Mercedes Medina

Annotated Bibliography

Baker, W. D. (2005). "Layers and Layers" of Teaching Writers' Workshop: A

Response to Katie Wood Ray's The Writing Workshop. Pedagogy, 5(2), 348352.
In this article, W. Douglas Baker, codirector of a National Writing Project site and
professor of English education, writes a review to "The Writing Workshop: Working
Through the Hard Parts (And They're All Hard Parts)," by Katie Wood Ray and Lester
Laminack. He explains how he implements Ray and Laminacks work into his classroom
and the effects it had on his students. This resource would be great for teachers who are
looking for books and want to read reviews before they invest.

Calkins, L. (2003). The nuts and bolts of teaching writing. Portsmouth, NH:
FirstHand.
Lucy Calkins provides a comprehensive outline of the writing process when
implementing writers workshop in the primary ages. The book has seven units of study
that follow to provide teachers with tools and strategies to move students from oral and
pictorial writing, to emergent writing, and then to fluent writing. The units of study are
approximately four weeks long to support teachings in moving students through the
writing processes. These books will be helpful in providing specific tools and strategies

for other teachers who are interested in developing a strong writers workshop in the
primary grade levels.

Christensen, A. W. (1990). Problem solving our way through writers' workshop.

Reading Teacher, 44(4), 357-358.
In this article, Ann Christensen, a teacher, describes how to teach students to work
through problems in a writers workshop framework. She explains the benefits gained by
students when they become self-regulated, problem solvers. This resource would be
helpful for teacher who would like how to manage their class during writers workshop
and need ideas on how to teach their students how to problem solve without teacher help.

Cook, C. L. (2007). Supporting the student writer: The role of teacher talk during kid
writing workshop (Order No. 3298982). Available from ProQuest
Dissertations & Theses Global. (304834114). Retrieved from
http://search.proquest.com/docview/304834114?accountid=10777
Carolyn Cook researches the effects of language on students writing during writing
conferences. The findings from the research revealed that the teacher language was
helpful in building positive relationships within her writing community by listening and
learning about them, thinking out loud with them, and conversing about their writing. She
used language to notice and name writing behaviors to help students self monitor writing
as they were able identify the same behaviors. This study will be helpful to teachers who
would like to reflect on their language and change it to be a powerful tool during one to

one conferences. Cooks thesis was published on ProQuest by a list of educators who
approved its reliability and validity.
Deringer, C. (2010). DON'T FORGET TO SHARE: The crucial last step in the
writing workshop. Childhood Education, 86(2), 121. Retrieved from
http://search.proquest.com/docview/89058906?accountid=10777
In this article, Leah Mermelstein (a nationally recognized literacy consultant) stresses the
importance of including share time in Writers Workshop. She describes four different
types of shares in the writing classroom; content, craft, process, and progress. This
information is meant for teachers who feel overwhelmed or bored of share time and need
ideas to creatively implement it everyday.
Dorn, L., & Jones, T. (1998). Assisted Writing. In Apprenticeship in literacy:
Transitions across reading and writing (2nd ed., pp. 67-82). York, Me.:
Stenhouse.
Dorn and Jones introduce a balanced literacy program that covers areas of needs for
diverse learners. The book emphasizes the importance of teacher prompting and language
to guide students in the writing and reading processes and then to slowly release students
to be able to monitor by themselves. Chapter 6 in Apprenticeship and Literacy is focused
on independent writing and how to carry out a mini-lesson to reach students where they
are in the writing process. This chapter will be beneficial for teachers who are interested
in learning more about interactive writing in the writing mini-lesson to get the students
prepared for their independent writing to follow.
Dorn, L., & Soffos, C. (2001). Scaffolding young writers a writer's workshop
approach. Portland, Me.: Stenhouse.

In this book, Dorn and Soffos include a clear road map for teachers who implement
writers workshop in the authors give explicit examples, models, and demonstrations to
establish a successful and effective writers workshop. This would be a helpful resource
for teachers who need information on how to organize and successfully carry out a
writers workshop with clear direction and instruction.
Fernsten, L. A., & Reda, M. (2011). Helping students meet the challenges of
academic writing. Teaching In Higher Education, 16(2), 171-182.
doi:10.1080/13562517.2010.507306
This article shares strategies and ideas that teachers can utilize in order to help students
meet the challenges of writing. The authors give ideas on how to build a positive writer
identify within a student who is struggling. This resource would be beneficial to teachers
who have students in their classroom who are not responding with what is already in
place, to give them new and creative ideas on motivation them as a writer.
Franklin, K. (2010). Thank you for sharing: Developing students' social skills to
improve peer writing conferences. English Journal, 99(5), 79-84. Retrieved
from http://search.proquest.com/docview/205420565?accountid=10777
Keri Franklin, assistant professor of English and founding director of the
Ozarks Writing Project at Missouri State University in Springfield, Missouri, describes
the importance of share time within a writers workshop framework. She includes how it
impacts students writing and the social skills that are embedded within the practice. This
article is beneficial for teachers who want to know the why behind the what.

