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Authors' Workshop

A structured approach to writing that guides students through the complete writing process from idea generation to publication.

Activity Overview

Authors' Workshop is a comprehensive approach to writing instruction that guides students through the entire writing process: prewriting, drafting, revising, editing, and publishing. This structured framework creates a supportive environment where students develop their writing skills, learn from one another, and take pride in their published work. The workshop model emphasizes both the craft of writing and the conventions that make writing clear and effective.

Authors' Workshop Activity

Learning Outcomes

  • Develop skills in all stages of the writing process: prewriting, drafting, revising, editing, and publishing
  • Generate and organize ideas effectively for different writing purposes and genres
  • Apply revision strategies to improve organization, word choice, and sentence fluency
  • Use editing skills to correct spelling, punctuation, grammar, and other conventions
  • Give and receive constructive feedback during peer conferences
  • Develop pride and ownership in published writing
  • Build confidence and independence as writers

Curriculum Connections

ELO 5: Learners will generate, gather, and organize thoughts to explore, clarify and reflect on thoughts, feelings, and experiences as they create a written or representative draft, independently and collaboratively, for a range of audiences and purposes.

  • SCO 5.1-5.7: Generate and gather thoughts and ideas
  • SCO 5.8-5.13: Use organizational strategies
  • SCO 5.14-5.18: Create written drafts

ELO 6: Learners will revise the organization and language use in drafted writing or representation, collaboratively and independently, for a variety of purposes and audiences.

  • SCO 6.1-6.3: Revise organization styles
  • SCO 6.5-6.11: Develop vocabulary in writing
  • SCO 6.12-6.15: Develop grammar and sentence fluency

ELO 7: Learners will use their knowledge of spoken language, written language and writing conventions to refine the precision and enhance the meaning and clarity of their written work.

  • SCO 7.1-7.5: Develop spelling conventions
  • SCO 7.6-7.7: Develop punctuation conventions
  • SCO 7.8-7.10: Develop presentation formats

Implementation Steps

1Workshop Setup (One-time preparation)

  • Create a writing center with necessary supplies: paper, pencils, dictionaries, thesaurus
  • Set up author folders or digital portfolios for each student
  • Establish writing workshop procedures and expectations
  • Post anchor charts for the writing process and revision/editing checklists
  • Create a publishing center with materials for final presentations

2Mini-Lesson (10-15 minutes)

  • Focus on a specific writing skill, strategy, or craft element
  • Use mentor texts to demonstrate the skill in authentic writing
  • Model the strategy through think-alouds and demonstrations
  • Provide guided practice with the focus skill
  • Connect the lesson to students' ongoing writing projects

Note: Mini-lessons should address the current needs of your writers and may focus on any aspect of the writing process or craft.

3Independent Writing Time (20-30 minutes)

  • Students work on their writing projects at their own pace
  • Writers engage in different stages of the process simultaneously
  • Teacher conducts individual conferences and small group instruction
  • Provide status-of-the-class check-ins to monitor progress
  • Encourage application of the mini-lesson focus

4Writing Conferences

  • Teacher-Student Conferences: Brief (3-5 minute) targeted conversations about writing progress
  • Peer Conferences: Structured feedback sessions between student partners
  • Small Group Conferences: Targeted instruction for 3-4 students with similar needs
  • Use conference notes to track student progress and plan future instruction

5Sharing Time (5-10 minutes)

  • Selected students share their writing progress or completed pieces
  • Audience provides focused, constructive feedback
  • Teacher highlights effective use of strategies from mini-lessons
  • Celebrate writing achievements and breakthroughs
  • Use this time to build a supportive writing community

6Publishing Celebrations

  • Schedule regular publishing events (every 3-4 weeks)
  • Help students prepare final copies of selected works
  • Invite an audience (other classes, parents, community members)
  • Create a special format for sharing published works
  • Display published writing in classroom, school library, or digital platforms

The Writing Process Cycle

1. Prewriting

Generating and organizing ideas before drafting.

