Beginnings: Setting Up and Maintaining A

Writer’s WorkshopArchdiocese of MilwaukeeSummer Literacy Institute

August 6, 2014Winnie R. Huebsch,

Ph.D.Educational Consultant

Why Do We Write?

First things first….

Technology is changing things….in this new literacy environment, is writing still important? Why or why not? Let’s discuss. Turn to a partner and talk. Then we will share.

Value of Writing

• Writing influences the way we think

• Writing forces us to confront issues, to define and redefine our own feelings and positions, and enables us to express ourselves to others in more effective ways.

Writing Enriches Personal Growth

• Writing enables us to reflect deeply on our own experiences, to examine our most basic assumptions, and to be in touch with our innermost selves. In a way, writing is a self-discovery process.

Writing has Value

Writing is portable and permanent. It makes your

thinking visible.

But…Let’s be Honest…

• Truthfully, many of us no longer write frequently. It is a skill that requires practice and many of us no longer engage in it frequently.

• Therefore, it can be hard to teach for some of us!

Why It Can Be Difficult

• We were not taught that way.

• It can be a bit ‘messy’ and many teachers want structure and control…which is understandable

Accepting the Challenge

• Implementing a Writer’s Workshop can be daunting…so, before you start…– Understand the process– Be very prepared– Start slowly– Accept that challenges will occur

Inform Parents

• Parents are our biggest allies. But, most were not taught using the writer’s workshop method. It is important that they understand the benefits so that they can be supportive of the challenges and benefits involved.

Why Writer’s Workshop??

• It is a wonderful way to organize and manage a class!

• It works better than other management systems.

Impact on Students

• Children love the opportunity to write about topics of interest to them.

• They love the independence inherent in working within a writer’s workshop.

• They thrive on structure, which a good writer’s workshop has.

So, Start Slowly….Step 1: “Storying”

• The first step is oral. • Storying is one way to help hesitant

students become better writers. • Spend the first 2-3 weeks of school

‘storying’, before writing in notebooks.

• ‘Storying’ also builds a community of writers!

Begin by modeling ‘Storying’

Suggestions:

•Tell a story from a memory. (A time I was sad, afraid, excited, embarrassed.)

•Use a read aloud to start a conversation. (For Example: You might read a book about sledding or playing in the snow, and then tell about a similar experience you remember.)

Begin by modeling ‘Storying’

• Describe someone special or something interesting.

• Do a "quick draw" and then tell the story inside the picture.

• Tell about something you love or really dislike and why.

• Have students bring in photographs from home and tell about the event or people.

Begin by modeling ‘Storying’

• After you have told your story, give everyone else in the class the chance to tell a related story.

• Do this over several days.

• Talk to them about the importance of good manners: listening to others, taking turns, responding correctly.

Example of Storying:‘A/B Partner Talk‘

• Each partner gets 2 minutes to tell a story. Partner A tells a story on a topic. Partner B listens and then asks any questions after the story. Partner B then tells his story. Partner A listens and asks questions.

• Then, the students turn to a new partner. They repeat the same process.

Example of Storying:‘A/B Partner Talk‘

• This time, students might remember to add the detail their partner asked them about. Each student should share with 2 or 3 partners.

• This process helps children develop their stories orally and teaches them how to revise by adding detail and editing information.

Focus on the Talk• The intentional focus on oral

language will help students build confidence and a repertoire of ideas.

• Develop an class idea list on a chart in your room. The ideas should be general so that they can apply to many students.

Focus on the Talk• Students can have a writing folder

with ideas for writing included on the inside cover.

Build Anticipation

• ‘Storying’ usually lasts about 20-30 minutes, which will be your whole Writing Workshop block for the first few weeks.

• Students will begin to get excited about writing as they realize they have something to write about.

Suggestions for “Anticipation”

• Set a date to begin writing. Mark it on the calendar and begin talking about it with excitement.

• Begin a writer's notebook of your own and show it to the class.

• Have students personalize their notebooks. Decorate the covers - use pictures, drawings, wrapping paper, etc. Or, cover them with clear contact paper to protect them.

One last note on storying…

• Consider using storying throughout the year. “Storying” can be helpful in getting students motivated again after a long break, such as winter break, or after you complete a genre study.

• During these times, you will probably only want to spend about a week ‘storying’. During that week, you could use your mini-lesson time to story with your students, and then use the remainder of the time to write and share.

Source: Fletcher, R. A Writer's Notebook, Unlocking the Writer Within You,

What Topics Can Kids Write About?

• With a partner, brainstorm a list of topics that students might know a lot about. Write down several. Then, we will share.

