Write from the Start: Writers Workshop for the Primary Grades

Lori A. Dunn is an ESL teacher, instructional designer, and freelance
writer in New Westminster.

Write from the Start is a practical text for primary teachers who
struggle with the idea of encouraging new writers. Robin Bright has
drawn on her extensive experience as an elementary-school teacher, as
well as interviews with colleagues, to write a useful tool for
incorporating a writers workshop into the classroom. Throughout, she
addresses concerns gleaned from the infield interviews and offers
practical solutions.

The first chapter, “Wondering: What Do We Know About Writing?”,
examines current studies and issues in the field. In “Listening:
Perceptions and Practice,” Bright addresses the chief problems that
primary teachers face when introducing writing to their
classrooms—namely, how to find the time and how to develop a revision
habit. The third chapter, “Observing: What Writers Workshop Looks
Like,” provides an overview of the workshop model and describes how to
establish one in a classroom. A chapter entitled “Applying: Promising
Writing Activities” offers more options and inspiration for teachers.
The final chapter, “Valuing: Responding to and Evaluating Students’
Writing,” presents feedback methods that encourage students to take
control of their work, give the teacher enough time to respond to
everyone, and include parents in the process. Throughout the text are
useful diagrams and “Story Box” sections that highlight the concept
under discussion with an anecdote of its application in a real
classroom. An appendix provides reproducible copies of many of the
charts Bright proposes.

Overall, Write from the Start allows real-world application of a skill
that is becoming increasingly important in our communication-oriented
world.