1. Building the Writing Workshop the “Write Way” 3rd-5th
Catawba County Schools
Lora Drum Kathy Keane

2. Today’s Objectives:
Participants will leave this session with the knowledge and tools to effectively implement the writing workshop
model. The components of the Lucy Calkins (Units of Study) will be the focus, along with multiple hands-on
activities and strategies for building a solid foundation for writing instruction.
Participants will walk away with
a “tool box” of items to use for journaling, modeling, sharing, and conferencing with students.
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3. Writing is all around us…
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4. Goals of the Writing Workshop
To help students see writing as a way of telling about things
To develop students’ fluency in writing
To provide opportunities for students to learn to use grammar and mechanics in the context of their own writing
To help students learn about specific
forms (genres) of writing during focused
instruction to ensure that struggling
writers are supported in order to maintain
their motivation and self-confidence
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5. I Have, Who Has… Activity
Review of the components of Lucy Calkins writing Workshop
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6. Getting Yourself Ready…
Ensure that all students have a writer’s
notebook
Start your own writer’s notebook
Have a 2 pocket folder for each student
Have note/letter ready to send to
parents
Suggestion: cover notebooks with
clear contact paper or tape
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7. Tools for Writing Workshop
Writer’s notebooks (suggestion: MEAD composition books)
Writer’s Toolboxes (basket/ tote that holds materials for writing: pencils, pens, highlighters, tape, glue sticks, scissors,
Post-it notepads, markers, etc.)
2 pocket folders
Writing Mini-Offices
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8. Writer’s Notebooks http://www.learner.org/resources/series205.html
Program 1: start at 1:18, Teacher 1- modeling writing
skip to 8:53 Teacher 3- modeling poem
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9. Writer’s Notebook Entries “Gathering Ideas”
Poetry
Family stories that we know
Writing generated from conversations we've had or have heard
Lists of people or place names of interest
Entries about things we care about
Things we wonder about
Celebrations or victories
Dreams
Writer’s Workshop Introduction Mini Lesson by Jennifer Myers
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10. Getting Your Class Ready…
Getting Your Room Ready
Establish a meeting area
Arrange your room so that students can work in small groups
Have “toolboxes” for each group
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11. Writer’s Toolbox
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12. Basic Writing Workshop Format: Call to Workshop Connections Teaching
Active Engagement
Linking
Writing and Conferring
Mid-Point Teaching Point
Sharing
Program 4: Mini-lesson- Introducing the Writing Workshop
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13. Connection
Links what has been done to what is expected to be learned in the present lesson
May serve as a quick review of previous learning
Explicitly name what will
be taught/learned
The connection links what has been done before to what is expected in the present lesson. It provides the young writer with the purpose for the skill or objective being taught.
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14. Writing Workshop So what do each of these components look like…
Mini-lesson (10 minutes)
Students Writing/Teacher Conferencing (20-30 minutes)
Sharing (5-10 minutes)
So what do each of these
components look like…
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15. Teaching (Mini-lesson)
Has a Clear Objective - Teaching Point
States the Purpose Explicitly
Teacher Models – Demonstrate
May Provide Guided Practice
Explains and Gives Examples
The mini-lesson last no more than 10 minutes. Younger children may need less time than older children.
This is direct teaching to the whole class on a specific topic.
It regularly occurs in a specific spot. It follows a similar format each time. The teacher states and restates her objective using the vocabulary that she will use throughout the year.
The teacher may use modeling, demonstrations, guided practice, or explanations with examples
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16. Mini-Lessons Teacher models the process of writing for students
Teacher writes in front of the class and thinks out loud about what she/he is doing as a writer
Teacher models making decisions,
making mistakes, how she/he puts
words on the page
Students are gathered together to
observe, and make any notes in their
writing notebook
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17. benefit many members of the class.