  • Brainstorming and idea generation
  • Graphic organizers and webs
  • Research and note-taking
  • Discussion and exploration

2. Drafting

Getting ideas onto paper without worrying about perfection.

  • Focus on content and ideas
  • Write quickly to capture thoughts
  • Use prewriting as a guide
  • Skip concerns about spelling and grammar

3. Revising

Improving the content, organization, and language.

  • Add, delete, or rearrange information
  • Enhance word choice and sentence fluency
  • Ensure clear organization
  • Receive and incorporate feedback

4. Editing

Correcting errors in conventions.

  • Check spelling and punctuation
  • Correct grammar and usage
  • Ensure proper formatting
  • Use editing checklists

5. Publishing

Creating a final product to share with an audience.

  • Prepare a clean, final copy
  • Add illustrations or visual elements
  • Create a meaningful presentation format
  • Share with an authentic audience

Differentiation Strategies

For Students Who Excel

  • Introduce more complex genres and writing techniques
  • Encourage deeper revision focusing on literary devices and author's craft
  • Provide opportunities for extended research and integration of sources
  • Challenge with more sophisticated publishing formats
  • Allow for leadership roles in peer conferences and sharing sessions

For Students Who Need Support

  • Provide more structured prewriting graphic organizers
  • Break the writing process into smaller, manageable steps
  • Use dictation or speech-to-text tools for initial drafting
  • Provide frequent, targeted conferences with specific goals
  • Develop individualized editing checklists focusing on priority skills
  • Allow for alternative publishing formats (audio, visual, mixed media)

Language Considerations

  • Allow initial drafting in Home Language when beneficial
  • Provide bilingual resources such as dictionaries and thesauri
  • Acknowledge the richness of cultural expressions and storytelling traditions
  • Scaffold the transition between Home Language and Standard English
  • Celebrate the unique voice that emerges from diverse language backgrounds

Sample Workshop Schedule

Week 1: Narrative Writing

  • Monday: Generating story ideas (prewriting)
  • Tuesday: Creating strong beginnings
  • Wednesday: Developing characters
  • Thursday: Adding sensory details
  • Friday: Crafting endings with impact

Week 2: Revision Focus

  • Monday: Revising for clarity and organization
  • Tuesday: Enhancing word choice (strong verbs)
  • Wednesday: Varying sentence beginnings
  • Thursday: Peer revision conferences
  • Friday: Final revisions and editing begins

Week 3: Editing & Publishing

  • Monday: Editing for punctuation
  • Tuesday: Spelling strategies and checks
  • Wednesday: Creating illustrations
  • Thursday: Publishing final copies
  • Friday: Author's Celebration (sharing published work)

Mini-Lesson Topics by Writing Trait

  • Ideas: Finding meaningful topics, adding details, narrowing focus
  • Organization: Beginning/middle/end, paragraph structure, transitions
  • Voice: Showing emotion, personal style, audience awareness
  • Word Choice: Strong verbs, specific nouns, figurative language
  • Sentence Fluency: Varying sentence types, dialogue, rhythm
  • Conventions: Punctuation, capitalization, spelling patterns

Assessment in Authors' Workshop

Assessment in the Authors' Workshop is ongoing and multifaceted, focusing on both process and product. Rather than evaluating only the final published piece, consider the student's growth, application of strategies, and improvement over time.

Formative Assessment

  • Conference notes documenting student progress and goals
  • Observations of strategy application during independent writing
  • Samples of drafts showing revision and editing
  • Self-assessment checklists for each stage of the writing process
  • Peer feedback and reflections

Summative Assessment

  • Rubrics focusing on specific traits of writing
  • Comparison of writing samples over time to show growth
  • Published pieces evaluated against grade-level standards
  • Writing portfolios with student reflections on learning
  • Performance-based assessments focused on specific skills