Writer's Workshop With First Grade Friends

Jodi from First Grade Friends has graciously agreed to be a guest blogger at Vintage Teacher!  Thanks Jodi.  If you are not a follower of her blog, you might want to be!

Writer's Workshop in First Grade

This is Jodi from First Grade Friends!  


In my first grade community, Writer's Workshop is a big deal!  I have been working with my kids since the first day on Writer's Workshop procedures, and it is almost time for parent teacher conferences and the end of my first quarter.  My school is year round, so my firsties have been working hard since July.  


In reading we are working on characters, setting, problem/conflict, and solution.  Since reading and writing go hand in hand, I created this template for my first graders to publish a piece of writing using all the skills they have learned this quarter.  


The first page is a brainstorm template to write or draw anything they are thinking they might want in their story.  We have read many picture books, so I pull out some favorites (anything Mo Willems, for example) for reference and to spark ideas.  


After this, each day is devoted to creating a different page in the story line.  We spend a day on each page to make sure that each part of the story is created with care.  After each page is created, we put the book together!  


We have a "publishing party" then where each first grader puts their story on their desk, and the children (and myself) walk around the classroom to read each others' stories.  They can leave comments or a smiley face with their name on a piece of paper next to the child's published story.  


This is a great way to end the quarter, and I am sure other first grade communities are doing this as well!  Enjoy the template and I hope it helps to create some wonderful first grade pieces of writing.  Template for published piece.