Writer’s Workshop Planning Form
Unit/Session: 2/Session 1
BEND I: Writing Stories that People Can Really Read
“I can” statement(s):
I can reread my writing to make sure it is easy to read, then I go back and fix it so that
others can read it.
CONNECTION
Celebrate the growth your students have made as writers. Possibly share some of their
writing (quickly). Rally them around the idea of continuing to work really hard to make
their writing even better.
Tell them a story of trying to read students’ writing. Share your yearning to read their
stories and your frustration when you couldn’t.
Mini-lesson
Teaching Point
“Today I want to teach you that writers use all their writing muscles to make sure
people don’t put their writing down. Like all writers, each of you can tell if your writing
is easy to read by reading your own writing like it’s a book in your book baggie. If you
can’t figure out what is says then you need to fix it up so other people won’t have the
same trouble.”
TEACHING
Tell children that they will want to stop some of the times when they are writing a story
and read it to check it so it makes sense. Model this using a teacher writing piece.
Highlight using pictures to help you guess what the words say. Also, point to the words
as you read them. Ask the students to tell you what you just did when you reread your
writing (used the pictures, pointed under the words, and read on when you got stuck).
ACTIVE ENGAGEMENT
Have students look at their writing folders and make 2 piles; pieces I can read and
ones I cannot (Hard to Read and Easy to Read). Ask students to share their piles with a
friend and talk about why pieces are harder to read than others. This may be better
modeled using a student’s folder.
LINK
Have children continue to sort through their writing. Let them do this for about 5
minutes, then do the Mid-Workshop Teaching. If this is too difficult for students, skip to
the Mid-workshop teaching and have students start off today writing pieces that are
easier to read. (See coaching tip on page 8, last tip)
MID-WORKSHOP TEACHING
Chart on page 10!
Determining what makes writing easy to read and doing that kind of writing.
After have them choose one from the hard to read pile and add the easy to read ideas.
(optional)
SHARING
Share a student’s writing who worked to make their writing more readable.
Writer’s Workshop Planning Form
Unit/Session: Unit 2/Session 2
BEND I: Writing Stories that People Can Really Read
“I can” statement(s):
I can use my tools as a writer to write new stories.
CONNECTION
Praise students for working so hard to make their writing easy to read.
Teaching Point
“Today I want to teach you that even when you are working really hard to hear all the
sounds and to write so people can read your writing, you still need to remember
everything you’ve already learned about writing great stories. It helps to look at old
charts, using those as reminders of all the things you can always remember to do.”
Mini-lesson
TEACHING
Tell children that in this unit they will write a new true story almost every day, and
remind them that they know how to do this. Tell students that in this unit they already
know how to sketch and label write across pages, but you want to teach the, how to
spell words and how to leave spaces between words, and how to use punctuation;
how to write sentences.
Use the chart on page 16 as your anchor chart for the unit, focusing on the first two
points on the chart. See page 16 for optional ways to use this chart.
ACTIVE ENGAGEMENT
Ask students to tell you what you’d do next, if you are trying to write a true story, and
then do the first two steps—think of and storytelling a story—to prepare for the day’s
writing.
LINK
Remind students that when they write today, they’ll refer to the anchor chart. It is
recommended to give students their own copies of the chart.
MID-WORKSHOP TEACHING (if needed)
Hearing more sounds in labels and sentences. Great time to reinforce writing sentences,
especially is students are labeling with beginning and ending sounds.
SHARING
Teach students how to use the anchor chart, How to Write a True Story, to self-assess and
make plans for the future. Focus on the who, where, and what of the story.
Writer’s Workshop Planning Form
Unit/Session: Unit 2/Session 3
BEND I: Writing Stories that People Can Really Read
“I can” statement(s):
I can draw and talk about my story so I can remember what it is about.
CONNECTION
Remind students of the work of this unit, by summarizing, and recruiting them to work
on spelling a word. See page 23 for an example. Tell children that if we are working
hard on spelling our words, we might forget our story.
Teaching Point
“Today I want to teach you that if you get busy writing and spelling words, and you
forget your story, you can look back up at your picture. The picture can remind you of
the story. But your picture must match the story you want to tell.”
Mini-lesson
TEACHING
Point out that before you draw a picture in a storybook, you first think of what it is
about that you did. Your picture records who did what, where writers say words as
they draw.
Model with a class story, focusing on how it started, who was in the story, where it took
place and what was happening. Debrief noting transferable action you took. See
page 25.
