What if we don’t launch Writing Workshop in August? Last year, I proposed this idea to our Kindergarten team: What if we started with Story Workshop instead? For several weeks, children composed stories through play, loose parts, clay, blocks, drawing, and oral storytelling, while receiving explicit phonics instruction each day. We weren’t waiting for them to be “ready” to write. Instead, we wondered what might happen if we gave storytelling and composition more time and space before asking written language to carry so much of the load. By the time we launched Writing Workshop in October, we noticed some exciting changes. In this post, I share what we tried, what we noticed, and why we’re excited to try it again this year.
Category: kindergarten
Sharing is Personal: Reflective Practice
What does the sharing of writing look like in your classroom?
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“How To” Write: Using the Genre to Teach the Genre: Reflective Practice
Do you want to know how to write a book about how to write a book?
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The Sound of Silence: Reflective Practice
For young children who are learning to write, talking is at the heart of putting the pieces of the writing process together.
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Notice and Wonder: Reflective Practice
When I look at my kindergarten students' writing, I begin with two simple questions: "What do I notice?" and, "What do I wonder?" By leading with inquiry, I am able to see their work more objectively and with less judgment.
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Looking at Student Work: Reflective Practice
Looking at student work is one way I get to know my students better--not just as writers but as learners. Join me as I look at and reflect upon a few examples of kindergarten student work.
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Trust the Process
One of the most important things I've learned as a teacher of writing in kindergarten is to trust the process no matter how messy it gets.
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An Invitation to Write: Reflective Practice
When children are invited to write and draw freely, it gives us a window into their inner selves. I like to use journals during quiet time to strengthen and deepen my students' relationships to writing outside of writing workshop.
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Setting the Tone for Kindergarten Writers at the Beginning of the School Year: Reflective Practice
How will you set a positive and inclusive tone for writing in the first few weeks of school?
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Why Our Strongest Kindergarten Readers Are Not Always Our Strongest Writers: Straight from the Classroom
It can be tricky or confusing when there is a wide disparity between a student's reading and writing abilities. The most important thing is that we don't assume that just because a child is far along on their reading journey, that they should be just as far along on their writing journey.
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On The Magical Beauty of Writing in Early Childhood
This year, I have been collecting my students' writing since October. I have been hoarding it, stashing it away, and refusing to give it back until I'm ready. I'm almost ready!
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Possibilities for Interactive Writing in a Bilingual Classroom
In a bilingual classroom, it is so important to build community around speaking, listening, and writing together. Interactive writing is a fantastic tool that can support this goal.