Structure and Schedule

for A Writer’s WorkshopOrder and Suggested times:

1. Mini Lesson(5-10 min.) 2. Status of the Class (2 min.) 3. Writing and Conferencing(20-

40 min.) 4. Sharing (5-10 min.)

Materials for the Workshop

Suggestions for Materials:• blank paper in a variety of sizes, lined/unlined• materials for covers (construction paper,

wallpaper, cardboard)• markers, colored pencils, pens, pencils, crayons• tape,  glue, scissors, stapler• stationary, envelopes, stamps, catalogues• phone books for mailing letters and cards• paper clips, erasers,  correction tape• dictionaries, encyclopedias, atlases, thesauruses

Mini Lessons

• The mini-lesson is our forum for making a suggestion to the whole class...raising a concern, exploring an issue, modeling a technique, reinforcing a strategy. First our students are engaged in their own important work. Then we ask ourselves, "What is the one thing I can suggest or demonstrate that might help most?"

• Calkin, L. (1994). The Art of Teaching Writing, pp 193-5.

Mini- Lesson

• Time – 5-10 minutes

• A short lesson focused on a single topic for which students might need help. There is no need to do a mini-lesson daily. 2-3 times a week is appropriate.

Mini Lessons• The writing workshop mini-lesson

is the whole-class teaching time, which often lasts 5-10 minutes.

• The teaching must be explicit and concise.

Mini Lessons

• Choose only one focus for the lesson. This could be a content focus or a conventions focus. Be careful, though. We often over-focus on conventions!!!.

• Remember, It is the content that is the heart of the text.

Mini-Lesson Suggestions

• Teacher DemonstrationOften a teacher will demonstrate writing an entry in front of the children on a chart or overhead. This works well if you can actually put the overhead projector on the floor and gather the children close to you. The teacher uses this demonstrated writing like a think aloud.

• Examples:– Rereading each sentence you write before moving on – Rereading a series of words as your are writing a

sentence– Using post-its to write revisions

Mini-Lesson Suggestions

• Student WritingStudents learn best from each other. Get the child's permission before sharing his writing in a mini lesson. Use student writing to show what kids did well, not what they did wrong.

• Use the Common Core Content Standards on writing for your grade level.

Mini Lessons

• “Sometimes the mini-lesson will be designed to create a warm glow around the workshop. The easiest way to do this is to read aloud from wonderful literature... a story, a poem... and to do so without turning the reading into a lesson. Instead, we simply read aloud . . . and then immediately, and with no discussion, we write and write and write.”

Calkins, L. The Art of Teaching Writing, p. 194,

Advantages of the ‘Mini Lesson’

Approach• Students practice their skills in an

authentic way.• Time is not wasted giving tests.• They develop greater confidence and

independence.• Less time is spent correcting papers.• Kids like it!

Let’s Brainstorm

• What are some mini-lessons that you feel would be important as you begin the writing workshop process?

• Talk it over with a partner and write down several suggestions.

• Then, we will share…

Status of the Class

• Time: 2-5 minutes

• A quick way of finding out what each student is working on.

Status of the Class• Have a poster with library pockets for

each student. In each pocket place 3 cards, – Red: Work in progress, – Yellow: Illustrating, – Green: Publishing.

• Each student may have any of these 3 colors in their pocket depending what they are working on.

• Students should place the color in front to indicate the stage they are in during their writing.

Steps in the Writing Process

• Brainstorm• Draft• Revise• Edit • Final Draft• Publish

Writing/Conferencing• The teacher listens carefully to what the

student says about his writing and asks questions to clarify and deepen his understanding of the student's work.

• Teacher makes a decision based on the conversation with the student, and then explicitly teaches one thing that will help him.

• Source: Anderson, C. (2000). How's It Going? Heinemann.

Teaching During Conferencing

• Teacher confers one-on-one or with small groups. In grades 1-5, the teacher confers with 3-5 children per day.

• Help with ideas to write about or motivation. Help the students revise and edit their stories.

• Help them determine when they are ready to move forward. Do this for about 20-30 minutes.

How to Conference• Some students work on publishing

and others on illustrating; a few students will work on stories.

• The students get their folders so you can review what they are working on.

• Conference with each child to brainstorm on writing ideas.

How to Conference• Students may have 5-6 stories in

their folder before picking one to publish.

• Not everything we write needs to be published.

• Being able to visit with several students a day allows you to keep each on track and move them forward in the writing process.

How to Conference• The conferring time is often referred

to as the heart of the workshop. It is a time for the teacher to: (1) affirm what the child is doing well and (2) teach/reteach a skill or strategy within his/her own writing.

• Be careful to teach the writer, not this piece of writing. Teach the child one strategy he/she will be able to use on many other pieces of writing in the future.

Why do “Sharing”?1. It gives children a real audience for

which to write.

