Intermediate Grades - Writing WorkshopDonna Marie WagnerEDRG 5370

September 2014

Differences in Writing Workshops

▪ Organization-Core LIteracy programs meet for reading with each small group and use the same groups for writing.

▪ Older students can work more independently and much of their writing occurs outside the actual group meetings.

Working - typically students write in response to a prompt daily or to the whole class reading.

▪ This writing should include details.–Before Writing- After a group reads about a topic or a portion

of a novel, discussion takes place and each child can write about their experience with the topic or related understanding of the topic.▪ For example: I am teaching one class the novel, Last Book in the Universe by Rodman Philbrick. The story has a brother and his half sister each with a different disease. The boy has Epliepsy and the girl has Leukemia. I might ask them to research these diseases and then write a personal narrative about how they would feel if they had one of them and how their life might be different.

Before Writing

Students use an outline to write about their experiences. In my classroom we use thinking maps such as a bubble map. They will answer the questions who, what, where, why and when about each of the five sub-topics.

Before Writing Cont’d -For each sub-topic they will create a new bubble map to help them plan (outline) their ideas for their writing.

Using their bubble maps they will then create an outline for writing

During Writing-

Students use their outline to write about their experience. For struggling students this exercise could be done as partners. Remind students that this is a draft and there will be time for revision. Peer Editing – with your table buddy Editing with teacher after

revision

Encouragement is the key!

After Writing

Working in small groups….

▪ Assumes that others can work independently.

▪ Work with partners

▪ Work in small groups

However…..

Most often

▪ Intermediate grade students are expected to be reading and writing in preparation for their own group meetings as the teacher is working with one group at a time.

Facilitating

Writing Workshop

“Teachers often associate workshops with one-on-one conferences, but they can also work with small groups of children who are on the same phase of the writing process.”

Writing Workshop Teacher Checklist

1. Organizing – “In a writing workshop, a “state of the class time” typically follows a mini-lesson. At this time students can inform the teacher about what aspect of the writing process they will focus on that day.”

2. Working – writing workshops are when a teacher is guiding students through the process. “A writing conference is a short conversation between at least two people about a student’s writing.” IT IS NOT A MINI-LESSON. It is not planned and you may not even know what you will say.

3. In a conference – Take off your instructor’s hat and put on your coach’s cap.

What the Pros have discovered.

▪ “Gere and Abbott (1985) said, “The success of the approach was dependent on the interaction of writers with teachers and peers during conferences and small group work.”

▪ “Calkins (1986) said, “Our first job in a conference, then, is to be a person not just a teacher. It is to enjoy, care and to respond.”

Before – During & After WritingAfter: Remember – You are focusing on the process as well as the product. Remember that you are improving the writing only as a means to improve the writer and tell your students – “This represents our best efforts at this time of the year.” or “You may still find some errors but we’ve made great improvements.”

Before: If you notice a student struggling to get started – communicate through a simple conversation- ask questions and listen intently so you will know how to guide that student.

During: In some cases with struggling students you may have to take dictation, offer a recording device for them to orally express themselves or do a share writing for brainstorming.