1. Writing Workshop Essentials
First Grade

2. Room Set Up / Essentials
Work showcase area in the room
Meeting place- mini lessons
Establish quiet space/ talk space
Designated teacher conference space
if desired

3. Materials / Preparation
Writing workshop 2 or 4 pocket folder for each student
Journal for each student
Tool space with materials
Anchor charts (break down of writing workshop routine, list of mini lessons taught)

4. Mini Lessons
Approximately 10 minutes in length consisting of the following:
Connection- 1-2 minutes, the hook or buy in
Teaching- 5 minutes, model the targeted skill or strategy
Active Engagement- 3 minutes, Turn and Talk, peer edit, shared writing
Link- 1-2 minutes, the send off to try the skill

5. Day 1 Use a mentor text to kick off writing workshop
Show the writing folder and journal, tell how they will be used
Review timeline structure of writing workshop

6. Day 2 Anchor chart- What do good writers look like?
Review expectations

7. Day 3
Mini lesson on peer sharing- Turn and Talk, group sharing/celebration, PQP, Glow and Grow
Practice turn and talk with a partner
Explain the limit of daily shares
Model PQP, focus on the praise first
Model Glow and Grow

8. Day 4-8 Brainstorming Lessons
Each day complete a brainstorming activity
Add each resource to their writing folder

9. Examples of Brainstorming Activities
Heart map-
Things I love

10. Examples of Brainstorming Activities
Hand map-
Things I like to do

11. Examples of Brainstorming Activities
Family Portrait

12. Peer Response Students keep the same partner throughout the unit
PQP- Praise, Question, Polish
Grow and Glow
Introduce praise first, when mastered, move on to question, then proceed on to polish

13. Teacher Conferencing
Option 1- Individually meet with students during independent writing time
Option 2- “Bop” around the room, quickly checking in with multiple students
A reasonable goal would be 3 students per day (3-5 minutes each)
Teach students to never interrupt a conference
Student goal written on a post-it note in their folder or journal to remind them what to continue working on Ex- “Remember 2 finger spacing”
Teacher record keeping of who was met with and anecdotal notes

14. Sharing / Celebration
Set the limit of number of shares before starting
Have a celebration routine Ex. (clap, clap, point) “You’re a rock star!”

15. Link to MWP Pinterest Page
childhood-pre-/