Writing Workshop
“Writers are like other people, except for at least one important difference. Other people have daily thoughts and feelings, notice this sky or that smell, but they don’t do much about it. All those thoughts, feelings, sensations, and opinions pass through them like the air they breathe. Not writers. Writers react.” (Fletcher, 1996)
Writing workshop is an approach to teaching writing that has been around for many years. Teachers who use a workshop approach know that in order to become better writers, students must write daily. Lessons about writing are short and to the point, and time is set aside every day for students to apply the lessons they learn in their own writer's notebooks. These students can count on having an audience at the end of every workshop to appreciate and critique their work.
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Important Points to Ponder:
- Writing workshop is not a program or a curriculum. It's an organizational framework for instruction. Any curriculum can fit into the Writing Workshop model.
- Writing Workshop should occur daily for between 45 minutes to 1 hour. Students should be able to count on having uninterrupted time each day to focus on their writing.
- Students should be allowed to write on topics of their choice. Teachers might give parameters, such as defining the genre, but students have the benefit of choosing the topic within that genre. Occasionally teachers might assign prompts as practice for standardized tests.
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Launching Units
These units have been created to help guide you through launching the Writing Workshop in your classroom.
Persuasive Units
Teams of Hall County teachers have created these grade-specific persuasive writing units.
Mentor Texts
Mentor texts can be used as models for students as they learn various genres, writer's craft, and conventions to apply in their own writing.
Anchor charts
Anchor charts are created by the teacher and students to important thinking. These charts are referred to throughout the year and serve as "anchors", or reminders, of classroom discussions.
Writing Mini-Lessons
An overview of how to construct a mini-lesson as well as mini-lessons created by the instructional coaches that can be used with a variety of grade levels to address ideas, organization, style, and specific Kindergarten needs.
Writing Continuum
This primary grades writing continuum can be used to help student self-assess their progress as writers.
Writing Rubrics:
1st-grade-ccgps-informative-writing-assessment-rubric.pdf
1st-grade-ccgps-narrative-writing-assessment-rubric.pdf
1st-grade-ccgps-opinion-assessment-rubric.pdf