ACTIVE ENGAGEMENT
Have students TT with a partner to continue with the class story. Student can write in
the air what they would add. Chanel students to discuss what happened next in the
story. (who was in the story, where it took place and what was happening)
LINK
Remind students that they need to draw and talk their stories through, focusing on
who was in the story, where it took place and what was happening. Options: students
continue with shared story, start a new one, or continue on one from the previous
lesson.
MID-WORKSHOP TEACHING (if needed)
Sketching to hold ideas and develop writing
SHARING
Have students share their stories by rereading their writing, and using picture when they get
stuck. (choose 1 or 2 students for this)
Writer’s Workshop Planning Form
Unit/Session: Unit 2/Session 4
BEND I: Writing Stories that People Can Really Read
“I can” statement(s):
I can turn my drawings into sentences and write a true story.
CONNECTION
Revisit chart from session 1, “What Makes Writing Hard/Easy to Read.” See page 32.
Either use the one from session 1 or create a new one.
Teaching Point
“Today I want to teach you that a writer says a sentence in his or her mind, then writes
it, writing word after word.”
Mini-lesson
TEACHING
Have a teacher or class story to model this, this could be the one from the last session
just make sure you have pages in the story without sentences. Have the pictures
already done and model touching and telling about the picture, then model saying
the sentence recording it, leaving a space between words. Focus on capital letters,
spacing, and periods.
ACTIVE ENGAGEMENT
Have students help you wrote the next sentence, having them TT with a partner first,
and then writing it in the air.
LINK
Remind students to write sentence that have capital letters, spaces, and periods
whenever they are working to make their writing easy to read.
MID-WORKSHOP TEACHING (if needed)
Using end punctuation in speech bubbles
SHARING
Choose some students who wrote sentences and share their writing. Highlight what they
did to write their sentences.
Writer’s Workshop Planning Form
Unit/Session: Unit 2/Session 5
BEND I: Writing Stories that People Can Really Read
“I can” statement(s):
I can reread my writing, flipping back and forth between writer and reader.
CONNECTION
Celebrate the work they have done to make their writing readable.
Teaching Point
“Today I want to teach you that writers reread often for lots of reasons. Writers write a
little, and then read a little, flipping back and forth between being a writer and
reader of their story.”
Mini-lesson
TEACHING
Suggest that pencils can be magic because one end is good for writing, the other for
tapping at words as one rereads. Model this and shifting between writing and
reading, the class story. Debrief in ways that highlight the work you hope students will
transfer in their own writing.
ACTIVE ENGAGEMENT
Have students write in the air to practice this strategy with the class story.
LINK
Recall the teaching point and send writers off to work. They can either start a new
story or continue working on one from the previous session. See chart on page 45
MID-WORKSHOP TEACHING (if needed)
Rereading writing to make sure it is easy to read.
SHARING
Gallery walk of students readable stories. Student can choose a story to put on desk and
students can walk around to see what their classmates have been writing about.
Writer’s Workshop Planning Form
Unit/Session: Unit 2/Session 6
BEND II: Tools Give Writers Extra Power
“I can” statement(s):
I can use a checklist to make my writing the best it can be.
CONNECTION
Introduce students to the start of the new bend in the unit, helping them know they’ll
continue to write readable true stories, this time using new tools.
Teaching Point
“Today I want to teach you that writers use tools to help them write the best that they
can. One tool that helps writers write powerful true stories is a checklist.”
Mini-lesson
TEACHING
Tell students about a time when checklist have proven very valuable (pilot example).
Tell students that writers in their school have checklist also to remind them of the things
writers do to make a good story. Show the checklist, only 2-3 parts of it (i.e. overall,
lead, transitions). I prefer the one of the CD with the pictures. Model using the
checklist with a student’s writing or your own writing. Page 54 was a student piece you
could use.
ACTIVE ENGAGEMENT
Have students reread and assess their own story using the same 2-3 parts of the
checklist.
LINK
Summarize the lesson, reminding them that the, “What Makes Writing Easy to Read”
chart, and the checklist are tools they have for writing. Have student revise a story
from their folder, redrafting it. See the coaching tip on page 55
MID-WORKSHOP TEACHING (if needed)
Tapping writers’ memories in order to add details to their stories.
SHARING
Point out a new part of the checklist and have student self-assess their writing and make a
plan for improvement.
Writer’s Workshop Planning Form
Unit/Session: Unit 2/Session 7
BEND II: Tools Give Writers Extra Power
“I can” statement(s):
I can use a vowel chart to spell the middle of words.
