What is Writers’ Workshop?

Writers’ Workshop is an approach to writing instruction that addresses the needs of all students in the class. Writers’ Workshop begins with a mini-lesson where I share the teaching point, allow students time to think, process, and practice before sending students off to write independently. During independent writing, I confer with individual students to assess progress and provide 1:1 instruction to help students grow as writers. Sometimes I may work with a small group of students who share similar writing needs during the independent writing time. Finally, Writers’ Workshop ends with a group share where students discuss and share their writing.

What do students write?

Instruction during Writers’ Workshop is organized around units of study (e.g., personal narrative, research, nonfiction). During a unit of study, I may ask students to write in a particular genre, or practice writing techniques related to the unit of study, but specific writing topics are selected by the students based on their personal experiences and interests.

Why Writers’ Workshop?

The district has adopted the Writers’ Workshop model for a number of reasons, including the following:

*The Writers’ Workshop supports and complements Readers’ Workshop

*Writing craft and conventions are explicitly modeled

*Assessment drives instruction

*Students have choice and ownership in their writing

*Experiences foster self-expression and a love of writing