Fourth graders at North School participate in Writing Workshop. Writing Workshop is based on a program developed at Teachers College at Columbia University. We also utilized the Wonders curriculum for some of our writing units and our year-long study of grammar and spelling.
Structure of Writing Workshop
A Mini-Lesson begins the Writing Workshop. This is 5-10 minutes of direct instruction on a particular genre or writing strategy.
Work Time is the bulk of Writing Workshop. Students work independently and/or collaborate with other writers for 40-45 minutes. The teacher is conferring with students about their work and circulates to answer questions and guide students.
A Closing Activity will always end Writing Workshop. During these 5-10 minutes, students will do such things as share their work with one another, give each other feedback, share something they tried, or share how they overcame a writing struggle.
The Writing Process
Collect
Choose
Draft
Revise
Edit
Publish
Reflect
Students will move through the writing process for each genre we study.
Writing Genres
Narrative
Informational
Opinion