Writing Workshop:

The premise of the writing workshop is to give children daily opportunities to engage in the writing process. By writing in mostly self-selected topics, children develop voice in their writing and a sense of responsibility for their job as an author: to express to a real audience. This year will be only the beginning of your child's exploration of the writing process.

Rehearsal/Modeling/Guided Practice/Supported Independent Writing

Children learn the process by watching as the teacher "thinks through" ideas (rehearsal/modeling), by seeing the teacher model writing (modeling), by participating in shared writing with the teacher and peers (guided practice), and then finally by writing independently. Students then conference with their peers and teacher, allowing them to exchange ideas with others and gain insight to their writing.

Mini-lessons will demonstrate the steps of the writing process, revising and editing skills, how to engage in purposeful and productive peer conferences, and introduce different genres to students. Read alouds are used to expose the students to good quality literature, teaching them to read like writers. By examining the craft of writing through books they enjoy, children will be guided toward trying out those crafts in their own writing.

I encourage you to talk with your child about writing. Writing is a SOCIAL event! Show them aspects of your writerly life. I will include the books used in our workshop on our "Books We Love" page, so that you may share them again with your child and reinforce their discovery of the writer's craft.

Above all, the writing workshop allows for an individualized learning plan for each child in class. Each student begins where they are, and progresses at their own pace. We all know that children learn to talk, walk, and they even loose teeth in their own time. Why should reading and writing be any different?

Writing workshop provides the validation for children's own ideas, exposes them to quality writing, teaches them the skills to express themselves, and celebrates their achievements through publishing their work.