Writers Workshop: How is it going? (FREE download)
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I haven’t written about writing in awhile… where does the time go?
Writer’s workshop is alive and well in my classroom. We have been busy writing “How-to’s” and “All About Books” over the last few months. Here’s a glimpse of what has been going on.
We are really working on making our writing readable! The finger space is sort of a big deal!
Writing time is sacred. Very little gets in the way. When we have to cut it out for some reason… the littles in my room complain. I would venture to say that we LOVE WRITER’S WORKSHOP!
We usually start out with some modeled writing. Yes! This really happened! AND I am pretty sure that is what my face looked like. My hair was probably just straight up!
On this day, we worked on mechanics. Normally, mechanics are embedded in each lesson, but on this day, my lessons were explicit. I am trying to get those capital letters out of the middle of the text. They did a great job of correcting my mistakes!
We also worked on re-evaluating our writing goals. Letting students select their own writing goal is POWERFUL! You can grab this FREE chart at the end of this post.
Here is a student sample from about 4 weeks ago.
This student goes to the stamping station to work because he does better when he can write on his own.
You can probably tell that we talked a lot about transition words.
I play instrumental music through Pandora! It is quiet and calming!
Sharing is so important. It is time well spent! Those students who had a writing conference shares to the whole class, but then EVERYONE shares with their partner.
This stand is great for showing someone’s work to the entire classroom. I put an iPad in it and link the camera to my classroom projector. You can find them HERE.
People ask me how I lead students into loving writer’s workshop and writing independently. We have spelled it out for you for the ENTIRE year. Step-by-step lessons are provided. These are great if you are new to writer’s workshop or if you are wanting a little more structure. If you are more familiar with the writer’s workshop format, these are a great supplement to your current program or lessons.
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:
- Writing Writers Workshop: Writing Through the Year K-1 Bundle
- Writing Writers Workshop: Writing Through the Year 2nd Grade Units
How is writing going in your room?
FREE File
Grab the free goal setting chart in this big curriculum download.
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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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27 Responses
I love it!! What great writers your students have become! I have your writing goals poster made and just waiting to introduce it. Is there anything special you tell them when you first start it? I have another teacher's class for ELA (1 hour to get it all in!) so writing time is very limited. Her class is hesitant to write unless they know how to spell the words perfectly because their teacher will write their dictated sentence and they copy it. I want them to be brave and use their letter sounds to write. I model for them, but then they copy my writing. Any suggestions for helping them get beyond their apprehensiveness?
It is a building process for sure. We work on it all year… be brave, try your best, it does not have to be perfect. However, sadly, this can all be undone without the support from others.
Your writing workshop looks great Dee Dee! Are you using your iPad as a document camera? That looks awesome!
Karyn
Kideducator@comcast.net
Yes, we use our air server to shine it on the white board. Just put it in camera mode and you are good to go!
Hi, What is an air server? Is that something for your school or does this have to do with the ipad? I have ipads and would love to look in to using it in this way. Thanks,
Christin
Shifting Teacher K-2
Ok… Please know that I have NO idea what I am talking about… but Airserver is loaded on our school computers then we link our iPads to our interactive whiteboards. If you Google it, it should take you there. I think it is like $12 to download… but it is AWESOME!
Hi Deedee,
I love your post! It's funny that you are posting about this because we have been following your units (to the t) since day one. We did have to take a little hiatus to work on some other skills but the kids are asking for it again! I love the goal chart and will begin tomorrow with that to get us started again. Thanks for your hard work on this whole unit. I LOVE it and will not teach writing any other way!!!
Christin
Shifting Teacher K-2
I love your writing goals. Do you have reading goals too?
No 🙁 I need to work on one… someday… someday…
Thanks for the update and for including pictures of your kids' writing. I think it's helpful to us as teachers to see examples of what other kinder. students are writing. Your Writing Through the Year set has been instrumental in my writing instruction this year. It's so easy to follow! Just like your kids, mine LOVE to write. Our writing time never gets skipped over. I think a major reason for their passion is that they get to choose what they're going to write about. Their writing becomes theirs & it is important to them.
I can't seem to get to the writing paper. The link "click here to hop over" doesn't work. Am I doing something wrong? I love the paper!!!
When you click on the "here" it will take you to my Facebook page. You will then click in the FREEBIE file. It is in the ELA folder… along with a bunch of other goodies. You need to be on a computer (vs tablet) to see the file.
I purchased your writer's workshop through the year last week. I love it! Is there a post you could link me to that talks about interactive writing. I am wondering if I am doing it correctly? Thanks.
I purchased your Writer's Workshop Through the Year last month. I am so proud of how my students have improved in their writing skills. I started unit 2 last week. I noticed that you show how to set up a conferring notebook. What do you write in that notebook? Thank you for all you do to help teachers provide a quality education for students.
I just jot down notes of what I am noticing and what my teaching might be. So, for example: "includes 3 letters for words, has spaces, one sentence per page" T: tell more to help your reader
Hi Deedee.
I love all of your paper choices! Where are those available? I saw the freebie with four lines, but also wanted to use the pages with just one or two lines. Thanks!
Hello
I can’t seem to access the writing goal chart has it been moved?
Hello
For some reason i can’t access the writing goals from the link. have they been taken down?
Hi there!
Yes… the writing goal chart has been moved. I fixed the links, but here it is again for you!
Writing Goals Chart
Thank you for your post. Did your students start school in August last year?
Hi there!
Yes! We started on the 3rd week of August on this year.
Hi Deedee, I was wondering where the paper with check marks at the bottom is located? I have already purchased the writing bundle but I don’t see that kind of paper. Thanks!!
All you have to do is download the free file that is in this post (at the bottom of the blog post). The paper is in that download.
I have your writing units for kindergarten and just downloaded the free unit. I am wondering if any of them have the exact writing goals and pictures that are shown in the above post?
Yes! You will find them in the curriculum guide. Just enter your email in the box at the bottom of the blog post and it will be sent to your email inbox.
Are the writing goals featured on your chart above available anywhere? I own the writing untis and have downloaded your free download here. However, I don’t see these goals.
Yes! You will find them in the curriculum guide. Just enter your email in the box at the bottom of the blog post and it will be sent to your email inbox.