Third Grade- Preparing for and Launching Writing Workshop

Environment/Room Arrangement

Classroom should facilitate interaction and movement

Designated space for teaching mini lessons, conferencing
Wall space for anchor charts
Display area for publishing

Materials/ Preparation

Writing workshop folder and notebook for each student

Space with materials variety of paper and writing utensils, resources,
glue, scissors, stapler, 3-hole punch, sticky notes, tape, etc.
Anchor charts listing routines, skills/strategies
Mentor texts

Establishing Routines/Launching Writing Workshop

Establish a positive writing atmosphere where students feel

comfortable taking risks, collaborating respectfully with peers, and
conferencing with an adult
Support students writing stamina so that they can eventually sustain
writing for up to forty-five minutes
Create an anchor chart with the students defining expectations and
establishing rules for writing workshop
Assign writing partners usually for a unit of study or longer
Generate writing ideas in their writing notebook

Mini Lessons

Explicit, short and focused instruction on a specific writing skill

Ten minutes in length where teacher models and students are actively
engaged
Four components:
o Connection signals to students what they are about to learn
o Teaching teacher models followed by guided practice
o Active Engagement possible turn and talk; students offer tips;
transfer skill to their own writing
o Link Refer to an anchor chart; remind students of the teaching
point

Peer Response

Long term partnerships build confidence, encourages risk taking

Teach students what constructive feedback means (providing feedback
about areas that need improvement without criticizing the person)
Use an anchor chart or guidelines (to be glued into their writing
notebook) to define the steps of peer response compliment the
writer, offer a specific suggestion; mark corrections (spelling,
capitalization, grammar)

Teacher conferencing

Consider one-on-one and small group conferring throughout the writing

process
Focus on developing the writer, not on fixing the piece of writing
Compliment teaching point goal for next conference
Teacher checklist for formative data of skills
Establish a routine for signing up for a conference
Build independence so that students dont interrupt

Sharing/ Celebration

Writing is a social process shared between writers and readers,

therefore, celebrating completed work is motivating for students
because their work is validated and praised by their peers and their
teacher
Sharing their work in progress allows students to practice speaking in
front of a small group or the whole class
Publication gives students a meaningful reason for revising and for
editing their writing and lets others hear and see good examples of
writing
Provide opportunities for publishingposting student work on the wall,
sharing finished writing with the class, mailing letters to intended
audiences, doing presentations for younger students or for parents and
families, creating a class publication, posting writing on the Web, etc.
Some multimedia ideas for publishing: PowerPoint Mix, Wixie, Weebly,
Glogster, SlideShare, Storybird, Padlet, Microsoft Word, Vocaroo,
Voicethread, Audacity, Voki, Microsoft Publisher