Launching the Writer's Workshop: Grades 3-12

By Kristina Smekens & Dr. Maureen Scane

Starting your writer's workshop can be an awkward and anxious experience. Many teachers confess that they struggle to get it off the ground. What should I do the first weeks of school? What are key lessons to jumpstart my writer's workshop? How fast or slow should I move? These are valid questions. It's easy to see why so many teachers are eager for some beginning-of-the-year lessons suggestions.

Each mini-lesson includes:

• A detailed description of the lesson execution.
• Spin-off activities for students to accomplish during independent writing time.
• Suggestions for utilizing anchor paper or mentor text to support the lessons.
• Teacher tips that provide lesson insight and potential adaptations.
• Reproducible resources on CD that support each lesson.

Broken into two parts, the Launch helps you start up your writer's workshop effectively and maintain it all year long.

Part 1 targets the heart of what every teacher wants for the initial weeks of school:

• Techniques for generating topic ideas.
• Procedures to establish an intense workshop environment.
• Methods to introduce the 6 Traits to your students.
• Strategies for building a writing rubric.

Part 2 focuses on writing skills teachers address all year long:

• Plans for more than 50 additional mini-lessons.
• Skills sorted by the 6 Traits.
• Ways to teach students how to craft stronger writing.

Grades 3-12, 126 pages + CD