The Writing Workshop :The Writing Workshop By: Katie Alexander Summer 2009


Why Should Students Write? :9/25/2009 copyright 2006 www.brainybetty.com 2 Why Should Students Write? Bridges reading and writing Engages students Students easily work at their own pace Creates a sense of pride


Kindergarteners Can Write? :Kindergarteners Can Write? Of course they can! In this presentation, I will often refer to the Building Blocks method for writing. It can be implemented at various grade levels. I will also refer to Lucy Calkins’ Writing Workshop. 9/25/2009 copyright 2006 www.brainybetty.com 3


Building Blocks Method :Building Blocks Method This approach integrates Guided Reading, Self-Selected Reading, Writing, and Working with Words. Children develop six critical understandings in the Building Blocks Method. These understandings are developed through a variety of literacy experiences. They include: DESIRE TO LEARN TO READ AND WRITE LANGUAGE CONCEPTS PRINT CONCEPTS PHONEMIC AWARENESS INTERESTING WORDS LETTERS AND SOUNDS 9/25/2009 copyright 2006 www.brainybetty.com 4


Six Critical Understandings Explained :Six Critical Understandings Explained DESIRE TO LEARN TO READ AND WRITE: Children learn that reading provides both enjoyment and information, and they develop a desire to learn to read and write. LANGUAGE CONCEPTS: Students also learn many new concepts and add words and meaning to their speaking vocabularies. PRINT CONCEPTS: Children learn print concepts, including how to read from left to right, how to read a page from top to bottom, etc. PHONEMIC AWARENESS: Children develop phonemic awareness, including the concepts of rhyme. INTERESTING WORDS: Students learn to read and write some interesting-to-them words, such as, “Pizza Hut,” “cat,” or “bear.” LETTERS AND SOUNDS: Students learn letter names and sounds usually connected to the interesting words they have learned. 9/25/2009 copyright 2006 www.brainybetty.com 5


Day 1-5 in Building BlocksPredictable Charts: The Writing Component :Day 1-5 in Building BlocksPredictable Charts: The Writing Component Day 1: Students will be given a writing prompt. They dictate their sentence as the teacher writes it on chart paper. Day 2: Complete dictation. Students will begin touch reading their sentence using a pointer. Day 3: Complete touch reading. Day 4: Sentence Builders. Students will be given the words that appear in their sentence. They must put the words in order and illustrate. Day 5: PUBLICATION! Final touches are put on illustrations and the book is published. 9/25/2009 copyright 2006 www.brainybetty.com 6


Lucy Calkins :Lucy Calkins Mini-Lesson (5-10 min.) Status of the Class (2-3 min.) Writing (20-40 min.) & Conferencing Sharing (10 min.) You will want to take the low end of this schedule if you are teaching K-1st Writer's Workshop 9/25/2009 copyright 2006 www.brainybetty.com 7


Teacher’s Role: According to Calkins :Teacher’s Role: According to Calkins Teacher’s Role in the Writing Process Prewriting The teacher: Provides background experiences so students will have the prerequisite knowledge to write about the topic Allows students to participate in decisions about topic, function, audience, and form Defines the writing project clearly and specifies how it will be assessed Teaches information about writing form Provides opportunities for students to participate in idea gathering and organizing activities Writes a class collaboration with students Drafting The teacher: Provides support, encouragement, and feedback Emphasizes content over mechanics Teaches students how to draft Encourages students to cycle back to prewriting to gather more ideas or ahead to revise when needed 9/25/2009 copyright 2006 www.brainybetty.com 8


Teacher’s Role: According to Calkins, con’t. :Teacher’s Role: According to Calkins, con’t. Revising The teacher: Organizes writing groups Teaches students how to function in writing groups Participates in a writing group as any listener and reactor would Provides feedback about the content of the writing and makes suggestions for revision Insists that students make some revisions Encourages students to cycle back to prewriting or drafting when necessary Editing The teacher: Teaches students how to edit with partners Prepares editing checklists for students Assists students in locating and correcting mechanical errors Diagnoses students’ errors and provides appropriate instruction Corrects any remaining errors that students cannot correct Sharing The teacher: Arranges for genuine audiences for student writing Does not serve only as a judge when receiving student writing. 9/25/2009 copyright 2006 www.brainybetty.com 9


Student’s Role: According to Calkins :Student’s Role: According to Calkins The Student’s Role in the Writing Process Prewriting Students write on topics based on their own experiences Students engage in reversal activities before writing Students identify the audience to whom they will write Students identify the purpose of the writing activity Students choose an appropriate form for their compositions based on audience and purpose. Drafting Students write a rough draft Students emphasize content rather than mechanics Revising Students share their writing in writing groups Students participate constructively in discussions about classmates’ writing Students make changes in their compositions to reflect the reactions and comments of both teacher and classmates Between the first and final drafts, students make substantive rather than only minor changes 9/25/2009 copyright 2006 www.brainybetty.com 10


Student’s Role: According to Calkins, con’t. :Student’s Role: According to Calkins, con’t. Editing Students proofread their own compositions Students help proofread classmates’ compositions Students increasingly identify and correct their own mechanical errors Sharing Students publish their writing in an appropriate form Students share their finished writing with an appropriate audience http://teachers.net/lessons/posts/681.html 9/25/2009 copyright 2006 www.brainybetty.com 11


