More about Writer's Workshop

It was great to see you all at Open House.  Hopefully you learned a lot about our class, routines, curriculum, and much more.

Some parents were very impressed with their child's writing done through our Writer's Workshop, so I thought I'd give you some more information about how it's done.  If you have any questions or would like to know more, feel free to contact me.

Writer's Workshop is a teaching technique that invites students to write by making the process a meaningful part of the classroom curriculum.  Students learn to write daily through varied activities. In Writer's Workshop,  students are exposed to the organization and thought required to create a story or write about a favorite topic and develop it into an understandable narrative with a voice and focus.  Students are now paying more attention to writing correctly and mechanics. Because they are allowed to choose the topic, students are motivated to create and complete works.

Peer conferencing can become a central part to the creative process. The Writer's Workshop format includes brainstorming (possibly with peer conferencing), revision, teacher editing, and direct instruction in the mechanics of grammar. For the student, this teaching technique allows the opportunity to develop expression, revision strategy, and skill in writing, and encourages them to try a few new things during the revision process.

 In our classroom, the goals are to challenge the students to expand their ideas in the revision process, not simply 'correct' the previous ones. This helps students become aware of writing for different audiences, create focus within a topic, and try to see the piece of writing from a distance. Because the student is naturally more aware of correct spelling and punctuation, more computer time may be appropriate. Brainstorming and first drafts may be done on the computer, and revisions can certainly be done effectively on one. Skills will still vary and progress at different rates, but most students who are familiar with Writer's Workshop will continue to enjoy the activity of independent writing, the power of their words to express thoughts, and the opportunity to describe experiences to classmates.

Posted on September 6, 2007 2:46 PM | Permalink