Lucy Calkins
Lucy Calkins :
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founder of the Teachers College
Reading and Writing Project.
one of the original architects of
the “workshop” approach to
teaching writing to children
author of some 20 books,
including the best-selling The
Art of Teaching Writing (250,000
sold).
currently the Professor of
Curriculum and Teaching at
Teachers College at Columbia
University.
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Chapter 1:
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Chapter 2:
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Supporting ELLs
Chapter 8:
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Conferring with Young Writers
Chapter 7
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Teaching Methods: Minilessons that Power
Your Curriculum
Chapter 6
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Managing the Writing Workshop
Chapter 5:
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Planning Curriculum in a Primary Writing
Workshop
Chapter 4:
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Pathways for Writers
Chapter 3:
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An overview
The Literacy Instruction that Surrounds and Supports the Teaching of Writing
Chapter 9
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Assessment
 Planning
curriculum in a primary writing
workshop
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Curriculum comes from:
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Ongoing structures
 Minilessons, conferences, writing folders,
worktime…etc
Changing units of study
NEED TO PROVIDE BOTH-BALANCE
* Collaborate with other teachers, create shared
curricular calendars
* Consider passions of each teacher as well as
information about incoming students
Plan for children to write a lot
 Plan for the entire unit, with all its parts
 Plan what we’ll do for each part of the unit and
what children will do
 Plan for continuity- in texts, metaphors, and
language
 Plan to support ongoing writing goals as well as
unit-specific goals
 Plan to instruct children in the use of a new
writing tool in every unit
 Plan to end the unit with a celebration
 Plan to save some of every child’s writing and to
start new pieces or kinds of writing with every
unit
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 Importance
of structure and systems
 “When we plan our writing instruction, we
must plan not only the words out of our
mouths-the minilessons and the conferences
that will convey content about good writingbut also the structures and systems that can
allow us to manage a crew of young
writers”(Calkins,28).
 Structure
of Writing Workshops are
predictable and consistent
 Attention to:
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The environment
Managing each component of the Writing
Workshop
When there are management troubles
 Room
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arrangements (“The Meeting Space”)
Carpets
Nearby teaching equipment
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Easel, chart paper, markers
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Rhythm of children’s movement
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Gather close around teacherexplicit instruction
Disperse to work areas-teacher
moves throughout space to confer
with students or small groups
Issue of space
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Ex: lowering tables to make room
for more children to gather around
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Develop a system for managing papers
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ex: writing folders
Toolboxes for writing tools (on counters and
tables)
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Date stamp, scissors, tape, pencils, pens, markers
Writing centers
 System for dispensing paper and utensils is not
crucial: “Children need to be able to
independently access their ongoing texts and
obtain more paper without a teacher spending
time on this”(Calkins,34).
 Environmental print
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Word wall
 Enlarged list of children’s names
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 Does
not recommend that young children
(prior to third grade) write in spiral
notebooks, journals, or diaries.
 Prefers inviting children to write all the kinds
of writing they see in the world
 Encourage children to write on a variety of
paper
 “Time
is the most precious resource we
have…”(Calkins, 35).
 Align schedule to state, district, and school
standards as well as to teacher’s values and
children’s developmental needs and levels.
 Children at lower levels receive more time
for dramatic play and blocks
 “The
Beginning of Each Day’s Writing
Instruction”
 Starts with a signal for writers to get supplies
out and gather
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CONSISTENT attention signal-whether its for
writing or math
Example: “Writers, let’s gather”
 Gather
on carpet, usually sit in assigned
spots
 Teach strategy  “Turn and talk”
“Heart and soul of the Writing Workshop”
 Precious time is lost in transitions, teach
children how to get started on their writing
 Teacher not always available for individual
conferences- use retelling for instruction
comprehension during minilesson
 Watch all children for a few minutes then
address issues- work with all slow starters in a
small group
 Use tables to encourage conversations among
peers- “running commentaries”
 Designate signal to monitor noise levelPRACTICE
 Teacher holds writing conferences
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Keep moving so conferences can be short and frequent
Teach children to never interrupt when you are
conferring
Create systems of dealing with daily occurrences that
don’t require your intervention
Teach children to solve predictable problems on their
own
Create a place where children who need a conference
can go to you for help
Concentrate on teaching the writing process, not on
making every child’s piece the best it can be
Create the expectation of a lot of writing work getting
done each workshop time
Use strategy lessons when many children need the
same conference
 “Workshop
Closure”
 Class may gather or students share with
partners
 Teaching point in the share- highlights
aspects that illustrate and extend the
minilesson
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Ex: minilesson on using a carat, share student
work where a student used a carat and crossed
out a confusing part of their story
 Supports
students’ writing and reinforces
minilesson strategy
 Diagnose
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the cause
Time to observe, think, and secure help
 Anticipate
that problems will inevitably
occur
 Plan how to respond
 Rehearse for teaching to go wrong- ex:
broken pencil interruptions
“Children learn to write
from the work they do;
therefore, establishing
and managing a
productive work
environment is a critical
aspect of good
teaching”(Calkins, 44).
 Calkins,
Lucy. The Art of Teaching Writing.
Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, 1986. Print.
 Calkins, Lucy. The Nuts and Bolts of
Teaching Writing. Portsmouth, NH:
FirstHand, 2003. Print.