Triple R Teaching Can we redeem the writing workshop approach? - with April Smith
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Feb 24, 2025 In this engaging discussion, April Smith, author of 'Simplify Your Writing Instruction' and creator of a structured writing program, dives into the writing workshop approach. She critiques its traditional models while highlighting valuable elements rooted in research. April emphasizes the importance of balancing student creativity with structured guidance, supporting diverse writing abilities through tailored feedback. She advocates for integrating writing across subjects and introduces a simplified method to make writing accessible and effective for all learners.
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Traditional Writing Workshop Variability
- The traditional writing workshop varies widely in classrooms and includes a lot of freedom with insufficient scaffolding.
- This lack of structure often makes it chaotic and less effective for many students.
Favor Scaffolding Over Conferring
- Keep explicit, brief mini-lessons focused on one key skill to maintain engagement.
- Replace infrequent individual conferring with ongoing feedback and scaffolding during writing time.
Structured Writing Time & Pre-assessment
- Structure writing time heavily with guided scaffolding, especially in early grades, supporting students together.
- Use pre-assessment to group students and provide timely, targeted small-group instruction.
