Writer's Workshop

 

We use the writer's workshop approach to teaching writing.  Writer's Workshop provides students with a supportive environment that involves them in authentic writing experiences that focus on the strengths and needs of each individual student.  The basic philosophy behind writing workshop is to allow students to spend time writing daily for real purposes about topics that interest them.  Students will be experiment with various genres this year, such as: poetry, narrative, informative, opinion / argument, and expository.  Students learn the craft of writing through practice, conferring, and studying the craft of other authors.  The ultimate goal of writer's workshop is to develop life-long writers.   

 

The Writer's Workshop is devoted to supporting student learning in writing.  What students need to learn during a Writer's Workshop lesson is based upon their present writing abilities and needs.  For the majority of the time in Writer's Workshop, students will be engaged in authentic writing.  The children will be given daily opportunities to develop their unique writing processes and communicated meaning through words.

 

 

Components of Writer's Workshop 

  

There are three major components of the Writing Workshop:

1. Mini Lesson (5-10 minutes)

• Provides explicit instruction in a specific aspect of writing
• Often recorded on chart paper; these 'anchor charts' are later displayed around the room so that students can refer to them as they wish.
• Focus is on four main areas: procedures and organization (routines), strategies and processes, skills, craft and techniques

2. Independent Writing Time (20 - 30 minutes)

• Students are working their way through the writing process - planning, drafting, revising, conferencing, editing, publishing
• Teacher is conferencing with individual students, as well as monitoring, encouraging, and providing help as needed
• Each student is writing on their own topic and in their own genre
• A Writers Notebook' or folder is used for this purpose

3. Conferencing (takes place during writing time)

• Can take place with a peer or with the teacher
• Should be kept short

4. Sharing/Author's Chair (5-10 minutes)

• Focus on students sharing examples taken from the mini-lesson conducted earlier
• Students do not necessarily share their whole piece e.g. if it's a good begining, they share only the beginning
• Allows students to learn from each other and to see/hear good examples of writing