Let’s talk about Writer’s Workshop
Writers’ Workshop December Kindergarten Writing! Here is a look at the progress we have made in December in Writers Workshop
Writers’ Workshop December Kindergarten Writing
My kiddos are TOTALLY invested in writing, but their teacher is having to take very big, deep, breaths into a paper bag over the management of it. You see, I had it all figured out before we moved to books. My students would write a single page each day. After about 15 days we would publish a piece. Those pages that were not published would go into their year-long writing portfolios.
So, now what do I do with these books? After I put the staples in them they won’t go through the comb-binder. Do I take the staples out before I run them through the machine? NIGHTMARE Do I just paperclip the pages together and not staple them at all? NIGHTMARE (trust me, I tried it…nuts…papers everywhere… pandemonium). I quickly went back to giving my students a pre-stapled book of about 5-6 pages. We can add, delete, or rearrange pages as needed when they are done.
I decided to ask my kids what we should do. One of my sweeties said, “Um… Mrs. Wills, why do we want to make them into another book? They are already books.” Out of the mouths of babes.
Hence, I made a pocket to put in the back of their writing portfolios. To do this you simply take a 2-pocket folder and essentially fold it inside out. So the pockets are on the outside. Then I comb-binded (is that a word) those into their writing portfolio. You can sort-of catch a glimpse of this below.
My students have open access to their writing portfolio. They can look at it anytime they want to. We keep them all in a basket in our classroom library and I often see the students looking back at their writing during their library time. But when I showed them how I added their finished books to their portfolio, they were riveted!
They looked at their writing and I could hear them say, “Wow, look how much I have grown as a writer. This [something they wrote from September] is just scribble scrabble.” or “I used to use colors that don’t make any sense.” Hmmm… I wonder where they got the language to talk about their writing?
We also decided last week that sometimes writers have to write where it is free from distractions. I have my high-energy kiddo at the writing table by himself… He LOVES it. Some students decided to write on the floor.
I’m always excited when my writers use their resources.
Last week I told my students that sometimes writers don’t write a whole book, sometimes they just want to write a few words about something. Here are a few samples.
Here is what I could say about this writer
- He can generate a topic
- He holds language in memory while transcribing the message
- He returns to the beginning of the sentence and rereads to remember the next word
- He can write a simple message
- He attends to early concepts about print
- He attends to letter formation
- He says words slowly
- He hears and records sounds in words
- He uses resources to help (ABC chart, word wall)
- He uses spaces between words
- He writes some high-frequency words
Much of the same could be said about this writer. She has moved on to telling more. After her first sentences, she remembered that she needed to add spaces. Her second sentence is much easier to read. I made a big deal out of it and she beamed!
Can you tell that I talked about the VERY popular-in-my-class ellipsis this day?
UPDATE: At the time of this original posting (back in 2011), I used to write on my students’ papers. I no longer suggest this practice during writer’s workshop. If you are concerned that you can not read the student’s writing later, you can transcribe it in your conferring notes, or write it quickly on the back of the student’s paper. If they ask me what I am writing, I just say, “Oh, it this is just a note for me.”
WANTING MORE ON WRITING?
Since I LOVE talking about writing, I have a few (dozen) blog posts about writing.
- Writing Folder Organization FREE file!
- 5 Things You Need to Know About Writing
- Writers Workshop: Second Week of Kindergarten
- Or HERE to read them all
LOOKING FOR PRINT AND TEACH WRITING LESSONS?
Deanna Jump and I have created simple, yet powerful daily lesson plans to teach writers workshop. We have taken the guesswork out of your instruction.
Each unit is carefully planned out.
And it walks you through each day’s lesson.
You can shop our writing curriculum below:
That’s a peek at our writers’ workshop December kindergarten writing!
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Deedee Wills
My teaching career allowed me to experience teaching in different classroom environments and grades. My heart belongs to early childhood education. My job is to make teaching FUN, ENGAGING, and EASIER. Welcome!
Hi, I'm DeedeE.
My teaching career allowed me to experience teaching in different classroom environments and grades. My heart belongs to early childhood education. My job is to make teaching FUN, ENGAGING, and EASIER. Welcome!
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7 Responses
Thanks for the encouragement to let my kiddos write. As a homeschooling mom, I tend to forget that it's okay if they can't spell words perfectly–they still can attempt to write sentences! I love your idea of the High Frequency Words ring! We have ours on sticks in a jar, but I could easily just let my kiddos use that!
Thanks for the virtual kick in the butt to let them get writing! LOL!
Wondering if you could share the demographics of your students? I love what you are doing with writing and am thinking of buying the book you recommnded but am wondering if my students work will look as close to great as yours. Students who can't draw a person with more than three parts has made writers workshop very difficult.
Hi Andrea, My school is in a rural farm community, population 2,500. The majority of my students are caucasian. We are approximately 47-48% free and reduced lunch and our students are 5-6 years (no 4 year olds). We have a full day kindergarten. I can tell you that when we started the year some my student drawing resembled ticks verses people. We spent A LOT of time in August and September working on directed drawings. Even now, I model my drawing 4 out of 5 days.
Just this last week, I conferenced with two students who needed a little more help with drawing people. I showed them how to make people using shapes.
When I have a student who seems to draw without care, I will simply say, "I think your drawing is confusing… I'm not really sure what you are trying to say." Then I try to help them add clarity with their illustrations. Sometimes that involved a step by step demonstration where they are doing it along with me. Then I say, "For now on, when you are drawing a person, I would like you to make your illustration as clear as this one."
I really like Katie Wood Ray's book, but it makes writing messy and a bit harder to manage. I need to let go a bit more perhaps, but I am trying to keep the faith.
Thank you Lisabee… we all need a kick from time to time, Hehe!
We use 4 pocket folders for writing in Kindergarten. They are 2 2 pockets folders bound together. The first pocket says work in progress, next pockets final product next pocket word walls (seasonal etc. ), last pocket ABC chart. At the end of each unit of study (we follow Lucy Calkins) we pick one piece to publish. The folders is cleaned out and filed. Works great. We have been doing this for over 8 years. With the upper grades I do 8pocket folders. Hope this helps organize. Love your ideas. Writing is hard to find ideas for.
I just saw this post (really behind on my blog reading!) and it answered SO many questions for me. I am getting ready to completely change up my writing workshop this week and have been agonizing over whether to pre-staple the books or paperclip them! I just got folders ready for my kiddos to keep their books in, instead of the single sheets bound together into a big journal like we have been doing. The single sheets just aren't cutting it for many of my kids any more-they have too much to say and need a book! Now the big question…do I just start the year with books next August?
Keen on Kindergarten
I love all the info you have posted about writer's workshop. We have full day kindergarten this year and I am able to do so much more writing. My kids are loving it! I use the units you designed with Deanna Jump. Is the 4th one coming out soon?
Thank you! Deanna said she is putting the final touches on it and she will have it posted by the end of the weekend. Thank you so much!