2. It provides children with immediate feedback from the teacher and other students.

3. This will eventually help the child to self-revise because he will begin to predict what others will ask about the writing.

Sharing

• Sharing usually takes about 10 minutes.

• If you run short of time, do not skip the sharing time. Instead, either save the sharing time for later in the day or use a simplified method for sharing, such as having everyone turn to a partner and read what they have written.

• Students need feedback from the teacher and from the larger group.

Sharing

Sharing• About 3 children share per day. In primary

grades, the most common form of sharing is in the Author's Chair.

• The class offers feedback consisting of positive reinforcement (e.g., "What I like most about your writing is...) and wonderings (e.g., "What does your dog look like?).

• The teacher needs to model both kinds of feedback for several weeks in younger grades.

Creative Publishing Ideas

• A newspaper for the school or an article for a local newspaper

• A picture book or chapter book, • A "How-To" or teaching book for the

school or class library• A letter to send to a friend, family

member, or an important person• A biography or autobiography• A guided reading book for other students

Creative Publishing Ideas

• A poster to decorate the room for a holiday party

• A list of directions or rules for parts of the school

• A flyer or brochure

• A scrapbook for your family (e.g., family vacation, memories from growing up, etc.)

• An alphabet book

• A framed word portrait or poem to hang on the wall

Creative Publishing Ideas

• A skit or play to be performed for or by other classes

• A comic strip for the school office, your doctor's office, etc.

• A "Get Well" card or poem for a sick friend

• A calendar with your best poems or other pieces on each month

• A collection of memories placed in a time capsule

The Process of Publishing

When you feel students are ready to publish a piece, teach them the following steps:

• Read your writing out loud to at least 2 other people. You might ask one or more of the following questions:– Does my writing makes sense? – Are there any parts that aren't clear? – Does my writing leave you with any

unanswered questions? – Did my words paint a picture in your

mind?

The Process of Publishing

• Check your own work with a revising/editing checklist.

• Have a conference with your teacher to see what one new thing she can teach you about being a writer.

• Try the strategy that your teacher suggests to you in the conference.

• Go to the publishing center and choose the materials (paper, crayons, etc.) that you want to use in publishing this piece.

• Be sure to make the corrections that your teacher has written on your practice copy.

Spelling Suggestions for students

• Read the writing backwards, from the end to the beginning.

• Identify words you think may be misspelled and look to other resources for help.

• Use Environmental print (displays in the room, word wall, etc.)

Spelling Suggestions

• Use a computerized spell check.

• Try to spell the word a variety of ways and ask yourself which way looks right.

• Ask yourself, "Is this word similar in meaning to other words I can spell?" Do I know parts of the word? (Ex. courage - courageous)

Editing Checklist - Primary

Name: _____________________ Date: __________

1. Does it make sense?

2. Did you leave spaces between your words?

3. Did you use capital letters to begin sentences?

4. Did you use ending punctuation marks?

5. Did you check the spelling?

Editing Checklist 2 –grades 3-5

Name: _____________________ Date: __________

1. Did you reread it carefully, checking for places where readers might be confused?

2. Did you check the spelling using a variety of sources?

3. Did you use correct punctuation? (ending, quotation marks, commas)

4. Have you tried to take out extra words that don't add much?

5. Did you reread it carefully, paying close attention to choice of words? (strong verbs, descriptive language, etc.)

Editing Checklist 3 Name: _____________________ Date: __________

1. Did you use appropriate punctuation? (ending marks, commas, quotation marks, etc.)

2. Did you use capital letters appropriately?

3. Did you give enough information so the reader won't be left with questions?

4. Did you use several sources to check your spelling?

5. Does your writing flow in an organized way?

6. Did you indent and use margins when using paragraphs?

7. Did you use details and descriptions?

8. Did you write an effective beginning and ending?

Remember…

“All good writing is swimming under water

and holding your breath!”

F. Scott Fitzgerald

A Final Word

“We are all apprentices in a craft where no one ever

becomes a master.”

Ernest Hemingway

References• Writer’s Workshop: A guide to getting started in the real

world. PowerPoint Presentation. • Springfield Public School District 186 http://www.springfield.k12.il.us/resources/languagearts/instruction/?mod=105

• Fletcher, R. A Writer's Notebook, Unlocking the Writer Within You,

• Jeanne Morris Jmorris565@aol.com. Maple Elementary, Fontana, CA

• Writers workshop: Teaching that makes sense. http://www.teachersfirst.com/lessons/writers/index.html

• http://www.ttms.org/PDFs/05%20Writers%20Workshop%20v001%20(Full).pdf

• learn.tsinghua.edu.cn/cod_go.jsp?cod_id...

• .