A presentation by Tyffany Mandov to the Norwood School PA, 2013

1. Best Practice
Best Practice: Today’s Standards for Teaching and Learning in America’s Schools
by Steven Zemelman, Harvey Daniels, and Arthur Hyde
“Virtually all the authoritative voices and
documents in every teaching field are
calling for schools that are more studentcentered, active, experiential, authentic,
democratic, collaborative, rigorous, and
challenging.”

2. Best Practices for 21st Century Learners in
Writing Workshop at Norwood:
• Student-centered: choice and responsibility in all
stages of the writing process
• Group work: peer editing with guided instruction and
sharing of published work
• Creativity: immersion in multiple genres
• Problem-solving: brainstorming, revision, content and
formatting decisions
• Interdisciplinary connections: writing across
disciplines
• Authentic experiences: Write to be read by different
audiences

3. Goals
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Develop competent, creative, confident writers
Foster a love of writing
Expect and support student ownership of work
Write authentic pieces for an audience
Learn and apply grammar and mechanics in
context

4. Writing Workshop
• Writing lessons focus on specific skills and/or
genres
• Student choice = motivation and enthusiasm
• Frequent opportunities to write to develop
skill
• Students write to be read
• Publish several original pieces a year

5. Writing Process
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Brainstorming
Drafting
Revising
Editing
Publishing

6. Kindergarten Word Wall

7. Kindergarten Teaching Charts

10. First Grade Teaching Charts

11. 1st Grade Revision Questions

12. Mentor Texts

14. 3rd Grade

15. 3rd Grade Teaching Chart

16. 3rd Grade

17. 3rd Grade

18. 4th Grade Teaching Chart

19. 4th Grade Teaching Chart

20. 4th Grade Teaching Chart

21. Student Writers
• Students are actively involved
• Students generate ideas
• Students have clear
responsibilities
• Students have individual
conferences with teachers and
get feedback from peers
• Students have frequent
opportunities to write
• Students write for an audience

22. 1st Grade
Writing
Folder

23. First Grade
Writing Folder

25. First Grade Writing Tools

27. Conferencing

28. Independent Writers

29. 4th Grade Celebration Day

30. Write to be Read

31. Read Like Writers

32. Make Specific Comments

33. What Parents Can Expect
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Exposure to a variety of genres
Authentic student writing
Struggles and challenges
Progress as writers
Enthusiasm
Developing confidence

34. What Parents Can Do
• Reading helps writers.
• Notice good writing in books: strong verbs, vivid
description, realistic dialogue, figurative language. Possible
conversation starters:
 “I notice that…”
 “This part makes me picture…”
 “I like how that sounds…”
• Notice story moments in your everyday life.
• Enjoy and celebrate your child’s stories.
• Share your own writing!
 Talk about your own writing process.

35. Frequently Asked Questions
Question: Are you teaching grammar in writing workshop?
Answer: Yes. Grammar is intentionally and specifically taught, and expectations
build each year. Grammar and punctuation can be introduced or reinforced
during the mini-lesson at the start of writing class. The students are then
expected to correctly use the grammar convention in their writing. The grammar
taught in the lesson can be added to the student’s editing check-list. Writing
workshop emphasizes reinforcing grammar through writing. Worksheets are
deemphasized, but not eliminated, in favor of practicing grammar in the context
of the students’ writing projects.
Question: How much should I help my child edit his/her writing?
Answer: Talk to the teacher about what writing conventions and editing
strategies your child should consistently use. If appropriate, have your child read
his or her writing aloud to find and fix missing words or punctuation. Keep in
mind that mistakes are often difficult for children to see in their own writing.
Editing and spelling are developing skills. Revision (focus on content) is a separate
step from editing.