Mini Lesson: Minutes
The mini-lesson is where you can make a suggestion to the whole class...raise a concern, explore an issue, model a technique, reinforce a strategy. First the students are engaged in their own important work. Then ask yourself, "What is the one thing I can suggest or demonstrate that might help most?"   A mini-lesson generally lasts 5-10 minutes. You should try to choose a teaching point that you feel would
benefit many members of the class.
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18. Basics for Constructing the Perfect Mini-Lesson
Choose a method of writing in front of students using chart paper, an overhead projector, or Schoolpad depending on the purpose (chart paper can be used to post as reminders)
Students need to be gathered in a
space separate from regular instruction
Must be focused on one particular
concept, skill, or technique
Look at curriculum and students’ writing
to determine focus of mini-lessons
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19. Procedures Conventions Craft Types of Mini-Lessons
Balance of Each Type is Important!
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20. Procedures
Type of lesson used to set the structure and expectations during writing workshop
For each procedure you want students to follow, use a mini-lesson to model and teach the expectation/process
Important to have clear expectations
and then demonstrate those to your
students
Any time you feel a procedure needs fine-tuning
or complete change, use a
mini-lesson to model that change
Page 68- Minilesson Ideas for Management-
Guiding Readers and Writers by Irene C. Fountas & Gay Su Pinnell
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21. Conventions
Key is to find a way to model using mechanics/grammar and editing mechanics in your writing rather than simply “telling” students about mechanics
Get away from practice of having
students practice mechanics in
unrelated writing tasks
Model using mechanics in your own
modeled writing.
Page 70 Minilesson ideas on Conventions
Guiding Readers and Writers
by Irene C. Fountas & Gay Su Pinnell
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22. Craft Craft of writing deals with content:
How do you write a strong lead?
How do you write a powerful conclusion?
How do you narrow your focus?
Use children’s literature as mentor
texts for modeling
p Minilesson Ideas:The Writer’s Craft
Guiding Readers and Writers
by Irene C. Fountas & Gay Su Pinnell
Program 7: Teaching the Writing Craft- start at 19:04 mini lesson strong leads
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23. Examples of Mini- Lessons
Content Focus
Getting an idea -making lists -things you love -writing from emotion -experiences -moments in time
Adding detail
Adds responses/telling the inside story
Choice of words/ descriptive language
Replacing tired words
Great beginnings
Wow endings
One moment in time
Observations
"I wonder" writings
Something ordinary
Staying on focus
Working with a seed idea
Developing a plan for writing
Finding your voice
Genre studies: -poetry -informational reports -letters -autobiographies -biographies -picture books -persuasive -How-to books
Conventions Focus
Use appropriate spacing
Spelling phonetically
Spell "High Frequency" words correctly
Spell using analogies
Capitalize I, names
Capitalize beginnings of sentences
Ending punctuation marks
Quotation marks
Commas
Use of "and"
Using appropriate grammar
Using paragraphs
Recognizing and correcting run-on sentences
Sample chart created during a Mini-Lesson
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24. Active Engagement
At the end of the mini-lesson students are given the opportunity to try-out the lesson through sharing with a partner
At times students may watch other students trying something out
This is where turn and talk procedures must be clearly expected.
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25. Link
Before sending student off to write independently, restate the teaching point and encourage students to use the skill taught in the mini-lesson in their ongoing work for the day.
Using phrases like “Writers today and everyday you can use______.” helps focus students’ attention on using that skill during the writing time.
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26. Writing Time Students write
Teacher confers with individual students or small groups
Student writing time increases as students develop their stamina. The teacher starts the launching unit teaching students how to be independent during writing time. After the first mini-lesson on developing independence, she may revisit what students do during this time. An anchor chart posted serves as a reminder. The teacher must decide what she needs to put in this chart, depending upon her procedures.
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27. Students Writing
Students spend their time somewhere in the writing process: planning, drafting, revising, editing, or publishing
Students spend most of their time
on topics of their choice
Students do not publish everything
they write
Students work as writers work using
the materials writers need
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28. Independent Writing/Collecting Entries
After the mini lesson, students work in their Writer's Notebook to collect entries that may later become published pieces of writing.  The total writing time lasts for about minutes, but during that time some students may be involved in conferences with the teacher or with their peers.
