Writer's Workshop: Just Write From the Heart

I truly believe in teaching Balanced Literacy. Within balanced literacy there is a framework that drives your teaching. This way of teaching has truly changed my students' way of thinking in helping them become more independent and self driven students. It is amazing to watch them blossom and mature through the year especially in writing and reading. I owe it all to balanced literacy. 
Within balanced literacy are these components:

                                                 Writer's Workshop
                                                  Reader's Workshop
                                                  Guided Reading
                                                  Focus Poetry
                                                  Word Work

I have created a packet of mini-lessons for writer's workshop for grades 1-3. This takes you from the beginning of the year to the end of the year. In this packet are min-lessons for: what do writers write, write from the heart, genres of writing, tiny moment stories, grammar, parts of speech, expanding sentences, and much much more. My students leave first grade LOVING to write. That's all that they want to do! It makes my heart swell every time they ask me, "Can we write all day?"
or "Can we continue writer's workshop during the summer?" I cannot tell you how excited and proud I am of my students when they leave my classroom. 

Here are some of my writing templates that I have created and use on a daily basis: 

Writing Process Steps

When my students start writer's workshop, I show them this poster. It goes through all the steps to publish a book. They each have a popcycle stick with their magic number on it. They know they cannot move their stick down to the next step until I ask them too. This helps them and me keep track of how they are progressing on their story. 

 Genres for Writer's Workshop
The students have this genre page inside their writing folder. Each time they start a new story, I encourage them to write a different genre. Sometimes students will publish 6 stories in one year! It depends on how fast they work. I color in the squares next to the genre to help me keep track of what they have written. 

Brainstorming Page 
Students have their own personal student dictionary in their writing folder. While they are filling out their brainstorming page, I encourage them to use their dictionary as much as possible. If the word isn't in their dictionary, they ask me to write it for them. 

These are the publishing templates that I use for the student's stories. After the student has published their book, they get to ring a bell and the whole class applauds for them. Then they get a golden sticker on the front of their cover. Last, they get to read their story to the class and the class gives them a compliment and a suggestion. The student gets to take their story home in a fancy writing folder to read to their parents and they can write them a compliment. The next day, the story comes back and gets displayed on our publishing wall. It really impacts the students to want to write. I hope this will inspire you to try writer's workshop in your classroom. 

These are the story pockets that I use to display the students stories. Everyone who comes in my classroom can see their published stories and it makes the students feel so proud.  Always remember to Write From Your Heart! 
If you would like to see more of my writer's workshop templates click here:
Just Write From Your Heart: Writer's Workshop Mini-Lessons


Love, Kara 



Graphics Courtesy of: 
Scrappin Doodles