’t want.
Move around your text if needed.Use the best words to describe your idea.
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Edit Circle the words that do not look right.Look up circled words in the dictionary.Check for punctuation and capitalization.
Publish Rewrite final draft to be shared with an audience.
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Introduction to Writing Workshop
The Writing Workshop opens with a Mini-lesson taught by the teacher to the whole class group.
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This is followed by an Independent Writing time during which the teacher conferences with either individuals or small groups of students.
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Additional instruction takes place during this time where the teacher focuses on a single skill.
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Writing Workshop typically closes with sharing time. This is a brief 8-10 minute time for select students to share their completed work.
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Writer’s Need:
+ Time+ To separate composing from editing+ Response+ Responsibility
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Conditions for real writing:
� Personal (choice)� Interpersonal (social)� Time/space to do quality work� Pay-off (purpose/feedback)
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Energize you writers
� Change genre� Conduct an author study� Have an author’s day
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Resources
� Anchor charts� Mentor texts� Dictionary (standard & personal)� Thesarus
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Write Aloud
Modeling writing introduces students to the joys of writing. Teachers demonstrate strategies as a proficient adult writer. Teachers model the writing process and through the process add to, revise, ask questions, and clarify the purpose of the writing.
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Interactive Writing
...provides an opportunity for all students to successfully participate in the writing process. The students and teacher share the task of writing. The writing comes from the students’ thoughts and ideas. Teachers identify and discuss with students the conventions, structures, and language features of written text.
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Conferencing/Small Group Time
This provides an opportunity to work with groups or an individual student on effective writing strategies as determined through teacher observation of student behaviors and work. The needed strategies and skills are demonstrated within the context of authentic writing tasks.
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This is an opportunity to develop a student’s independence and ability to self-monitor their own learning of writing strategies and skills.
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Independent Writing
Provides an opportunity for students to practice using the writing strategies they are learning during the mini-lesson. Students are encouraged to write for authentic purposes and use a variety of styles. Teachers conference with students and encourage them to publish their work.
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The Writing Process
1) Prewriting2) Drafting3) Revising (Does it SOUND right?)4) Editing (Does it LOOK right?)5) Publishing
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Here are some questions that you might ask about your students’ knowledge of the writing process.
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Prewriting and Drafting
● Is the writer willing to write?● Can the writer choose his own topic?● Does the writer know the audience for whom he
is writing?● Can the writer stay focused on the topic? Can
he sustain his attention throughout the piece?
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● Can the writer collect materials and organize information to support the topic?
● Does the writer have some knowledge of text structures for creating a text?
● Can the writer select the appropriate mode for writing?
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Revising
+ Is the writer willing to revise?+ Does the writer reread the message several
times for clarity?+ Can the writer share the text with listeners to
ensure that the meaning is clear to the audience?
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+ Can the writer make good word choices for communicating the clearest message?
+ Does the writer use revising techniques as tools for clarifying and extending the meaning of the text?
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Editing� Is the writer willing to edit?� Does the writer edit for spelling errors by
circling words and making multiple attempts toward a correct spelling?
� Does the writer edit for punctuation and grammar?
� Does the writer edit for paragraph structure?� Can the writer use resources (charts,
dictionaries, checklists) to edit his work?
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Publishing� Does the writer understand that publishing
means error-free texts?� Can the writer plan and organize the final draft
for publication?� Does the writer share the published work with
an audience?
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Organizing for Writer’s Workshop
First through 3rd-grade classrooms vary from 45 to 60 minutes.Kindergarten allows 30 to 40 minutes.
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Kindergarten begins day 2 with Write Aloud. From there they progress into shared writing, modeled writing, and interactive writing. In the process, they acquire some knowledge about the printed word. Then the teacher implements writing workshop into the literacy block.
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It’s important to note that during the independent writing component, children will be at various stages in their writing development. This implies that the teacher will need to monitor students’ needs and differentiate instruction.
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Shared Writing Event+ Teacher engages the class in an
interactive writing experience+ Shared event lasts about 10-15
minutes
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Mini-Lesson
Mini-lessons are designed to be specific and brief, lasting on average about ten minutes.� Explicit & focused� Whole group demonstrations� Daily teaching of critical skills & content� Note who might need extra support
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Independent Writing
� Topic of their own choice� Spiral-bound notebook� See changes over time� 15-20 minutes independent writing
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Conferences
● 2 minute individual conferences● Praise and teaching point● Acknowledge correct spelling● Circulate, observe, note
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Sharing
� Author’s chair� Publish 10 pcs per year� Sharing need not be daily� Positive feedback from peers
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A Look at Each Piece
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Prewriting
Prewriting simply means what you do before you write. It allows the author to explore initial ideas about the subject. Students can engage in prewriting through graphic organizers, brainstorms, etc. Prewriting should not be skipped, because it is an important part of the writing process.
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First Draft
This is where sentences and paragraphs start to form, stemmed from the graphic organizer. Although students should be attentive to conventions, it is not the most important part of this step. The goal of the first draft is to get your ideas from the graphic organizer on paper.
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Have your students skip lines when writing their first draft. This will become very important once they begin the revising and editing process. Ideally, students should not stop writing once they start their first draft; instead, just let their ideas flow.
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Peer Conferencing
This is a time when students may share with a peer. It is literally the students teaching the class and helping out one another. It’s a collaborative effort between 2 students, a small group, and sometimes the entire class.
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They might share...
● Finding a more powerful word to use● Wondering if a sentence or paragraph catches
the reader’s attention● Wanting help in adding details● Checking for transitional words● Making sure the piece flows naturally● Getting feedback on the interest of the piece
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Revising
Does it sound right? This is where students improve their writing. They change it! Students need to be aware , authors go through many revisions before they publish a piece. There’s always room for improvement.