Students choose entries in their notebooks to take into "draft form."  It is these carefully selected pieces of writing that will be taken through the process of editing and revising so that they can be published and shared with others. 
All entries in the Writer's Notebook do not become
published prices of writing.  All published writing
is added to each student's Writing Portfolio,
and some pieces can be put into student created books.
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29. Student Writing
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30. (Mid-workshop teaching point)
Sometimes you will find it necessary to stop and teach/re-teach a concept/skill during the writing workshop- this will be necessary when you are seeing several children struggling with the same issues
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31. Conferring The teacher may meet with students individually.
The teacher may meet with small groups of students with similar needs
The teacher takes the time to record her compliment and teaching points
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32. Teacher Conferring
The teacher conducts individual conferences to differentiate the instruction and provide multilevel support for the students.
Conferences are held every time writing occurs.
A conference provides a weekly
opportunity to assess student progress
and make appropriate instructional
decisions.
Conferences are conversations, not
interrogations.
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33. Conferring Teaching Points
The teacher looks for what the student knows.
The teacher looks for what the student needs to know next
The teacher asks herself what is the most important thing that she can teach this student next?
The teacher must decide how she is going to teach the child
The teacher aids the student(s) learning by saying,”I am going to teach you something. I am going to teach you how to____”
During the conference she will repeat several times what she is teaching.
Conferences are conversations, not interrogations!
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34. Types of Conferences Roving Conferences
Individual Student/Teacher Conferences
Teacher Scheduled Small Group Conferences
Peer Conferences
Teacher Drop-In Conferences
Conferences are conversations not interrogations!
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35. Roving Conference
This is usually used as the students are beginning their writing. The teacher circulates around the classroom as the students are organizing their work. This is a quick session – about two minutes – in which the teacher asks the students simple questions, assists in a variety of ways and makes note of any difficulties that may be used as a focus for mini-lessons. As a teacher talks with a student, the know some of the other students maybe listening and learning from the conversation.
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36. Individual Student/Teacher Conference
Teacher Conferencing is conducted after the mini-lesson, while the students are working on their individual pieces. Conferences can be formal or informal and can be conducted in a special spot or at their table. Use open-ended questions and allow plenty of time for students to think before they answer. The goal is to get them to tell you their thinking. Do not worry about punctuation and spelling at this time unless you are conducting a conventions conference.
It is important to ask questions that lead students to discover what they have to say and want to communicate, and that encourage them to talk about their work. The teacher can, for example, ask:
Are you pleased with your writing?
Who are you writing this for?
Why did you choose this topic?
Where are you now in your draft?
Do the sentences make sense?
Does your writing say what you want it to say?
Are there any details that you could add which would make this clearer?
What do you think you will do next?
Where do you see this writing going?
What is the most important/interesting part?
Are the beginning and ending effective?
What title would you give this piece?
Have students reread parts and talk honestly about the story. If a conference is going
well the student's energy for writing increases. You might want to complete an Individual writing conference record and have the student take notes as well. The student
should leave the conference wanting to write.
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37. Small Group Conferencing
This may also occur during the writing process and may focus on the introduction, modeling or reinforcement of a specific writing skill, to a group of students based on their needs. It also gives them the opportunity to observe how the teacher helps others improve their writing and then be able to do the same when they peer-conference.
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38. Peer Conferencing P (Praise)
What do you like about my paper? Q (Question)
What questions do you have about my paper? P (Polish)
What specific improvements could I make?
Here students independently listen and give feedback to their fellow student writers. Using what they have learned in the teacher- student individual conferences, the peer will comment on various pre-determined aspects of writing.
In peer conferences, students need to know how to maintain a helpful and supportive relationship. Teachers need to take time to model good responses and set some ground rules such as the following:
Be positive. Respond to what the writer is trying to say and what the writer does well.
Be helpful. Do your best to make comments that will be useful to the writer.
