Writers Workshop Robin Davis, Kris Gould, Taylor Smith, Mark Wetherbee

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Writers WorkshopRobin Davis, Kris Gould, Taylor Smith, Mark Wetherbee

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“Writer's Workshop is an interdisciplinary writing technique which can build students' fluency in writing through continuous,repeated exposure tothe process of writing.”

(http://www.teachersfirst.com/lessons/writers/index.html)

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Elements to Writers Workshop:

1. Generating Ideas.2. Collecting writing entries.3. Choosing a seed idea.4. Planning the draft.5. Revising to change the content and quality.6. Editing to improve grammar.7. Publishing the piece to share it with the world.8. Writing Celebration.

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Process: “Establishing a consistent writing process that the students work through is one of the main principles of the Writing Workshop. Each student will move through the process at their own rate, however it is best to set a deadline for each step so that each writing unit is completed in a timely manner.”

1. Signal the beginning of Writing WorkshopUse a consistent signal to begin workshop. Some ideas are chimes, a bell, turning on small Christmas lights, signing a song or using a special clap.2. Direct, explicit mini-lesson (See mini-lesson information below)3. Writing time. During this time the teacher guides the young authors through writing conferences, meets with small groups to teach specific writing techniques and/or works one-on-one with authors.4. Sharing of student work. Students that have tried out the concept from the mini-lesson are highlighted.

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Mini-lessons: Mini-lessons should be about 10–15 minutes in length. They follow the same structure each time; Make a connection to a previous lesson, teach a new writing technique, and have the students practice the technique right there with your guidance.

Possible Mini-lesson topics are:

-using dialog to show an action-stretching out actions-adding internal thinking--elaborating on physical descriptions-starting a story with an action-starting a story with dialog-end with a sound-using circular ending-creating imagery through words-narrowing a story, making it more focused

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Small Tips:

-Writing Partnerships-Differentiation-Seed Ideas-If your school values "perfect" writing-Conventions-Rubrics

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Small Tips:

Sayings found in Calkin's books and at her workshop:

~Address your students as writers.~Take one idea and talk/write it long.~Let's write in the air.~Zoom in and focus, like a photographer would do. ~What is this story REALLY about? What's important here? What do I want to say?~Why is this idea important to me?~Take out a sentence like a spatula.~Unpack your story.~For teachers- What are they using but confusing? ~Writers, remember this, for the rest of your lives. ~ Writing Folders and Writer's Notebooks.

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Big Tips:

-Units should be no more than a month,-Mid Workshop Lessons-Collaboration-Assignments Vs. Strategies- -Assessing on Demand Writing-Units of Study Has Results

http://blogs.scholastic.com/3_5/2009/04/writing-workshop-units-of-study-a-day-with-lucy-calkins.html

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Writers Workshop:A breakdown of elements by grade

level.

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Grades K & 1

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Grades 2 & 3

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Grade 4

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Grade 5

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Writing Prompt for Class:(Now, you are all 5th grade students.)

“What do you want to be when you grow up?”*

*For the purpose of this demonstration, your answer cannotbe, “teacher.” ; )

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