Category: writing process

writing process · writing workshop

Sometimes we don’t write in writing workshop

Tara Smith10 Comments

On our first full day of sixth grade, I hand each of my students a reading and writing survey and ask them to tell me a little bit about themselves as readers and writers.  Their answers, as they slowly filter in over the course of the week, allow me valuable insights.  I learn about how… Continue reading Sometimes we don’t write in writing workshop

Sharpen Your Workshop Routines: The Importance of Talk Within the Workshop Process
peer conferring · Sharpen Your Routines Blog Series · writing process · writing workshop

Sharpen Your Workshop Routines: The Importance of Talk Within the Workshop Process

Betsy Hubbard8 Comments

Writing is hard. Letting our ideas float in the space around us makes the words come to the page more easily.

writer's notebook · writing process

Role reversal: Writing Workshop with Linda Rief at the Boothbay Literacy Retreat

Tara Smith24 Comments

As a writing teacher, I know that I must write - and I do: blog posts, book reviews, a Slice of Life every Tuesday, letters to my students in the reading journals and writer’s notebooks,  lesson plan writing, curriculum writing, all kinds of writing.  So, why was it that I was making my way to… Continue reading Role reversal: Writing Workshop with Linda Rief at the Boothbay Literacy Retreat

An End of the Year Writing Check
assessment · writer's notebook · writing folder · writing process

An End of the Year Writing Check

Anna Gratz Cockerille6 Comments

At the end of the school year, we are often faced with pages and pages of student writing. Most of it may have gone home already, but now is a great time to study the work that remains as lovely, informal assessment of our teaching. Following are a few suggestions for lenses we can use to… Continue reading An End of the Year Writing Check

Writing Fiction? Author Megan Jean Sovern Provides a Host of Inspiration
authors · interview · mentor author · writing process

Writing Fiction? Author Megan Jean Sovern Provides a Host of Inspiration

Anna Gratz Cockerille9 Comments

Today's interview holds a host of insights into the way in which Megan Jean Sovern, author of The Meaning of Maggie, develops characters, brings themes to the fore, and plans plot trajectory. Suffice it to say, I came away more than a little inspired.

What’s Your Process?
writing process

What’s Your Process?

Dana Murphy7 Comments

Listen to a group of 6th graders discuss their writing process.

Writing Unapologetically
olw · reflections · Write: It's good for you! · writing process

Writing Unapologetically

Ruth Ayres21 Comments

One of the lines from the Voices Strong class mantra, taught by Christy Rush-Levine is Write Unapologetically. I love these two words side-by-side standing for genuine marks on the page. Today, I planned to write a blog post right now, in the rich moments of the morning. I've been planning this writing time for weeks… Continue reading Writing Unapologetically

conferences · conferring · conventions · drafting · punctuation · writing process

Best First Draft

Ruth Ayres3 Comments

When students move from their notebook to draft, I encourage them to write their best first draft. (Click here to see other posts I've written about best first drafts.) Something that I'm always curious about is the way conventions come into play during all parts of the writing process. As I've been teaching kids to… Continue reading Best First Draft

authors · celebration · primary grades · reflections · Reflective Practice · units of study · writing process · writing workshop

Documenting Our Learning

Ruth Ayres11 Comments

Sometimes I think about the amazing work happening in writing workshops, and then wonder if anyone else notices. Sometimes the things that are most amazing are small bits that pack big meaning. Sometimes the most amazing work can be easily missed. Often young writers' (or even old writers') talk is ahead of their walk. We… Continue reading Documenting Our Learning

An Interview with Maribeth Boelts + a Giveaway of Happy Like Soccer
craft · Maribeth Boelts · mentor texts · writing process

An Interview with Maribeth Boelts + a Giveaway of Happy Like Soccer

Stacey Shubitz27 Comments

Maribeth Boelts will be the visiting author for the graduate course I'm teaching about children's literature and the teaching of writing this summer.  I'm SO EXCITED to meet her in person since I've been corresponding with her through e-mail and Facebook for the past four years.  Her writing has served as a mentor for many… Continue reading An Interview with Maribeth Boelts + a Giveaway of Happy Like Soccer

community · compliment · conferring · minilesson · revision · writing process · writing workshop

Mr. Stowlkey and Mr. Smith

Ruth Ayres16 Comments

Mr. Stowlkey and Mr. Smith were the teachers in one of the kindergarten writing workshops I was in today. They are incredible teachers. They are both six. (Normally I don't refer to students as Mr. or Miss...but since they were acting as teachers today, they wanted to go with this form of their names. I'll… Continue reading Mr. Stowlkey and Mr. Smith

dialgoue · grammar · mentor author · mentor entries · mentor texts · notebooks · noticings · process · reading · wn entry · writer's notebook · writer's-reader's notebook · writing · writing process

I’ve been studying sentence structure…

Ruth Ayres4 Comments

I was watching or listening or reading something this week --- I don't remember what -- but the message was: You can't be a writer if you're not a reader. True. (And probably the reason I don't remember who said it since this little tid-bit is fairly common knowledge.) The person went on to say:… Continue reading I’ve been studying sentence structure…