Alternative Writing Models :Alternative Writing Models Procedures 1) Model for students 
     The teacher: -thinks aloud about possible ideas, draws a picture and orally discusses why certain elements are in the drawing (prewriting) -decides what to write that corresponds to the picture -does adult/book writing (with student assistance) 2) Student Writing
   Students: -get their writing notebooks or folders -date their next clean page -think about what they want to draw -draw their picture -kid write (with and with out assistance) 9/25/2009 copyright 2006 www.brainybetty.com 12


Alternative Writing Models, con’t. :Alternative Writing Models, con’t. 3) Re-Evaluate Once finished, students look at books in the book basket at their table, reread their previous entries, or share their writing with an adult or other child at their table. 4) Pair Share As students come to the carpet, they will have the opportunity to share their writing with a partner. After students have shared, notebooks are put away in the designated location. This is so students will be less distracted as they listen and participate in the sharing of other students' writing as part of our Author's Chair. 5) Author's Chair One student gets to orally share their writing entry with the entire class. The student in the author's chair then gets to ask three students to either ask a question about their entry or to share a comment on what they thought about their writing. (focusing on meaning and content) 
We always make sure to praise the author's original writing and ask how they figured out certain letters or words! (focusing on writing elements) 9/25/2009 copyright 2006 www.brainybetty.com 13


Modes of Writing :Modes of Writing Creative Writing: The primary purpose of creative writing is to entertain the reader. Descriptive Writing: The primary purpose of descriptive writing is to describe a person, place, or event so that the topic can be clearly seen in the reader's mind. The writer must use vivid details that paint a picture for the reader. Expository Writing: The primary purpose of expository writing is to provide information such as an explanation or directions. Narrative Writing: The primary purpose of narrative writing is to describe an experience, event, or sequence of events in the form of a story. Persuasive Writing: The primary purpose of persuasive writing is to give an opinion and try to influence the reader's way of thinking with supporting evidence. http://www.kimskorner4teachertalk.com/writing/modes/definitions.html 9/25/2009 copyright 2006 www.brainybetty.com 14


Ideas From Suzi :Ideas From Suzi This website has incredible resources that are ready to print and go! http://www.ideasfromsuzi.com/ 9/25/2009 copyright 2006 www.brainybetty.com 15


www.studentreasures.com :www.studentreasures.com This is a wonderful site that allows students to publish their writing. Kits can be purchased for individual students. However, classroom kits are FREE! 9/25/2009 copyright 2006 www.brainybetty.com 16


Writing Prompts :Writing Prompts Imagine that you can become invisible whenever you wanted to? What are 
     some of the things you would do? What would you do if you were in the middle of the lake and your boat springs 
     a leak? What would you do if you were the last person on earth? What would you do if you could fly? What would you do if you suddenly woke 
     up in another country and no one could understand a word you said!  Write a poem about your favorite person, animal, or place.      What is your dream vacation? Why? Write a story from the perspective of a rabbit going down a hole.  What does 
     the rabbit experience, see and feel? What would you eat if you were on a deserted island?  How would you catch 
     your food? 9/25/2009 copyright 2006 www.brainybetty.com 17


More Writing Prompts :More Writing Prompts How does it feel to be a snowflake? Imagine you are a mountain and you are sitting and watching the world.  What 
     have you seen in your lifetime? What dangers would you face if you were a chipmunk? How would you over 
     come them? Add some flair to you journals!  Try these innovative journaling techniques. Summarize your day in 20 words or less. Write one word across the journal page that best describes your day. Write out the lyrics to your favorite song or print them out and paste them into 
     your journal. Draw a picture. Write a poem. Print out a copy of an Instant Message chat that you had with your friend or your parent, and paste it into your journal. Compose a song. Write in your journal using colorful markers, colored pencils or even crayons! Cut and paste your favorite pictures from magazines into your journal. 9/25/2009 copyright 2006 www.brainybetty.com 18


Additional ways to encourage students to write: Use K-W-L Charts and Semantic Webs! :Additional ways to encourage students to write: Use K-W-L Charts and Semantic Webs! 9/25/2009 copyright 2006 www.brainybetty.com 19


We have done all of this writing…Now, what do we do? :We have done all of this writing…Now, what do we do? An Author’s Reception…Of Course! 9/25/2009 copyright 2006 www.brainybetty.com 20


Invite Family and Friends! :Invite Family and Friends! 9/25/2009 copyright 2006 www.brainybetty.com 21


There should be an autograph session! :There should be an autograph session! 9/25/2009 copyright 2006 www.brainybetty.com 22


Work should be saved throughout the year! :Work should be saved throughout the year! 9/25/2009 copyright 2006 www.brainybetty.com 23


Students share their page! :Students share their page! 9/25/2009 copyright 2006 www.brainybetty.com 24


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Please visit my reading website! :Please visit my reading website! http://web.me.com/katiealexander515/Site/Welcome.html You will find this presentation amongst other self-created materials. 9/25/2009 copyright 2006 www.brainybetty.com 26


References :References Cunningham, P.M. & Hall, D.P. (2003). Reading, Writing, and Phonics. North Carolina: Carson-Dellosa Publishing Company. Cunningham, P.M. & Hall, D.P. (2000). The Teacher’s Guide to Building Blocks. North Carolina: Carson-Dellosa Publishing Company. http://teachers.net/lessons/posts/681.html http://www.hubbardscupboard.org/writing_workshop.html http://www.unitsofstudy.com/toc_lc.asp http://www.kimskorner4teachertalk.com/writing/modes/definitions.html 9/25/2009 copyright 2006 www.brainybetty.com 27