Writing Workshop Soaring to Success

Harp Elementary School

September 24th, 2004

Writing Standard 4: Process

Students shall employ a wide range of strategies as they write and use different writing process elements appropriately.

WritingStandard 5: Purposes, Topics, Forms and AudiencesStudents shall demonstrate competency in writing for a variety of purposes, topics and audiences employing a wide range of forms.

WritingStandard 6:Conventions

Students shall apply knowledge of Standard English conventions in written work.

WritingStandard 7: Craftsmanship

Students shall develop personal style and voice as they approach the craftsmanship of writing.

The Writing Process

What are the benefits of using writing workshop?

Components of Writing Workshop

Writing Sharing Minilessons Reading aloud to children Conferences

Introduce the writing process

Regardless of whether you are teaching first graders or eighth graders, it is important to introduce them to the writing process and to help them learn the activities involved in each stage.

Guidelines for introducing the writing process

Use the writing process terminology. Develop charts listing the stages of the

writing process. Demonstrate the writing process. Keep first writings short. Demonstrate revising and editing activities

in minilessons. Use writing notebooks. Share writing with the class.

Develop a writing notebook

Notebook (3-ring binder ) Appropriate writing paper Black, blue, and red pens, pencils and

pencil holder Yellow highlighter (optional) Sticky notes (optional)

Charts

Stages of the writing process

Activities involved in the writing process

Class Collaborations

Shared writing in which children and the teacher write together.

We Use the Reading and Writing Processes

READING

Make predictions.

Read the book.

Respond by talking, drawing, or writing.

WRITING

Draw a picture or make a cluster.

Write the book.

Share your book in the Author’s Chair.

THE WRITING PROCESS

1. PREWRITING: Gather and organize ideas. 2. DRAFTING: Write a rough draft.3. REVISION: Share your draft in a writing group. Then make at least three changes.4. EDITING: Proofread and correct errors.5. PUBLISHING: Write the final copy and illustrate.

Your Jobs in a Writing Group1. Bring your rough draft and blue revision pen.2. Share your rough draft.3. Talk about your rough draft and listen for

compliments, questions, and suggestions.4. Take notes on your rough draft.5. Make a plan for revising your rough draft. 6. Be a good listener when other people share

their rough drafts.7. Give compliments, ask questions, and make

suggestions about other people’s rough drafts.

Proofreading Reminders

1. Say every word as you proofread.

2. Point with your pencil.

3. Proofread three times:

a. for spelling errors

b. for capitalization and punctuation

c. for homonyms

4. Ask someone else to proofread your paper.

Things to Say in Writing Groups

1. Be polite. Say things that will not hurt anyone’s feelings.

I like…… I got confused when……. Tell me more about… Your writing reminds me of…. Could you try to……

These are important things to say about someone’s writing LEADS DESCRIPTIVE

WORDS DETAILS DIALOGUE EXCITEMENT LOTS OF FACTS ORGANIZATION SETTING COMPARISONS

BEGINNING-MIDDLE-END

$10 WORDS SOUND WORDS CHARACTERS VOICE SEQUENCE REPEATED WORDS POINT OF VIEW PAINTS A PICTURE

How Do I Get Started?

Introduce the idea of writing a group composition and discuss the project.

The students and the teacher write the composition together, moving through the stages of the writing process.

Finally, the composition is published.

The Five-Step Minilesson

Introduce the strategy. Demonstrate the strategy or skill. Provide guided practice using the

strategy or skill. Review the strategy or skill. Apply the strategy or skill.

Teacher Responsibility

Student Responsibility

Modeled Writing

Independent Writing

“What the child is able to accomplish today with the teacher’s assistance she or he will be able to accomplish independently tomorrow.”

Vygotsky, 1978

2 ½ Hour Balanced Literacy Block

8:30-8:45 Arrival 8:45-9:45 Writing Workshop

Read Aloud

Minilesson

Independent Writing Guided Writing Investigations

Sharing

9:45-10:45 Reading WorkshopBook Talk

Minilesson

Independent Reading Guided Reading Literature Study

Sharing

10:45-11:15 Language, Phonics, and Word Study

“The goal of instruction has been achieved when the teacher observes that the children are applying the knowledge of the writing process when writing independently.”

Dorn, 1998

Writing Workshop

Writer Talk

Minilessons

Status of the Class

(5-15 minutes)

Independent Writing

Sharing/Evaluation

(5-10 minutes)

Guided Writing Investigations

Prewriting

Choosing a topic Considering purpose, audience and

form Generating and organizing ideas for

writing

Prewriting

Minilesson: Choosing a Topic

Prewriting

Minilesson: Considering Purpose, Audience and Form

Prewriting

Minilesson: Generating and Organizing Ideas for Writing.

Drafting

Writing a rough draft Writing leads

Drafting

Minilesson: Rough Draft

Drafting

Minilesson: Writing Leads

LEADS

Start with a Question

“Where’s Papa going with that ax?”

Charlotte’s Web

By E.B. White

Lead

Give A Startling Fact.

My dad and I live in an airport.

Fly Away Home

By Eve Bunting

Lead

Begin with Dialogue.

“I am not a pest,” Ramona Quimby told her big sister .”Ramona The Pest

By Beverly Cleary

Lead

Describe a setting.

Annie’s Navajo world was good--a world of rippling sand, of high copper-red bluffs in the distance, of the low mesa near her own snug hogan. The pumpkins were yellow in the cornfield, and the tassels on the corn were turning brown.

ANNIE AND THE OLD ONE by Miska Miles

Lead

Use a Sound.

Ho-dee-hum. It was another day at Sleepy Valley Sloth School, and all the sloths were just hanging around.

Score One for the Slothsby Helen Lester

Revision can be as easy as:

Crossing out and changing a word Drawing arrows where information is to be

moved Cutting and pasting sentences or paragraphs Inserting a caret to indicate that you are

adding a word or words Marking out a word or words that you don’t

want to use

Revising

Minilesson: How to Revise

The conventions of punctuation, capitalization, grammar, usage, and spelling should be taught through application.

Editing

Minilesson: How to Edit

Monitoring of Student Writing

Observing

Conferencing

Collecting Writing Samples

Keeping Records

Observing

One of the richest sources of information is observing children as they read and write.

(Donald Graves 1994)

Conferencing

There is no greater challenge than responding to young writers who are engaged in the messy process of writing.

Collecting Writing Samples

Children select their best pieces of writing from literature studies and themes to place in their portfolios.

Keeping Records

Teachers need to document the data collected through observations and conferences.

Students in grades 2-5 should publish at least 10-12 pieces during the school year.

Primary Literacy Standards

U. S. Department of Education

Publishing

Minilesson: Publishing the Final Copy

Ways to Share Writing

Sit in the “author’s chair” and read to class

Submit writing to a contest Display on a bulletin board Contribute to the local newspaper Make a class book Place in the school library Produce an audio or videotape

Grade Level Discussions

What are the benefits of using the writing process?