Writing Motto: “Teach the writer, not the writing.”

Writing Motto: “Teach the writer, not the writing.” Writing Workshop Professional Development – Summer 2011Washington Primary Center Mrs. De Luna, Ms. Guinn and Mr. Speight

Writing Workshop Model of Instruction Research Base • Research Principle 1 • There are fundamental traits of all good writing and student write well when they learn to use these traits. Topic Choice, Meaning/Significance, Structure, Elaboration/Details, Genre Knowledge, Conventions, Voice • Research Principle 2 • Using a writing process to teach the complex task of writing increases student achievement. Rehearsal, Drafting, Revision, Editing, Publishing (color drawings only during this stage) • Research Principle 3 • Students benefit from teaching that offers direct instruction, guided practice, and independent practice.

Writing Workshop Model of Instruction Research Base (continued) • Research Principle 4 • To write well, writers need ample time to write every day. • Research Principle 5 • A well-rounded curriculum provides support for struggling writers and English language learners. • Research Principle 6 • Writing and reading are joined processes, and students learn best when writing and reading instruction is aligned.

Writing Workshop Components • Minilesson • Student Writing Time with Conferring and Small Group Work • Independent Writing Time • Mid-Workshop Teaching Point • Partner Response Time • Teaching Share

Management of a Writing Workshop • Teach management, don’t tell it. • Reasonable Expectations • Consistency and Routine • Teach Toward Independence

Management Tip: poster of ideas

Management tip: sample poster

Management tip: Sample poster

Cultivating Community in the Writing Workshop • Story tell • Read Aloud • Create and Rotate Partnerships • Encourage students to bring in artifacts from their reading and writing lives • Establish the Values • Model your own passionate love of reading and writing

Storytelling our Life Experiences • Why storytelling? • Helps children learn how to tell stories, incorporating the elements of story. • Helps children use literary language, dialogue, time words, and so forth. • Helps children value the stories that fill their lives and to see themselves as makers of stories.

Writing Materials • Paper Choices (students should choose own paper) • Pencils (or pen option) • Class set of two-pocket folders (label left side – Still Working / label right side – Finished for Now) • Class set of revising/editing pens in different colors • Extra strips of paper • Post-it notes • Tape • Stapler • Scissors • Teacher Demonstration Texts • Shared class story to use in minilessons

On-Demand Assessments • Teachers will create common On-Demand Assessments to assess the qualities of writing or students’ process of writing. • On-Demand Assessments can answer: What does the writer do well? What does the writer already know about the genre? What does the writer need me to teach? • Will be administered at the beginning of the school year • Will be administered at the end of each 15-20 day writing unit to assess the writing skills mastered as well as the skills that need to be retaught during the next unit.

Structure of a Minilesson • Effective minilessons tend to follow a similar structure. While the content changes from day to day, the structure remains constant. • On-Demand Assessments should drive minilessons. • Connection (2-4 min) • Teaching (3-5 min) • Active Engagement ( 2 min) • Link (30 sec – 1 min)

The Writing Process in a K-2 Classroom • Students will be utilizing the writing process during each 15-20 day writing unit. • Rehearsal • Drafting • Revision • Editing • Publishing

Publishing • Students will choose one piece of writing to take through the publishing process the last 5 days of every unit.

Revising and Editing • During the publishing process, students will revise their writing piece using a colored pen and then the next day students will edit the same piece using a different colored pen. • Eventually students can be taught to use revising and editing checklists.

Celebrations • Celebrations will end each writing unit. Ways to Celebrate • Sparkling apple cider and toast • Snacks • Small groups (kids read their published copies in small groups) • Whole group compliments. Can chart and keep them up. Tell kids this is what we did well and let’s continue doing this. • Author’s chair • Invite buddies • Celebrate with another class • Invite parents • Act out writing (for all about) • Sticky note for student to write one thing they learned (I learned…) • Sticky note for student to write a new goal for the next unit (My writing goal is …)

What do we do with student booklets? • Students will take their booklets home at the end of each unit. (Exceptions: writing pieces needed for PDs, SSTs, principal request, or teacher deciding to keep additional pieces as they see fit) • Teachers need to send a letter home (approved by principal) to parents with the student booklets explaining that the pieces were not published, but are drafts which is why they have not been corrected/ revised. • The goal of sending the booklets home is to share writing growth with parents and to start fresh every unit.

Core Drivers of Writing Workshop • Grade Level Writing Curriculum Calendar • Guide for teachers to plan 15-20 day writing units for the entire school year • The K-2 Writing Process will be utilized during each writing unit. • Well-Planned and Focused Minilessons • On-Demand Assessments (per grade level) • Teachers will create these common assessments to assess the students’ qualities of writing. • Administered at the beginning of the school year • Administered at the end of each 15-20 day unit to assess the writing skills mastered as well as the skills that need to be retaught during the next unit • Assessment results will drive teachers’ minilessons and conferring sessions

Core Drivers of Writing workshop (continued) • Unit Checklist/Conference worksheets to use throughout each unit • Will help track students’ writing skills and growth • Will help make conferring sessions focused and more effective for teacher and student. • Will help track the number of conferring sessions for each student • Teacher created rubrics for each unit and/or genre (per grade level) • Lucy Calkins’ Units of Study and other writing resources will be utilized to support the writing units planned by the grade levels.

Writing Motto: “Teach the writer, not the writing.”