Writer’s Workshop A Time and Place to Explore the Writing Process.

Writer’s Workshop is a wonderful environment to explore writing. Each student can be successful at their unique level, and grow as a developing writer at their own rate. Writer’s Workshop can also be tuned to cross disciplines. Topics can be developed from science or social studies lessons as well as reading.

The Writer’s Workshop is both a structured writing environment and a time of independent work. The actual structure of a Writer’s Workshop follows a near identical schedule.

The workshop time period starts with the teacher presenting a mini-lesson. The mini- lesson is used to introduce an idea or writing strategy to the entire class. The strategy is often illustrated by sharing a writing passage that uses the strategy or idea. The shared passage can be from a book, something the teacher wrote, or even the work of a classmate.

The rehearsal stage follows the mini- lesson and is when the students are paired with a “talking partner” who may be an adult, or may be a peer, to discuss the ideas that they have for what they will be writing about.

The actual writing comes next. Student’s write about the topic they have chosen incorporating ideas and strategies from the mini lesson that was just given, or one from the past is usually fine too.

Some students also benefit from “Guided Writing” groups where a teacher may call a small group of children together to work on a common writing strategy area.

During the independent writing phase the students will also have opportunities for teacher and/or peer conferences for help with editing and revisions.

The Author’s Chair is the concluding phase of Writer’s Workshop and is often a favorite part for young writers. The student goes to a special chair or designated spot and reads aloud their written piece.

The young writer then calls on the other students to ask questions about what was just read to them. The role of the Author’s Chair should be for the writer to seek help with new ideas or revisions.

In the beginning the young writers often need help with structuring these questions for their classmates, but within only a few sessions most students have learned what kinds of questions to ask.

The Author’s Chair can be used for a draft piece with suggestions for revisions, or for a final, or “published” piece to celebrate it.

Reference: Montgomery County Public Schools Reading Writing Language Arts, Grade One, Appendix, 2 nd Edition, 2005 p. 128 – 136.