Making the Most of Writing Workshop

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Making the Most of Writing Workshop

• Michelle Moody
• Frances Borg

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The Youngest Writers

• Young children are writers as soon as they draw
  or put a symbol on paper and tell us what it
  says. We should call them writers and treat them
  as writers from that moment on. Marcia S.
  Freeman
  
  
  
  
  

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Our Goals

• To suggest options and ideas to get your writers
  workshop running smoothly.
• To provide a supportive and fun workshop
  environment.
• To help you make new friends and discover new
  ideas.

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A Classroom that Promotes Writing

• Schedules a consistent block of time for daily
  writing
• Creates an environment conducive to writing
• Rehearses writing workshop procedures
• Creates written models to demonstrate print-text
  awareness
• Teaches parents about your writing program

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Establish and Achieve Goals

• ABSOLUTELY expect your students to write!
• Treat them as writers, call them writers, make
  them believe they are writers.

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Setting up Your Room

• A place for children to talk, listen, and write
• A gathering place in front of an easel
• A special chair labeled Authors Chair
• Wall surfaces for word banks
• Storage place for childrens writing

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Materials

• Writing tools of all kinds
• Writing surfaces of all sorts
• Spiral bound notebooks
• Picture collection
• ABC strips, letter patterns
• Clipboards, butcher paper, sentence strips

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Writers Kits

• Lunchboxes or backpacks filled with writing tools
  - students can take them home to make books with
  an adult
• Mini offices provides models and quiet place to
  work

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Make and TakeMini Offices

• busyteacherscafe.com/mini_offices.htm

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Daily Writing Workshop

• Starting Component 2-20 minutes
• Might include a lesson, modeled writing, read
  aloud, or class discussion with shared writing
• Writing Component 15-20 minutes
• Students are drawing/talking, writing, dictating,
  working in groups
• Teacher is conferencing, taking dictation,
  conducting group lessons
• Sharing Component 5-12 minutes
• Authors chair for 3-4 students
• Each student shares with another student

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Have Faith Build it and they will come!
Michelle Moody email Misha_113_at_yahoo.com