Writing Workshop

What is Writing Workshop?

Writing workshop is an instruction model that focuses on the strengths and needs of each individual writer. Teachers provide direct instruction on the writing process, craft, genre and mechanics. Students are given time and choice of what to write, and opportunities to share with audiences. In The Westwood Regional School District we are employing the Teacher’s College approach to Writing Workshop.

Components of Writing Workshop:

Mini lesson: The teacher teaches a whole class lesson on writer’s craft or conventions based on the needs of the students. Children’s literature is read and studied to learn what writer’s do.

Independent work time:

Students:

• write a variety of genres.
• practice in their writing what they were just taught in the mini lesson.
• brainstorm, draft, revise, edit and publish pieces.

The teacher:

• conferences with students about what they are writing.
• provides instruction to small groups of students.

Sharing time: Students share what they wrote and how they applied the day’s mini lesson. This may be done as a whole class or in small groups.

How to Help Your Child At Home:

• Be a good model of writing. Let your child see you write and talk with him or her about how you use writing in your life.
• Provide writing materials for your child-paper with lines and no lines, pencils and pens. Gifts such as shaped tablets, journals, spirals, colored pencils, markers, and erasers are motivating.
• Encourage your child to write books.
• Help your child write letters and e-mails to relatives and friends.
• Provide a journal or diary for your child to record his or her day.
• Help your child brainstorm ideas and organize them.
• Stress the importance of the writing process and not just the final product.
• Do not write for your child.
• Respond to WHAT your child writes rather than HOW they write it.
• Praise your child’s writing. Ignore minor errors.
• Help with spelling as needed, but do not expect your child to spell every word correctly.

Words to Know:

Genre: kinds of writing the author is working on i.e. how to, ABC book, biography, etc...

Narrative: to tell a story

Expository: to explain something

Persuasive: to convince another about an idea or opinion

Voice: author’s point of view, mood and tone coming out through writing

Brainstorm: to think of or write down every idea around a topic

Draft: the first copies of a piece of writing

Revise: ”fancy up” writing by adding details or something new, changing parts that do not make sense, and to try something new

Edit: ”fix up” writing by rereading to find errors, checking for correct use of capitals and punctuation, and checking for correct spelling of developmentally appropriate words

Publish: the final copy of a written piece