How Does Writing Workshop Work?

Check out this chart to better understand how our writing workshop day will go…

Writing workshop is like Minecraft! The tools are writing skills I give you during mini lessons, inventories are your writer’s notebooks where you keep all the skills I give you during the mini lessons. Enemies are problems writers face during independent practice.

Wait let’s back up a little bit….

A Little Background About Minecraft (If You’ve Never Played)

When you begin Minecraft you have no tools, no shelter, no food and time is of the essence. Monsters and enemies come out at night so you have to protect yourself by building a shelter with tools. To get tools you have to “punch” trees, I know, silly right. But after punching down a bunch of trees you acquire wood and can start making tools out of the wood and putting your tools in what is called your “inventory”. The tools can be used for various purposes. Shovels dig up dirt, pickaxes are used to dig up stones and minerals and hoes dig up dirt for crops. There are many other tools beyond these!

Minecraft Tools are Mini Lesson Skills
Writers when I teach a mini lesson I am giving you “tools” you can use, not just that day but for your writing and reading life. It is essential you listen up and focus during this precious time when I hand you the tools you need to fight the enemies of writing and become a stronger writer!

Journals are Minecraft Inventories
There is a clear place to put all the tools you get in Minecraft and it is called the “inventory”. Your inventory is your writer’s notebook. I will make charts and show you how to use the tools I give you for writing in my notebook. You will try them out in yours during independent writing time.

Writing Problems are Enemies/Monsters
There are zombies, spiders, creepers and skeletons in Minecraft. When writing, sometimes it is hard to come up with ideas, you get down on yourself and think your writing stinks, you don’t know how to use paragraphs, dialogue or to write a story with a theme. Remember this is all normal, just like it is normal to be attacked by monsters in Minecraft!