I don't have a Writer's Workshop exactly. Our ELA (English Language Arts) is grouped into one 80-minute block in which reading and writing are both taught. I would LOVE to have more time for ELA and maybe a separate Writer's Workshop someday....hmmmm...
My number one go to item for writing instruction is my Step-Up binder. I don't know how I could live without it.
This method of teaching writing is so user friendly for the teachers and students. I love how it helps the students visualize how to organize their writing. We use highlighters all the time. This is a compare/contrast paragraph for social studies using the colors.
Green-Topic Sentence and Conclusion
Yellow-Detail
Red (pink)-Explain details
Back of multi-paragraph planning page:
Multi-paragraphs using colors:
Green-Introductory and Concluding paragraphs (2-3 sentences each)
Yellow-Topic sentence of body paragraph
Red (pink)-Details in body paragraph that support the topic sentence
The highlighters help the students immediately notice is something is missing from their organization.
Is it just me....
or do students like to finish their writing quickly??
It is like...the teacher gives me a question and I will answer it...quickly!
Who needs a topic sentence?
Then, I just say...where is your GREEN?
OR...you have a lot of YELLOWS but where are your REDS? (specific explanations and elaborations)
It is always a work in progress...I am off to grade some on demand extended responses that the class worked on today...yikes!
