Everyone who writes for Choice Literacy loves teaching writing, because we all write ourselves. We know it is "hard fun," as Donald Murray famously said—exasperating and exhilarating at the same time. The writing workshops you will read about here and see in our videos are busy, noisy, vibrant places. And most days, we wouldn't want to be anywhere else than in the midst of 'em! Here is where you'll find our latest discoveries, insights, and occasional boneheaded mistakes in teaching writing.
Franki Sibberson explains how she extends the wall space in her classroom for instruction through the use of foam boards.
Don't let the pressure of standards and testing take away from the joys of writing workshop. Franki Sibberson explains how assessment helps her infuse energy and excitement into her writing program.
Ruth Shagoury models her own writing as a way to introduce the concept of conferring to young learners.
Andie Cunningham explains the bull’s-eye and wave responses her kindergartners complete to demonstrate their understanding of synthesis. A video introducing the activity is included.
In this interview with Ruth Shagoury, English language learner Zerina talks about her growing confidence as a writer as she shares her writing with high school classmates. She also talks about how her father encouraged her to write down her most poignant memory of war in their homeland, Bosnia.
Anna is a five-year-old student in an Oregon kindergarten classroom who speaks Vietnamese at home. In this conference with Ruth Shagoury, she shares writing about her classmates and a snake, testing out her growing knowledge of the alphabet, sounds, and the purposes of writing.
In this two-minute video, Andie Cunningham reinforces the concept of spacing words with her kindergartners using her own writing and a brainstorming web.
Shirl McPhillips recalls a junior high experience that promoted serious "attitude" and an uproar among her peers.
Moving a child from simple to complex sentences is the goal in this second-grade writing conference.
Aimee Buckner shares three essential "power tools" for writers.
Andie Cunningham and Ruth Shagoury share the assessment tools they use to track Andie’s kindergarten writers.
In this video from her fourth-grade classroom, Aimee Buckner teaches the “listing” strategy, using the book This Is the Tree: A Story of the Baobab as a mentor text. Aimee talks about mentor texts, using her own writing as a model, and the needs of intermediate readers and writers during the lesson and interview.
Teachers continue to puzzle over and sort through the terminology in the Common Core related to opinion and persuasive writing. Amanda Adrian and Heather Rader consider terms and teaching strategies.
Debbie Miller goes against the grain, advocating for “the luscious feeling of endless time” as we slow down to confer with children.
Interviews early in the year are a potent tool for building a class community.
Suzy Kaback catches a young learner near and dear to her in the process of plagiarizing. She uses the experience to develop a template to help students and colleagues with notetaking.
Tara Smith finds her sixth graders have years of experience with writer's notebooks by the time they reach her classroom. How to inspire enthusiasm for a familiar tool? Mix old favorite tasks and lessons with fresh texts and tech-savvy options.
Hayley Whitaker confers with a kindergartner and helps him make meaning through drawings.
Katherine Sokolowski encourages teachers to take time for students to individualize the writing process and enjoy fiction writing by engaging in National Novel Writing Month. Download the story bible as a place for students to plan their stories.
Tara Barnett and Kate Mills continue their series on independent projects with nuts and bolts advice on management.
Stella Villalba has practical advice for reaching a young English language learner who is reluctant to write and often frustrated.
In this beautiful personal essay, Stella Villalba reminds us that writing is a source of strength, and developing a community of writers is essential in post-pandemic classrooms.
Becca Burk’s kindergartners had a tough recess. As they were discussing what they could do differently, one student proclaimed, “Mrs. Burk, writing, writing will help!” Becca shares what unfolded as students made a plan and created signage to post around the playground as reminders for self-control.
Mandy Robek writes a powerful essay about giving her students more decision-making power in sharing their learning. In the release of letting go, she found ease in the joy of learning.
Melanie Meehan shares activities that help students talk about their characters before writing about them in a realistic fiction unit.
Tony Keefer discovers that his fourth-grade students need focused instruction and support to strengthen their peer conferring skills. Tony shares tips and two video examples from his classroom.
Fifth-grade writers in Franki Sibberson’s classroom encourage each other and suggest revisions to their opinion-writing drafts in partner teams.
We love seeing growth, but how can we plan for plateaus or even dips with young writers? Aimee Buckner finds it's all about commitment.
Sean Moore shares the importance of using a writer’s notebook to discover topics in this minilesson with his second-grade students from early in the year.
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