Do I teach “Launching the Writer’s Workshop” lessons from start to finish, page by page?

When it comes to planning and executing an effective writer’s workshop, it’s helpful to have a playbook that offers yearlong guidance. That’s why so many intermediate and secondary ELA teachers rely on Launching the Writer’s Workshop: Grades 3-12 by Kristina Smekens and Dr. Maureen Scane.

With thousands of teachers using the third edition of the Launch book, it’s not uncommon for teachers to ask, “Am I supposed to do all of these lessons in order?”

This is a terrific question, and the answer is . . . no.

Launching the Writer's Workshop
Part 1

The Launch book for grades 3-12 is broken into two parts. The first part focuses on the beginning weeks of school; it is all about setting up the writer’s workshop. This part includes strategies for management, building stamina, and establishing routines.

No teacher would do all of the lessons from Part 1 because the content suggests possible procedures for grades 3-12—that’s a wide spectrum. What a third grade teacher selects from Part 1 of the book will likely be very different from what a high school teacher selects from this section.

After a 3-4 week start-up, the second part of the book provides lessons to teach writing throughout the rest of the year.

Part 2

While Part 2 organizes lessons according to the Six Traits of Writing, it’s not recommended that lessons are taught “trait by trait.” Instead, teachers should organize their writing instruction into persuasive/argumentative, informative, and narrative units.

Like in Part 1, this portion of the book offers the full gamut of lessons for grades 3-12. Teachers have the liberty to pick and choose the lessons that are most appropriate for the skills their grade level requires.

On pages 5-7, a specific sequence of units and lessons is suggested for grades 3-5, 6-8, and 9-12 respectively. These are among the most valuable pages in the book because they provide a suggested yearlong road map for teaching writing in each grade band.

To order your own copy of Launching the Writer’s Workshop for grades 3-12, visit Amazon or The Literacy Store.