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Wall Read
This is where a student can go to a designated wall with their writing and read their piece aloud. This will help the writer see if the piece makes sense, or where possible revisions can be made.
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Things student may want to do during revisions:
� Add more information that the reader would need to know
� Rearrange information in a more logical way� Remove unnecessary information � Replace words or details to clarify
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Revising is NOT fixing spelling, capitalization, punctuation, or grammar
mistakes.
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Editing
Does it look right? Editing is simply fixing it. This is where you check for spelling, capitalization, punctuation, grammar, sentence structure, subject/ verb agreement, consistent verb tense, and word usage. Students may engage in a self-edit and/or peer edit.
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Do not pick up a student’s work, mark it up with edits,
and have them correct. It should be a collaborative process.
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Some things to think about...� Central location for supplies� What kind of supplies� How will you and students track progress� Where will you conference with students� Where will peer conferencing take place� What notebooks, folders, resources are needed� Student portfolio
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� Expectations for each step� What does Writing Workshop time look like� What does Writing Workshop time sound like
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Writing Workshop Format
� Mini-lesson 5-10 minutes� Independent writing 30-45 minutes
○ Individual/Small group○ Peer conferences as needed
� Sharing 5-10 minutes
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Things you might find useful...
� Chart paper� Chart markers� Date stamp� Stapler� File crate for student work� Trays for storage of different types of blank
books
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� Pocket folder or binder for each student� Illustration tub filled with colored pencils &
markers� Examples posted of each step in the process
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Planning...
Focus more on the content than the number of days it takes. Writing Workshop is an ongoing process with many steps taking more than one dy to complete.
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Keep in mind that you should MODEL what you expect your students to do before
asking them to do it.
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Day 1Point out the poster of the 5 steps of the writing process. You’ll be visiting each step as you’re getting started.On a sheet of bright paper have students create a T-chart of the “likes” and “dislikes.” This chart will go in the back of the Writing Notebook.
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Day 1 cont’
Explain the difference between ‘topic’ and ‘main idea.’Topic is what the piece is mostly about.Main idea is the one most important thing.
Work on individual T-Chart for the remaining time.
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Day two… Prewriting
T- Chart
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Prewriting
Model
Day three...Drafting- using his pre-writing piece, the student now begins to draft his ideas on paper.
Content is the emphasis!
Organize, re-organize and reflect on the quality of the writing.
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� Use quiet voices� Please don’t interrupt� Everybody writes.
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Day 4… Revising
Here, the writer rereads the message for clarity and best choice of words.The writer also shares their piece with a peer who may ask questions to help clarify his message, give constructive feedback and offer suggestions for making the piece more interesting.
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This is the time when you’ll also want to teach good audience skills. Predetermine a place to meet peerHow to hold their notebookWhat kind of voice to useEyes & attention on speakerEars open, mouth shutBe respectful
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Revising &
Sharing Poster
Day 5… Review days 2-4
Revise?
Conference?
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Day 6… EditingFixing it… focus on:+ Complete sentences+ Capital letters+ No words left out+ Makes sense+ Punctuation+ Grammar+ Circle misspelled words
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Editing Anchor Charts
As you add each of these items to the anchor chart, each student will edit their own paper. Once you’ve gone over each one, take the time for ‘fixing it.’
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Day 7… Publishing
If the student decides to publish their piece, now it’s time for the process of organizing it for a public audience. They must decide how to lay out the text in the most appealing way to the reader.
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Publishing… Final Copy
Criteria /Rubric
Example of a publish-worthy piece
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Day 8… Review
Using the anchor charts, review the steps of the writing process.
It’s now time to look at their ‘topics’ list from day one and pick a new topic for their next piece.
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CONGRATULATIONS!You’ve just helped your students go
through the writing process.
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Writing Continuum
See handout
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What should I teach?Mini-lessons in the primary grades is dependent upon the development stages of the students, along with the standards. Mini-lessons taught at the beginning of the year are dictated by the procedures that must be taught to make the Writing Workshop successful.
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As the year progresses, mini-lessons are taught that coordinate with the writing process, content and craft techniques that are taught in your grade leel.
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As with all the other aspects of CLM, follow your students. Plan your mini-lessons based on student assessment, conferencing and observation of their writing behaviors. What do they need?What inspires them?Keep them excited about writing through careful cultivation of mini-lessons.
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Mini-lessons on conventions should also be taught.Practice the ‘No walk/no talk’ routine during independent writing time.
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Create an anchor chart for How I know when I’m finished.
� I have thoughtful pictures� I have reread my piece and checked my words� I have written a title� I have made a picture� I have put my author name and date� I have checked my spaces
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More mini-lessons
� Where writers get ideas� How to use our idea chart in our writing folder� Stick to the topic� How to write a title� Using writing mentor texts� Noticing what writers do� What is a good beginning?� What is a good ending?
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� Using interesting words ( maybe create a section on interesting words in their binder)
� Reading like a writer� Big and bold � What is a narrative?� What is persuasive?� Why does my teacher sometimes give me a
prompt?� Structure my text in an interesting way.
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Important things to remember...
Have Writing Workshop every day at the same time
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Important things to remember...
Procedures! Procedures! Procedures!
Teach them well and revisit them often.
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Important things to remember...
Model! Model! Model!Modeling, demonstrating and guiding students’ practice are
critical.
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Important things to remember...
Teach “small bits” at a time. Remember “less is more”.
KISSKeep it short and simple.
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Important things to remember...Go Slowly.
Your students will gain more if you move slowly than if you try to
teach more than they are capable of processing.
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Important things to remember...Keep those mini-lessons
“MINI”.8-10 minutes
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Important things to remember...
Start each day’s Writing Workshop with a mini-lesson.
Routine is of utmost importance.
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