Rory Cohen talks about her educational background
Schoolwide, Inc.'s Educational Director Rory Cohen talks about her educational background and her approach to developing curriculum resources for a writing workshop. She also addresses the challenges teachers face when implementing a writer's workshop for grades K–8, and the resources, mini-lessons, and touchstone/mentor texts they require.

Planning a writing workshop and the conceptualization of Writing Fundamentals Units of Study
Rory Cohen discusses planning a writing workshop and the conceptualization of Writing Fundamentals Units of Study for grades K–8. Each Writing Fundamentals Unit of Study includes explicit, teacher-friendly mini-lessons and corresponding touchstone/mentor texts, and clearly....

Writing Fundamentals Unit of Study includes an explicit and sequential writing workshop curriculum
Each Writing Fundamentals Unit of Study includes an explicit and sequential writing workshop curriculum accompanied by a carefully selected collection of touchstone/mentor texts, and was developed based on models of best practice in writing workshop instruction. The K–8....

Writing Fundamentals Units of Study for grades K–8 are categorized in three ways
Schoolwide's Writing Fundamentals Units of Study for grades K–8 are categorized in three ways: Genre Studies, including Poetry, Personal Narrative, and Nonfiction; Craft Studies, including Author Studies; and Launching Units. The explicit, sequential, teacher-friendly mini-lessons....

Writing Fundamentals extensive menu of Units of Study
Rory Cohen explains the Writing Fundamentals extensive menu of Units of Study for grades K–8, which allows schools and districts to develop a comprehensive writing workshop curriculum calendar that meets state and district standards, and provides a continuum of learning across grade levels.

It’s All About the Books
Each K–5 and 6–8 Writing Fundamentals Unit of Study includes a selection of touchstone/mentor texts that teachers will use to model writing skills and strategies for their students. Educational Director Rory Cohen describes the accompanying mini-lessons and introduces the stages of the writing process that are the framework for each Writing Fundamentals....

Immersion: Explicit Interactive Read-Alouds
Each Writing Fundamentals Unit of Study includes a detailed Immersion plan—a series of interactive read-alouds utilizing the accompanying touchstone/mentor texts. Rory Cohen models a K–1 Immersion lesson using the touchstone text I Love My Hair! by Natasha Tarpley, and talks about the importance of the Immersion stage of the writing process.

Writing Fundamentals and the Writing Process
Rory Cohen explicitly describes how Writing Fundamentals systematically guides students and teachers through each stage of the writing process, from Generating Ideas to Publication. Rory also models a Generating Ideas mini-lesson, shares some sample student work, and describes the two Evaluations—a unit-specific student self-assessment and teacher....

Getting Started: The Writing Fundamentals Teacher’s Guide
Each Writing Fundamentals Unit of Study includes a Teacher’s Guide to help teachers prepare their classrooms for a Writing Workshop. Content includes the structure of a writing workshop; setting the stage for a writing workshop classroom; the importance of and how to establish a writing community; writing workshop beliefs and environmental support....

Planning Your Unit of Study: Using the Unit Overview
Each Writing Fundamentals Unit of Study includes a Unit Overview, a snapshot of the complete Unit. The Unit Overview lists the touchstone /mentor texts that accompany the Unit, and the Unit’s mini-lessons and mini-lesson rationales (objectives). Rory Cohen explains how schools and individual teachers can use the Unit Overviews to plan and/or map....

Fundamentals Resources Web Site: WWW.SCHOOLWIDEFUNDAMENTALS.COM
Rory Cohen explains how schools and teachers can utilize the Schoolwide Fundamentals web site to access sample student work as well as additional resources they can incorporate into their Writing Fundamentals Units of Study. Rory also shares some sample student work....

Books Are Included With Every Unit
Each Writing Fundamentals Unit of Study includes a collection of touchstone/mentor texts. The K–5 Units of Study include 10 books per Unit, and the 6–8 Units include 7 books per Unit.

Mini-Lesson Architecture: Best Practice and Teacher-Friendly
Educational Director Rory Cohen details the architecture of the Writing Fundamentals mini-lessons. The Fundamentals mini-lessons, each only one page in length, provide teachers explicit model language they can use to execute a targeted and focused mini-lesson in 5–15 minutes. Mini-lessons also include Conference Questions, Appendices....

Who Is Using Writing Fundamentals and How?
Rory Cohen outlines the key elements of a typical implementation of Writing Fundamentals, including selecting and sequencing the Units of Study, and Professional Development Support. Preview a sample list of schools and school districts across the country that have implemented and are using Writing Fundamentals.

Video #15 Title
Writing Fundamentals is a selection of Units of Study for Grades K-8 that can be used individually to enrich and/or support existing writing instruction or in a series as a comprehensive writing workshop curriculum.