Setting the Stage: A Writing Workshop Classroom

In order for our students to learn to be strong, successful readers and writers, they need to become a community that uses and values reading and writing. They need to make sense of their reading and writing experiences and make connections between their literacy learning and their lives. Writing Fundamentals helps you do that by grounding its teaching in quality books. You can reinforce these ideas by establishing community values about literacy.

How do we establish community values about literacy? The first step is to be clear about what we want our students to believe about literacy and learning. The next step is to teach, talk, act, and create an environment that supports these beliefs.

Beliefs and Environmental Supports

We Are All Writers
Have at least one bulletin board on which to hang your students’ writing and information about the writing work your class is doing. Bulletin boards are an excellent way to publish and celebrate the work your community of writers has been creating. Hanging students’ work on the bulletin board is a way for students to feel proud of their accomplishments as well as learn from each other.

We Have Writing Conversations and Share Our Work Often
Have places where writing partners can meet, share their writing, or seek help from one another. Ask students to meet with one another often to share and discuss their writing. Confer regularly with students about their writing.

We Cherish Books
The way you display, care for, and talk about books shows students that books and words matter. Consider ways to make your library and book displays attractive and enticing.

Reading Is Essential to Writing—Writers Learn from Other Writers
A large meeting area where the whole class can gather is essential. It is in this place where your community of writers will sit closely together and really get to know and learn from one another and all the wonderful books in your library. It is in the meeting area that you will teach your mini-lessons and where students will gather at the end of the Writing Workshop to share.

We Can All Be Successful Independent Writers
Writers need tools to help them achieve success as independent writers. These tools should be placed in a prominent location in your classroom. If they are stored away and out of sight, they are often misplaced. A bookshelf or a special case placed on each table offer good locations for these important tools.

Tools, Resources, and Structures

Writing Fundamentals provides all the exemplar texts, reproducible, and assessment materials you will need. As you read the lessons, you will notice occasional references to additional student and teacher materials and structures.

Chart Paper and Markers:
Using chart paper enables you to create permanent records of teaching and learning. Charts can be referred to and used throughout various studies.

Overhead Projector:
Many of the appendices in the Writing Fundamentals Units of Study are ideal for use as transparencies. If you have access to an overhead projector, reproduce the appendices on transparencies and display them during the lessons.

Writing Folders:
For grades K–1, students will keep their work in folders. Pocket folders with three-hole clasps provide an excellent space for writing resources such as alphabet charts and word lists.

Writers’ Notebooks:
The most suitable container for writing in grades 2–3 and 4–5 is a Writer’s Notebook. Marbleized notebooks work well because of their durability.

Writing Partnerships:
Some lessons refer to writing partners. Some teachers assign writing partners prior to a unit of study and have them sit together during mini-lessons. Others have students partner with the student sitting next to them. There are benefits to both arrangements, and you should choose the arrangement that works best for your class.