Presented by: Megan Brown & Laura Rice

1. About the AuthorsWriting Workshop with Our Youngest WritersBy: Katie Wood Ray with Lisa B. Cleaveland Presented by: Megan Brown & Laura Rice

2. Mini-Lesson Writing Prompt: If you could have any super power what would it be and how would you use it?

3. Overview • Teaching young writers with the help of writers workshop • Building a strong foundation • Starting the process • Understanding the teaching • Mini-lessons, organization, assessments, sharing • Units of Study • Different units based around the basics of writing

4. What does writing look like at this stage? • It’s all about “Making Stuff” • It’s all about creating at a developmentally appropriate level. • Provide supplies that will get them interested. • Young kids will see a “world of possibilities” in the supplies. • Children naturally explore out of curiosity.

5. Picture Books • Start by making picture books. • It is the most familiar form of writing for them. • They will an example and knowledge of what they are going to make. • Picture books can encompass many genres.

6. Concept of “Bigger Work” • Writing with more volume • Open ended, do not set limits • Focus on the bigger concepts • Use writing to allow students to get a larger scope of the idea of what writing is all about. • Do not focus on spelling, inventing is okay • Do not use journals

7. Setting Up Your Workshop • Use writers workshop from the very beginning. • Begin with stapled books 4-6 pages but make sure students know they can always add more • Explain the big idea of writing workshop including • Procedures • Materials

8. Mini-Lessons • Use when talking about “Big Ideas.” • Should not tell students what to do but offer suggestions to making their writing better. • Be sure to include looking at the works of other authors.

9. Be sure to use writing throughout your whole day.