One of our favorite parts of the day is Writing Workshop. The children
choose their own topics and create books. They use invented spelling in the
beginning of the school year. I teach writer's craft through mini lessons.
We listen to a variety of fantastic books that model different things authors
and illustrators do to make their books amazing.
After the mini lesson, children get started right away. While they work,
I meet with small groups or individual students for conferences. We work on
strategies to improve our writing. Students may also work in pairs to co-
author a book or to peer conference. Our classroom is buzzing with
busy, hard-working writers and illustrators.
At the end of our workshop, a few students share their work. The audience
provides positive feedback and suggestions for improvement. We learn from
each other's writing.
This writing workshop was inspired by Carol Avery, Mary Napoli, and Katie
Wood Ray & Lisa Cleaveland.