Fu, D., & Shelton, N. R. (2007). Including students with special needs in a writing
workshop. Language Arts, 84(4), 325-336. Retrieved from
http://search.proquest.com/docview/196864708?accountid=10777
In this article, Fu an d Shelton, professors, explain how to include students with special
needs in writers workshop. They describe the importance of inclusion during writing and
the effects it has on the students. This article would be beneficial for teachers who are
interested in way to include students with special needs within the writers workshop
framework.

Glover, M. (2009). Engaging young writers: Preschool-grade 1. Portsmouth, NH:

Heinemann.
Glover provides ways to encourage and nourish young writers as they build their
confidence to put pen to paper. He includes several entry points to meet students where
they are and match teaching to the individual interests and needs of the students. This
book is a great resource for teachers who are in need of ways to engage and lift their
writers up.
Heffernan, L., Lewison, M., & Henkin, R. (2003). Social narrative writing:
(re)constructing kid culture in the writer's workshop. Language Arts, 80(6),
435. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/196898348?
accountid=10777
Heffernan (a teacher) and Lewison (a professor) discuss a third grade teachers
experience implementing Writers Workshop. The teacher started Writers Workshop to
challenge the students to move away from fictional writing and write quality stories

based on true life, also known as personal narratives. The teacher realized after several
years that while personal narratives helped students provide better writing, it still wasnt
relevant. Lee researched critical literacy and became interested in the effects it would
have on her students writing. She wanted writing to be a vehicle for students to uncover
social issues that students were passionate about. This article introduces social
narratives and the effects on one teachers classroom to guide teachers who are
interested in elevating their students writing to a new level. This resource is for teachers
who are interested in learning more about critical literacy in Writers Workshop.
Ray, K. (2006). Study driven: A framework for planning units of study in the writing
workshop. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
Ray introduces the foundational idea of providing students with real world examples. She
uses a close study when reading and studying mentor texts to immerse the students in
quality literature. She describes how to strategically choose the mentor texts that should
be used as well as what kind of variety should be used through out the year. She instructs
teachers on how to plan an in-depth writing workshop effectively. Study Driven would be
an important resource for teachers who are looking for specific resources and lessons to
launch a writing workshop or to enrich an already running writing workshop.
Ray, K., & Cleaveland, L. (2004). About the authors: Writing workshop with our
youngest writers. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
This book is targeted for grades kindergarten through second grade. Ray provides stepby-step instructions to start a writing workshop, as well as eleven units of study that
provides rich language that will inspire rich writing. This book will be useful for teachers

who want to start a writers workshop and need support, as well as enrich teachers in their
knowledge of a writing workshop.
Ray, K., & Glover, M. (2008). Already ready: Nurturing writers in preschool and
kindergarten. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
Ray and Glover capture the importance of engaging our youngest writers by teaching us
how children make sense of the world around them and represent that by pictures,
sounds, and ideas. The authors focus on how to help children make meaning as they grow
in their skills as writers and what it means to be a writer. This book is perfect for teachers
in primary grade levels who want to learn about the stages of writing development to be
able to help each individual students needs.
Ray, K., & Laminack, L. (2001). The writing workshop: Working through the hard
parts (and they're all hard parts). Urbana, Ill.: National Council of Teachers of
English.
This book is written for experienced and new teachers who desire to confront the
challenges of teaching writing and learn how to teach students during the difficult, multifaceted, and complicated process that children experience during the writing process.
This resource will be helpful for teachers to work through the challenges that come with
daily instruction, classroom management, and the intangibles that create writers
identities.
Myers, K., & Pough, J. (2002). Comfort in discomfort: Experimenting with writing
workshop in third grade. Primary Voices K - 6, 11(2), 38-47. Retrieved from
http://search.proquest.com/docview/221661307?accountid=10777

In this article, Meyers and Pough, third grade teachers, explain the transition from direct
teacher to writers workshop and the challenges they faced. This article would be a
helpful resource for teacher who are interested in implementing writers workshop or for
teachers who are encountering problems and need ideas on how to confront those
problems.
Nickel, J., Brenda, M. P., & Ruth, S. H. (2001). When writing conferences don't
work: Students' retreat from teacher agenda. Language Arts, 79(2), 136-147.
Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/196916415?
accountid=10777
Nickel, currently a doctoral student at The University of Western Ontario, explains four
case studies where her students were confused during writing conferences. She gives tips
on how teachers could respond with in similar situations. This article would be helpful for
teachers who have a student or two that are struggling to understand what is being asked
of them during one-on-one conferences to improve communication.

Willey, R. (2002). Writing, reflection, and the young child. Primary Voices K - 6,
10(4), 8-14. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/221702999?
accountid=10777
In this article, Rebecca Willey, a primary grade teacher, explains the importance of
talking about writing and sharing writing to promote reflective thinking within our
students. This resource would be good information for teachers to have when starting a
writers workshop and learning why this framework is effective.

Kissel, B. T. (2009). Beyond the page : Peers influence pre-kindergarten writing

through image, movement, and talk. Childhood Education, 85(3), 160-166.
Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/210398784?
accountid=10777
Brian Kissel, a reading professor, explains the process of writing in primary grades and
the importance of peer influence. He expands on the use of the authors chair and the
reason why students should share their writing. This article would be helpful for teachers
who want to look more in-depth in the writers workshop as a whole.