WRITING MOTTO: “TEACH THE WRITER, NOT THE WRITING.”

Writing Workshop Professional Development – Summer 2011Washington Primary Center

Mrs. De Luna, Ms. Guinn and Mr. Speight

WRITING WORKSHOP MODEL OF INSTRUCTION RESEARCH BASE

Research Principle 1 There are fundamental traits of all good writing and

student write well when they learn to use these traits.Topic Choice, Meaning/Significance, Structure,

Elaboration/Details, Genre Knowledge, Conventions, Voice

Research Principle 2 Using a writing process to teach the complex task of

writing increases student achievement.Rehearsal, Drafting, Revision, Editing, Publishing (color drawings only during this stage)

Research Principle 3 Students benefit from teaching that offers direct

instruction, guided practice, and independent practice.

WRITING WORKSHOP MODEL OF INSTRUCTION RESEARCH BASE (CONTINUED)

Research Principle 4 To write well, writers need ample time to write

every day.

Research Principle 5 A well-rounded curriculum provides support for

struggling writers and English language learners.

Research Principle 6 Writing and reading are joined processes, and

students learn best when writing and reading instruction is aligned.

WRITING WORKSHOP COMPONENTS

Minilesson Student Writing Time with Conferring and

Small Group Work Independent Writing Time Mid-Workshop Teaching Point Partner Response Time Teaching Share

MANAGEMENT OF A WRITING WORKSHOP

Teach management, don’t tell it. Reasonable Expectations Consistency and Routine Teach Toward Independence

MANAGEMENT TIP: POSTER OF IDEASGathering meaningful ideas:

People Places Events/Objectives

MANAGEMENT TIP: SAMPLE POSTER

When you think you’re done, you’ve only just begun.

☐ Add to sketch and label

☐ Re-read making sense

☐ Add words where needed

☐ that all information is in story. Add if needed.

MANAGEMENT TIP: SAMPLE POSTER

Small Moment Stories

About my life Takes place at a specific time within a

memory About 10-15 minutes Stay at location Stre-t-ch out small actions, thoughts,

dialogue to convey story. (picture of a watermelon with ideas)

MANAGEMENT TIP: SAMPLE POSTER

Writers Write

Who

Where What I/ We did Great Beginning One night… One Halloween… One cold morning day… One rainy day...

I was walking with my brother.

I went outside.

I got ice cream.

I was walking with my brother.

MANAGEMENT TIP: SAMPLE POSTER

Partner Talk

Partner A

-Look (pic. Eyes) -listen (ears) -comment (speech bubble) -I like… -I noticed… -I suggested….

Switch

Partner B

-Read (… as you intended !?. BOLD) -Point (… with reading finger (picture of finger) Switch

_________________________ Shoulder to shoulder

CULTIVATING COMMUNITY IN THE WRITING WORKSHOP

Story tell Read Aloud Create and Rotate Partnerships Encourage students to bring in artifacts from

their reading and writing lives Establish the Values Model your own passionate love of reading

and writing

STORYTELLING OUR LIFE EXPERIENCES

Why storytelling? Helps children learn how to tell stories,

incorporating the elements of story. Helps children use literary language,

dialogue, time words, and so forth. Helps children value the stories that fill their

lives and to see themselves as makers of stories.

WRITING MATERIALS

Paper Choices (students should choose own paper) Pencils (or pen option) Class set of two-pocket folders (label left side –

Still Working / label right side – Finished for Now) Class set of revising/editing pens in different

colors Extra strips of paper Post-it notes Tape Stapler Scissors Teacher Demonstration Texts Shared class story to use in minilessons

ON-DEMAND ASSESSMENTS Teachers will create common On-Demand

Assessments to assess the qualities of writing or students’ process of writing.

On-Demand Assessments can answer:What does the writer do well?

What does the writer already know about the genre?

What does the writer need me to teach? 

Will be administered at the beginning of the school year

Will be administered at the end of each 15-20 day writing unit to assess the writing skills mastered as well as the skills that need to be retaught during the next unit.

STRUCTURE OF A MINILESSON

Effective minilessons tend to follow a similar structure. While the content changes from day to day, the structure remains constant.

On-Demand Assessments should drive minilessons.

1. Connection (2-4 min)2. Teaching (3-5 min)3. Active Engagement ( 2 min)4. Link (30 sec – 1 min)

THE WRITING PROCESS IN A K-2 CLASSROOM

Students will be utilizing the writing process during each 15-20 day writing unit.

Rehearsal Drafting Revision Editing Publishing

PUBLISHING

Students will choose one piece of writing to take through the publishing process the last 5 days of every unit.

Publishing a Piece of Writing

Reread, Choose, Reflect

Revise

Edit (checklist, peer)

Color and Fancy up

(dedication, cover, title)

Celebrate

REVISING AND EDITING During the publishing process, students will revise their

writing piece using a colored pen and then the next day students will edit the same piece using a different colored pen.

Eventually students can be taught to use revising and editing checklists.

Sample Checklists Yes No

Small Moments Revising Check List Purple Pen

Great beginning Internal thoughts Small actions Feelings- show not tell Story Endings Yes No

Small Moments Editing Check List Green Pen

Proper spaces Str-e-t-ched words out All lower case letters Punctuation

CELEBRATIONS Celebrations will end each writing unit.

Ways to Celebrate  Sparkling apple cider and toast Snacks Small groups (kids read their published copies in small groups) Whole group compliments. Can chart and keep them up. Tell kids this

is what we did well and let’s continue doing this. Author’s chair Invite buddies Celebrate with another class Invite parents Act out writing (for all about) Sticky note for student to write one thing they learned (I learned…) Sticky note for student to write a new goal for the next unit (My

writing goal is …)

WHAT DO WE DO WITH STUDENT BOOKLETS?

Students will take their booklets home at the end of each unit. (Exceptions: writing pieces needed for PDs, SSTs, principal request, or teacher deciding to keep additional pieces as they see fit)

Teachers need to send a letter home (approved by principal) to parents with the student booklets explaining that the pieces were not published, but are drafts which is why they have not been corrected/ revised.

The goal of sending the booklets home is to share writing growth with parents and to start fresh every unit.

 

CORE DRIVERS OF WRITING WORKSHOP

Grade Level Writing Curriculum Calendar Guide for teachers to plan 15-20 day writing units for the entire school year

The K-2 Writing Process will be utilized during each writing unit.

Well-Planned and Focused Minilessons On-Demand Assessments (per grade level) Teachers will create these common assessments to assess the students’

qualities of writing. Administered at the beginning of the school year Administered at the end of each 15-20 day unit to assess the writing skills

mastered as well as the skills that need to be retaught during the next unit Assessment results will drive teachers’ minilessons and conferring sessions

CORE DRIVERS OF WRITING WORKSHOP (CONTINUED)

Unit Checklist/Conference worksheets to use throughout each unit

Will help track students’ writing skills and growth Will help make conferring sessions focused and

more effective for teacher and student. Will help track the number of conferring sessions

for each student

Teacher created rubrics for each unit and/or genre (per grade level)

Lucy Calkins’ Units of Study and other writing resources will be utilized to support the writing units planned by the grade levels.