• Kindergarten Writer’s Workshop
     
    Unit 1
    Launching Writing Workshop

    Welcome to Writer’s Workshop! During the Launching Unit we induct children into the structures and expectations of the workshop so that even early on they can carry on with independence. Writers are taught to approach writing through multiple means – drawing, labeling, and oral expression. Please know that each child will travel this developmental journey at his/her own pace.

    Skills and Strategies Taught (What it looks and sounds like!):
    • Writers think of topics that they care about and are important to them.
    • Writers tell stories through drawings, label, and oral expressions.
    • Writers write the sounds they hear in words to write the words the best they can.
    Ways to support your child at home:
    • Help your child to develop his/her understanding of the sound and symbol relationship
    • Know the upper and lowercase letters and the sound each makes.
    • Have detailed conversations with your child about things they care about and feel are important.
    • Provide paper or notebook, pens, and a writing spot to encourage writing.
    • Encourage your child to write lists of things around the home. Ie. List of groceries, toys, etc.
    • Allow your child to write the sounds he/she hears when writing a word (phonetic spelling). You might see the first sound, first and last sound, or entire word written.

    Ask your child:

    What are you writing about in writer's workshop?

     

    • Answer:  Your child will provide an answer. You can help to elaborate their idea list through conversation.
     
    Unit 2-
    Looking Closely: Observing, Labeling, and Listening Like Scientist
     
    In Writer’s Workshop the children will be observing, collecting, studying, and writing about bits of their world. This unit ties in with our science curriculum and provides children opportunity for writing with skills and tools as well as rich science content to explore.
     
     Skills and Strategies Taught (What it looks and sounds like!):
    • Writers are exact in drawing and labeling their scientific artifacts
    • Writers add a sentence or two to describe what they see or feel and zoom in with close up drawings.
    • Writers look again and again to find details they may have missed

    Ways to support your child at home:

    • Continue to help your child to develop hes/her understanding of the sound and symbol relationship to support stretching the sounds to write words.
    • Provide paper or notebook, pens, and a writing spot to encourage writing.
    • Allow your child to write the sounds he/she hears when writing a word (phonetic spelling). You might see the first sound, first and last sound, or entire words written.
    • Encourage your child to look at the world around him/her to talk about it.
    Ask your child:
    • To tell you about something interesting that is seen in your yard or home. Draw and write about it.
      Answer: Might be an insect, a plant or leaf, etc. Look at, point to, and describe the details.                              
     
     
    Unit 3-
    Telling and Writing Stories
     

    Kindergarten Writer’s Workshop

    Writer’s Workshop is an exciting time of the day! In this unit the children will be layering their learning from the launching unit. Here they will record their story across several pages using representational drawings and labels. The writers will move onto writing a sentence that matches the drawings. 

     

    Skills and Strategies Taught (What it looks and sounds like!):

    ·         Writers take moments of their lives and stretch them across pages.

    ·         Writers write words by saying the word slowly, stretching the word out, and writing the sounds they hear.

    ·         Writers add details to their stories such as where they were, who they were with, and what they were doing.

    Ways to support your child at home:

    ·         Continue to help your child to develop his/her understanding of the sound and symbol relationship - Know the upper and lowercase letters and the sound each makes.

    ·         Provide paper or notebook, pens, and a writing spot to encourage writing.

    ·         Allow your child to write the sounds he/she hears when writing a word (phonetic spelling). You might see the first sound, first and last sound, or entire word written.

    Ask your child: 
    •        Tell me about a moment you are writing about. What details are you adding?  
                      Answer: Your child will respond with a personal response. If a short response is given,  prompt for more information with                                        questions.