CONNECTION
Rally children to sing Old MacDonald but instead of E-I-E-I-O, say A-E-I-O-U. Highlight
these letters are vowels. Re-sing the song with apple, egg, igloo, octopus, and
umbrella. See chart on page 61
Mini-lesson
Teaching Point
“Today I want to teach you that vowels can help you spell the middle of words. A
vowel chart can help you learn about vowels and spell your words using them.”
TEACHING
Tell students about a student’s writing that was hard to read. Use a piece of student
writing that could be made more readable with the use of vowels. Page 62 has a
good example. Model using the vowel chart to make the writing more readable.
ACTIVE ENGAGEMENT
Have students work with their partner to make the student’s writing more readable
using vowels and the chart.
LINK
Send children off to write reminding them of ways to make writing easier to read. “Be
sure every word has a vowel.”
MID-WORKSHOP TEACHING (if needed)
Including vowels in every part of a word
SHARING
Checking for vowels
Have students look over their writing, checking for vowels. Highlight a student who did this
well.
Writer’s Workshop Planning Form
Unit/Session: Unit 2/Session 8
BEND II: Tools Give Writers Extra Power
“I can” statement(s):
I can use the word wall to write sentences.
CONNECTION
Tell children you are proud of the work they are doing! Tell them that writing is not
always hard work. There are many words they just know and the word wall can help
them!
Mini-lesson
Teaching Point
“Today I want to teach you that every writer has words that he or she just knows and
can write them quickly and easily, in a snap. Word walls are a great tool for writers,
because they remind writer of the words they know in a snap.”
TEACHING
Show students how the word wall works when writing a sentence. Consider a personal
word wall for students. This is a great time to tie in rainbow words.
ACTIVE ENGAGEMENT
Have students look at their own writing for any word wall words they already have or
they could add. (This may need to be modeled instead)
LINK
Caution that the word wall is not a source for story ideas, simply linking words
together, but a tool for spelling.
Send children off to write using word wall words in their sentences.
MID-WORKSHOP TEACHING (if needed)
Persistent rereading can produce words that bubble and burst on the page.
SHARING
Add some useful writing words to the word wall. See chart of page 77
Writer’s Workshop Planning Form
Unit/Session: Unit 2/Session 9
BEND II: Tools Give Writers Extra Power
“I can” statement(s):
I can use storytelling words in my writing.
CONNECTION
Contrast two stories, one exciting and one boring. See page 79 for an example
Ask students what was the difference in the stories.
Mini-lesson
Teaching Point
“Today I want to teach you that every writer needs to write their own true, storytelling
words even though that means they have to work a little harder to spell those true
words. It help to story-tell your story to your partner, using your best storytelling voice.
Listen to your own storytelling voice and put that voice onto the page.”
TEACHING
Have students help you rewrite the class story and use a storytelling voice (using
specific words for the people, places, and things in his or her story and for the actions)
to retell the story. Model the first few pages.
ACTIVE ENGAGEMENT
Have students TT with their partner to storytell the class story. Together rewrite the last
page of the story with storyteller language.
LINK
Remind students to use storytelling language in their writing.
MID-WORKSHOP TEACHING (if needed)
Ensuring writers have a clear narrative with a beginning, middle, and end.
This is actually the conferring and small group work, but I think it is a great mid-workshop
teaching. See page 83-85
SHARING
Highlight a student who tried this strategy. In this case, who used specific words for the
people, places, and things in his or her story and for the actions.
Writer’s Workshop Planning Form
Unit/Session: Unit 2/Session 10
BEND II: Tools Give Writers Extra Power
“I can” statement(s):
I can use my partner as a tool to make my writing more readable.
CONNECTION
Have students sit with their writing partners. Tell children that they will have to read
their partners writing today.
Mini-lesson
Teaching Point
“Today I want to teach you that when writers are working to make their writing more
readable, it helps if the writer has a partner who works with the writer to get the job
done.”
TEACHING
Tell students that they will be reading their partner’s writing today. Model how to do
this, shifting between reading and writing with a magic pencil. See page 89-90 for a
more detailed explanation.
ACTIVE ENGAGEMENT
Have students use one of their stories to practice this with their partner, the same way
it was just modeled.
LINK
Remind students that they will finish the partner read at the end of writing and now
they will write a story that their partners will read during the share. Students will need
to write a new story for this session. Scaffold to get story ideas flowing. See then Link on
pages 90-91 for ideas on how to scaffold.
MID-WORKSHOP TEACHING (if needed)
Learning from mentor text
SHARING
Partner read: Is our writing easier to read?
