Writing Workshop
Writing workshop is an approach with the outcome of young authors developing a sense of personal ownership over what they write and a clear understanding of strategies to use in writing.
As a teacher, I organize my classroom as a workshop where children function as authors within a community of writers. At the start of the workshop, I present a mini-lesson that lasts about ten minutes and focuses on an idea-generating, idea-transforming, organizational, or language-usage problem that students have encountered in their writing. From time to time, I organize a mini lesson or a more extended instructional segment about twenty minutes in length when the demonstrated problem is a complex one. I set aside the final ten minutes or so of workshop as a time when young authors request input on problems they are having in their writing-in-progress. During most of the workshop, the children are writing. Some are rehearsing and reading to find ideas. Some are drafting. Some are doing major editing and revision. Some are preparing publication copies. Writer’s workshop emphasizes the writing process and a sense of community where everyone is developing as writers when helping one another and working individually. During the workshop this is what the children are involved in as they function as authors:
· Reading and listening like a writer
· Rehearsing before and while writing
· Drafting with the idea that first words are beginnings
· Revising and editing before, while, and after drafting
· Publishing with an audience in mind
Reference: Hennings, D. G. (2002). Communication in action, teaching literature-based language arts. (8th ed.). Boston: Houghton Mifflin College Div.
As a teacher, I organize my classroom as a workshop where children function as authors within a community of writers. At the start of the workshop, I present a mini-lesson that lasts about ten minutes and focuses on an idea-generating, idea-transforming, organizational, or language-usage problem that students have encountered in their writing. From time to time, I organize a mini lesson or a more extended instructional segment about twenty minutes in length when the demonstrated problem is a complex one. I set aside the final ten minutes or so of workshop as a time when young authors request input on problems they are having in their writing-in-progress. During most of the workshop, the children are writing. Some are rehearsing and reading to find ideas. Some are drafting. Some are doing major editing and revision. Some are preparing publication copies. Writer’s workshop emphasizes the writing process and a sense of community where everyone is developing as writers when helping one another and working individually. During the workshop this is what the children are involved in as they function as authors:
· Reading and listening like a writer
· Rehearsing before and while writing
· Drafting with the idea that first words are beginnings
· Revising and editing before, while, and after drafting
· Publishing with an audience in mind
Reference: Hennings, D. G. (2002). Communication in action, teaching literature-based language arts. (8th ed.). Boston: Houghton Mifflin College Div.