Authentic Texts for Authentic Writers
- School Year: 2016-2017
- Applicants: Mary Bohn, Lead Teacher
- School: Braeburn
- Subjects: Language Arts
As of 2015, West Hartford has adopted a Writers’ Workshop format for writing instruction based on Lucy Calkins’ Units of Study for Teaching Writing, K–8 series. It is designed to provide classroom teachers a reliable structure built on best practices and proven frameworks for teaching state-of-the-art writing workshops that help students meet and exceed global standards. Within the Writers’ Workshop format, each student is a working author while teachers serve as peer coaches by guiding students as they improve their pieces and perfect their craft. The mini-lesson portion of the Writers Workshop is one opportunity for teachers to give students specific feedback and guidance by addressing the writing issues that are relevant to their students. Mini-lessons are brief, tightly focused, and targeted on real topics that real writers need to know. This grant is for the procurement of authentic texts of children’s literature to benefit all students in grades three through five. The books selected for this grant represent 39 exemplars recommended by Lucy Calkins in her Units of Study for Teaching Writing, Grades 3-5. These examples of children’s literature will serve as authentic writing samples to complement the mini-lessons within the Lucy Calkins units of study throughout the year and for years to come at Braeburn Elementary School.