Writer’s Workshop Planning Form
SESSION 11: Using a Partner to Hear More Sounds in Words
This a flex session
Unit/Session: Unit 2/Session 12
BEND II: Tools Give Writers Extra Power
“I can” statement(s):
I can look at my writing I have done so far and make plans for my next story.
CONNECTION
Have students talk about what they have learned about making writing easier to
read. See chart on page 99
Explain that today’s lesson is about looking at what we have learned and making new
goals for our next story.
Mini-lesson
Teaching Point
“Today I want to teach you that good writers ask themselves, ‘What have I learned to
do that makes my writing more readable? What could I still learn that would help my
writing become even more readable?”
TEACHING
Have students reread some of their writing. Have students look for specific things they
have done to make their writing more readable. Chart should be visible for this. Next
ask students what they could still do.
ACTIVE ENGAGEMENT
Have students use one of their stories to practice this with their partner, noticing things
they could still do.
LINK
Have students choose a writing piece to work on to make better. You may choose to
skip right to the mid-workshop teaching instead of this Link.
MID-WORKSHOP TEACHING (if needed)
Moving pieces to the finished side of the folder when they are complete
SHARING
Show Narrative Checklist again and work with students to set goals for the next Bend.
Writer’s Workshop Planning Form
Unit/Session: Unit 2/Session 13
BEND III: Making Stories More Fun to Read
“I can” statement(s):
I can revise my writing to make it even better by picturing in my mind what is happening in
my story.
CONNECTION
Tell students that when writers really love their writing they revise it to make it better.
Mini-lesson
Teaching Point
“Today I want to teach you—remind you really—that writers revise stories, just like you
revise Lego buildings or clay creations. When a writer likes his or her story, the writer
returns to it thinking, ‘How can I make this even better!’ One way writers revise is they
picture what happened in their mind (and sometimes by making a drawing) and then
put what they picture onto the page.”
TEACHING
Model choosing a story from your folder to pick and revise. Ask, “How can I make this
better?” (rereading first, adding details to the sentences, adding dialogue from a
speech bubble, etc.)
ACTIVE ENGAGEMENT
Have students help you to continue to revise your story. Show students how to add
carets/inserts to add words.
LINK
Summarize what you did with your story for revision. Move away from revising the
picture to revising the writing. See page 110 for ideas on how to get students started
on revision. May need a chart for what type of revision you are looking for during
writing.
MID-WORKSHOP TEACHING (if needed)
Revise drawings to elaborate stories
SHARING
Have student share with a partner what revisions they did today and how their story is
better.
Writer’s Workshop Planning Form
Unit/Session: Unit 2/Session 14
BEND III: Making Stories More Fun to Read
“I can” statement(s):
I can use tools to make my story better.
CONNECTION
Tell students that you will introduce a new tool to revise their writing.
Mini-lesson
Teaching Point
“Today I want to teach you that paper flaps can be a tool to help you revise your
writing. Writers think carefully about where to put those flaps and use them in many
different places.”
TEACHING
Tell students about a child who revised by adding to the end of their story and that
same child also wanted to add where there wasn’t space. Show a paper flap for
revision.
ACTIVE ENGAGEMENT
Using the same teacher piece from the previous lesson, have student helps you revise
using a paper flap to add to your story.
LINK
Send children off to use a paper flap to revise and add to their story. Remind them of
all the tools they have for writing and revising.
MID-WORKSHOP TEACHING (if needed)
Remind writers to make their stories easier to read
SHARING
Choose a student who used the revision tools today and share with the class.
Writer’s Workshop Planning Form
Unit/Session: Unit 2/Session 15
BEND III: Making Stories More Fun to Read
“I can” statement(s):
I can write a lead for my story.
Mini-lesson
CONNECTION
Tell the students that a strong beginning to a story draws the readers in, making them
want to hear more. Explain that we can look at the beginnings of books to get ideas
for our leads.
Teaching Point
“Today I want to teach you that one of the best ways to become a writers is to look
closely at what authors do and to think, ‘What did this writer do that I could try?’
Because the lead to a story is really important, authors study other writers’ leads and
learn ways to revise their own writing.”
TEACHING
Choose a familiar book to study the lead the author choose.
ACTIVE ENGAGEMENT
Revise the beginning of a teacher piece, student piece, or class piece.
LINK
Remind children of the new ways they’ve just learned to grab reader’s attention with
a strong beginning.
MID-WORKSHOP TEACHING (if needed)
Revising actions words to sharpen small details.
SHARING
Choose a student who wrote a strong lead and share with the class.
