Writing is one of the most exciting subjects for many of the students because they love thinking of themselves as REAL authors.  All second graders do Writer's Workshop, where students are free to write about any topic they choose. 

Our Writing Program Includes:  

The key steps children follow in Writer’s Workshop include:

  Pre-write

  First Draft

  Revising

  Teacher Conference

  Final Draft

Writer's Workshop block consists of three parts:  a short mini lesson, independent writing time, and author's chair.  During the mini lesson, I teach routines of Writer's Workshop, writer's craft lessons, 6-Traits lessons, and punctuation, grammar, and capitalization lessons.  The 6-Traits + 1 of writing are the key areas that make up a strong piece of writing.  The six writing traits include the following.  In second grade, we really focus on the starred traits below:

After the mini lesson, students have time to write independently.  During this time I monitor students' progress, conference with students, or have guided lessons for small groups. 

Finally, Author's Chair is a time for students to share their pieces.  The children love hearing feedback and getting suggestions from their classmates.  Writer's Workshop enables students to have the power to write about their own topics at their own pace.