Be specific. Talk about specific words, phrases, or paragraphs
The tone of the response should be positive. It should emphasize what is going well and how to make things even better.
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39. Conferencing Guidelines
Keep the conference short (3-5 minutes)
Get the student talking
Listen carefully to what the writer is trying to say
Assess the writer’s confusions,
confusions, strengths, next steps
Affirm and reinforce what the
writer has done well (praise, offer
suggestions, provide resources)
Provide scaffolding
Establish goals with the writer’s input
Program 12: Peer Conferences start :58,
then skip to 5:23 (mini lesson: eye to eye/knee to knee)
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40. Sharing Students return to same place that
they were for the mini-lesson.
The teacher may decide to restate the
teaching point of the mini-lesson and share examples of student work.
The teacher may decide to
introduce a new writing behavior that was observed.
Students are given opportunities
to share their work
During this time the teacher may decide to have students turn and talk.
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41. Sharing “We write to be read.” – Atwell, 2002
Many students will write just for the opportunity to share with classmates.
Sharing time is a critical component
of the writing workshop.
Students share parts of their writing
pieces in progress or read their
latest published works.
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42. Sharing
At the end of writing workshop everyday, students are brought back together for a 5-10 minute group share and reflection.    Sometimes a writer might share to ask for help or receive feedback from his or her classmates ("I like my story, but I can't think of a good title.").  The author might also want to share part of an entry of which he or she is especially proud.
During many group shares, each student gets
a turn to share a small part of an entry,
especially if you have asked students
to try a particular new skill during
the day's mini-lesson. 
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43. End of Workshop Share
Author’s
Chair
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44. Sharing
At the end of writing workshop everyday, students are brought back together for a 5-10 minute group share and reflection.  When students sign up to share or are asked to share, they take a seat in the coveted "Author's Chair."  Sometimes a writer might come to the author's chair to ask for help or receive feedback from his or her classmates ("I like my story, but I can't think of a good title.").  The author might also want to share part of an entry of which he or she is especially proud.
During “many” group shares, each student gets a turn to share a small part of an entry, especially if you have asked students to try a particular new skill during the day's mini-lesson.
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45. Publishing Partner Sharing Out of the Classroom Author’s Chair
Publishing Party
Young Author’s Day
Parent Tea
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46. PORTFOLIO IDEAS
The final product becomes part of the students' Writing Portfolios.
1 Final Product will be selected to be included in each student’s portfolio each nine weeks.
Each nine weeks’ final product for the portfolio should be from a different writing genre.
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48. Other considerations…
Establish non-negotiables
Establish procedures for movement
Decide on signal
Use writing workshop language
consistently
Set the length and time for daily
writing
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59. As you arrive back from lunch…
Please use your writer’s notebook
to write a list of “Heart Topics”- those things that you consider dear to your heart, things that you care about and
know about
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60. Mini-office and writer’s notebook
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61. Thematic Word Wall
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62. Thematic Word Banks
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63. Word Bags
Purpose: To prevent overuse of words and to encourage accelerated vocabulary.
Place a word on the bag and have the students
fill the bag with synonyms as they come across words in their reading.
marvelous
Good
spectacular
fabulous
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64. Word Closets
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65. Word Bank
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66. Link Chains Purpose: Sequencing Events Accelerated Vocabulary
Run
Purpose:
Sequencing Events
Accelerated Vocabulary
(synonyms, antonyms)
Life Cycles
Contractions
dart
dash
scamper
trot
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67. Picture Word Inductive Model Emily Calhoun
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68. Writing Products Third Fourth Fifth Personal/ Imaginative Narratives
Journal Entries
Short Report
Friendly Letters
Poems
Directions
Instructions
Learning Logs
Diary Entries
Notes
Autobiography
Research Reports
Business Letters:
Letters of request
Letters of complaint
Letters to the editor
Biography
Interviews
News Articles
Essays
Memoir
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69. Writing Across the Curriculum
Program 15
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