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The Writing Workshop is much more than a program designed to help children acquire the skills necessary for written language. It is a classroom in which you and your students form bonds that become the foundation of learning. In the Writing Workshop, your teaching becomes individualized as students focus on topics that matter to them and you respond to their efforts. Because students write about their interests, worries, and dreams, the material of the Writing Workshop arises from the fabric of their lives.

Writing Workshop is a method of writing instruction that developed from the early work of Donald Graves. The idea is that coaching students to write for a variety of audiences and purposes was more effective than traditional written instruction. This method of instruction focuses on the goal of fostering lifelong writers. It is based upon four principles: students will write about their own lives; they will use a consistent writing process; they will work in authentic ways; and they will develop independence as writers.

Writing Workshop is designed for use in all grade levels. Each grade level has specific units of study tailored to meet developmental and curricular needs. Students have a large amount of choice in their topic and style of writing. The teacher acts as writing coach by modeling good writing techniques and conferring with students as they move through the writing process.