Introduce transitions words, see page 127 (this could be a mini-lesson the next day,
depending on the level of your students)
Writer’s Workshop Planning Form
Unit/Session: Unit 2/Session 16
BEND III: Making Stories More Fun to Read
“I can” statement(s):
I can revise my work with the help of my partner.
CONNECTION
Tell the students that during yesterday’s writer’s workshop you saw a long line of
children who wanted your help. Tell them that you will teach each of them to be a
writing teacher.
Mini-lesson
Teaching Point
“Today I want to teach you that there’s not one writing teacher in this room—there
are all of you too. To be a writing teacher, you need to really listen to the writer’s draft,
trying to really understand it, and you need to notice places where you go, ’Huh?’ to
help the writer make those parts clearer.”
TEACHING
Demonstrate how children can be writing teachers for one another. First, teach them
to read the other’s writing. Use the class or teacher writing piece to do this. See page
130 for more explicit directions on this teaching.
ACTIVE ENGAGEMENT
Have student practice this with their writing partner. Use the narrative checklist to help
them remember what to pay attention to and what to notice in their partner’s stories.
You may want to just focus on the first 3 parts of the checklist and make a separate
chart for these. See page 131
LINK
Remind children to work with one another if they need help.
MID-WORKSHOP TEACHING (if needed)
Honoring stories by encouraging writers to practice reading aloud
SHARING
Coding their stories with post-it notes for exciting parts and questions they still have.
Writer’s Workshop Planning Form
Unit/Session: Unit 2/Session 17
BEND IV: Preparing for Publication
“I can” statement(s):
I can choose a writing piece to revise and publish.
CONNECTION
Celebrate the work they have be doing and set them up to make one story out of all
their stories they have written the best it can be.
Mini-lesson
Teaching Point
“Today I want to teach you that writers get ready to publish by choosing the story
they want to share with the world. Then, they use all they know to make their stories
come to life and be easy to read.”
TEACHING
Model the revision process for students by reading aloud your own story.
ACTIVE ENGAGEMENT
Have student reread their own writing.
LINK
Have students select their most special story from their writing folders. Then they can
begin working on making it better.
MID-WORKSHOP TEACHING (if needed)
Offering a visual strategy for revision
SHARING
Writing powerful titles for our stories. Brainstorm a title for the teacher or class writing piece,
then ask students to think of titles for their stories.
Writer’s Workshop Planning Form
Unit/Session: Unit 2/Session 18
BEND IV: Preparing for Publication
“I can” statement(s):
I can write an ending to my story.
CONNECTION
Tell children that when they read stories they often read the endings in ways that show
strong feelings. They can write strong story endings that show strong feelings. Show a
story that has a strong ending. Koala Lou by Mem Fox is recommended.
Mini-lesson
Teaching Point
“Today I want to teach you that one way writers write strong endings is to end their
stories with a feeling.”
TEACHING
Show some student examples and study the endings. See page 144
Model writing an ending for the teacher or class piece.
ACTIVE ENGAGEMENT
Show another student piece and have students discuss why the ending is so strong.
See page 144.
Have students help you writing an ending for a teacher or class piece.
LINK
Have students revise their endings by adding strong feelings.
MID-WORKSHOP TEACHING (if needed)
Your work is never done
SHARING
Choose a student who wrote an ending and share with the class.
Teach students about having different feelings. See page 147
Writer’s Workshop Planning Form
Unit/Session: Unit 2/Session 19
BEND IV: Preparing for Publication
“I can” statement(s):
I can make my writing beautiful and ready for publication.
Mini-lesson
CONNECTION
Remind students of all they have learned this unit and all they will be celebrating. Use
the analogy of cooking to describe how a beautiful presentation lures readers in.
Teaching Point
“Today I want to teach you that before writers share their stories with an audience,
they spend time making sure their writing is clear and beautiful. Here are three ways
you can do that: you can add missing bits to your drawings, you can add color to
your pictures, and you can check your words to make sure they are not too messy to
read.”
TEACHING
Using the teacher or class piece, ask students to think of specific ways to prepare it to
be shared with an audience.
ACTIVE ENGAGEMENT
Have students try this with their own stories by asking them to find a place they’ll make
beautiful. Have student TT with their partner about their plan to fix up their story.
LINK
Have students work on their writing using the strategies named in the teaching point.
MID-WORKSHOP TEACHING (if needed)
Transforming stories into great gifts
SHARING
Have students share their writing with their partner.
Session 20: This is the celebration session. See page 155 for
ideas for your celebration.