Our school has adopted the Lucy Calkins Units of Study writing program for the upcoming school year. I have already been to one training on it and have heard so much positive feedback that I can’t wait to get started with my kiddos this fall. One of the biggest traits that I have noticed while researching the program is the use of writing centers and writing areas. To be completely honest, I have always asked students to work on their writing at their seats. My students and I have had great success with writing workshop and writing conferences, but I feel like taking writing to this next level will allow my students to be more creative and more well rounded in the development of their writing craft.
The plan is to provide students with a “home base” where they can find writing references, tools, and supplies. I don’t expect them to stay at the writing center. In fact, I am going to encourage them to select what they want from the center and take it back with them to their own personal writing space. I know I am going to have to get comfortable with the idea of the students writing all over the room, but we rarely stay in our seats for reading and math so the adjustment should be an easy one.
Here are some writing center ideas and spaces that I have found that are going to help me create my own writing area.
Don’t you just love all of these? I.Can’t.Wait!
My room hasn’t been waxed or cleaned yet so it will still be a few weeks before I can get in to start piecing the room back together. So, these pictures will have to help me out until I can start building my own writing center.
Do you have a writing area? Do you have any tips you could share? I would love to hear your thoughts!
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How lucky that you get to use Lucy Caulkins! I've always heard great things about it, but we've never had any sort of school wide writing program at all. I have the same things from one of your images above that I found on TpT, the giant pencil and the "I can write a.." board. I like to put lots of different paper, prompts, utensils etc. out for the kids to choose from. I've also made class writing journals available which are fun to use.
Jessica
Literacy Spark
I would love to hear more as you journey through Lucy. I had to start it in January at my school with absolutely no training and it was horrible (not to discourage you)! I'm sure with the proper training it will be wonderful because I've really only heard wonderful things! Hence why I NEED you to blog about it as you go 😉
Your writing spaces look divine! I love Lucy Calkins! Good luck!