Writing Process for Upper Elementary Grade Writers

Grades 6-8

Launching the Writing Workshop

Launching the Writing WorkshopIntroductionsSharing: Personal Narrative

Model & demonstratingPartner introductions & sharingWritingWriting: How are you feeling about your

experience so far?

Launching the Writing Workshop Grades 3-5

Writing Choice:1. Write about a time when writing was

successful or empowering to you…. OR2. Write about a time when writing was

frustrating or did not feel good to you.

Be prepared to share your experience with a partner.

I. Starting the Writing WorkshopConnection

Begins minilesson – how it will fit into their lives as writersCelebrate the wonderful memories that fill the classroom,

but remind students that the goals is not only to remember but also to think.

Teaching Point: tell students what you’ll be teaching themTeaching

Next – something they’ll use often as they writeDemonstrate a strategy we use to write with greater

accuracy, fluency and comprehension. Use an example of one child’s work in order to show the

steps a writer can take in order to generate and shape expository sections of a text.

Launching the Writing Workshop Grades 3-5

I. Starting the Writing Workshop cont’dActive Engagement

Then give all students a quick opportunity to try what we’ve taught…

Set students up to examine one student’s draft, looking for the structure in it

Review the steps this student took to structure her writing and timeline her thoughts, steps that you also hope other writers might take

LinkTo bring closure, we usually link the minilesson to

what the class learned on a previous day…Jot a note in the margin and keep going. Remember

the writing process involves drafting, then researching, analyzing and deciding, then making and revising plans.

WritingWhat are the big things you think about?

Record three.Pick a small moment. Choose one to write about.

Which aspect of a small moment had most high emotion or conflicting emotion?

Make a connection to the personal narrative. Make a ‘movie’ and act it out – play and make meaning.

What are the emotions from your small moment? Record them.

What are the conflicting emotions?Record them. Expand on one of these emotions.

Share:Mid-workshop (mid-interrupt strategy) to

add a new piece from the groupComplement a place of success to build on

positive in conference

Discussion & SharingWho is the reading for – audience?Mini-lesson attributes & set upPersonal narrative

Small moment

ReferencesPredictable Problem Possible Solution

Writer’s feel stuck or have no ideas CHART that lists generating strategies – posting & directing students to themTalking conference – get the writer talking ‘edging the to a story, interrupt them – ‘your ready to go’

Writers not writing with enough volume (stamina) Put a dot or # in the margin (clear short term goal)Goal setting

Teacher dependency CHART – teach taskPartnership protocol - teacher can choose partnerRush with hands up – clear from teacher – expect get started on own, teacher not attend to hand right away

Talking not writing Practice, practice, practice, more clear & productive, maintain tone/ silence signals

Writer with multiple ideas – how to pick a seed idea CHART – pin point

Use anchor texts for teachers Read aloudsCHARTS

Sharing time, protect time, child want to share

II. Generating More Writing pg 15MinilessonConnectionTeachingActive EngagementLink

Launching the Writing Workshop Grades 3-5

3. The Writing Process for Upper-Elementary-Grade WritersTeaching 8-, 9-, & 10 year-olds the Writing

ProcessRead pages 12 & 13 to yourselfJIGSAW – Chapter 3: Each member reads two

sections to share with whole groupPacing & MaterialsRehearsal for WritingDraftingRevisionEditingCycling through the Entire Process

A Guide to the Writing Workshop Grades 3-5

Linking Reading and Writing Writers can start a

story by describing the setting. We can name the time and place, but we can take this further as in…

Lois Lowry’s - Crow Call

Linking Reading to WritingWriters use

gestures, postures, and facial expressions to show the emotions that our characters are experiencing.