Saturday, November 10, 2007

Provisioning a Room

Once you decide to implement the writer's workshop approach, you need to give some consideration to provisioning your room.

Here are some of the basic things to get in order to implement writer's workshop more effectively in your room:
  • Writer's Notebooks - All students in grades 3, 4 and 5 will need a writer's notebook to write their daily entries in.


  • Folders - Students in Grades K-5 will need a pocket folder. Grades K-2 use this to keep their daily entries in. Grades 3-5 will use the folder for their drafts, charts, rubrics, and published pieces.


  • Chart Paper- Lucy has many charts that are created by the teacher. You will need large chart paper on hand to create these charts and also for modeling many of the mini-lessons.


  • Markers/Pens/Pencils - Lucy says in her K-2 book, "The Nuts and Bolts of Writer's Workshop", that the use of fine line markers for kids to write with can be very motivating. For Grades 3-5 she mentions using colored pens such as green ink ones. Pencils can also be used.


  • Paper - Get ready to have lots of paper used. For the lower grades, you will use lots of ditto paper as you run off and prepare the writing templates included on the Resource CD in the Units of Study. Notebook paper is used for drafting and publishing in Grades 3-5.


  • Writing Center - Consider creating a writing center in one area of the room. Provision it with paper, pens, staplers, scissors, markers, and anything else students may need as they write.


  • Word Walls - to help increase the number of sight words children are able to write fast and fluently.

The basics listed above will help you launch writer's workshop effectively. Make sure your students understand how and when all items are to be used. If you are using Units of Study, the use of the items is taught throughout the mini-lessons in the Launching Writer's Workshop units.

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