What is Writer's Workshop?

Writer's Workshop is a daily, structured time where the teacher provides explicit instruction, students practice writing, and teachers conference with students about their writing. During conferencing, teachers provide specific feedback and further instruction of the skills needed to move students forward in their writing.

Lucy Calkins (2014) describes the components of teaching using writer’s workshop in her book, Writing Pathways: Performance Assessments and Learning Progressions.

INTRODUCTION (5 minutes): During the introduction, the teacher will read aloud from a mentor text or previously written stories to support the mini-lesson. This provides a model for students to guide their writing.

MINI-LESSON (15 minutes): The teacher will launch the lesson by instructing students in a new skill or strategy that will use in their writing. The teacher will connect the lesson's teaching point with their current writing and model how it is used. Students will have an opportunity to practice this new skill, using guided practice and scaffolding.

WORK-TIME (30-45 minutes): The work time component of writer's workshop includes independent writing, guided writing, and most importantly conferring.

Independent writing is where students practice skills and strategies previously taught.

Guided writing is when the teacher guides, responds, and extends the students’ thinking. Based on data and observations, the teacher will work with small groups of students to practice a particular skill or strategy.

Finally during conferring, the teacher reflects on the question, "What is one thing I can say to help this writer move forward?" Through reading students' work, the teacher will compliment the student on something they are doing well and decide on one skill or strategy to work on. The teacher will then state the skill/strategy, coach the student, and model the new learning.

SHARE-TIME (5 minutes): During share time, the teacher will select student writing examples to show what it looks like to successfully use the strategy from the mini-lesson. This validates students' work and thinking, while reinforcing the day's lesson.