In this on-going course, learners will meet once a week, in a writer's workshop series of lessons. Learners will be developing early writing skills in developing personal, narrative writing skills. Learners will engage in activities such as drawing pictures, labeling pictures and using their pictures to create sentences to tell a story about their picture.

LESSON OUTLINE: 
Each lesson will begin with a focus on prewriting skills, such as think - alouds, planning, using graphic organizers and drawing pictures. 

At the beginning of each lesson, learns will be introduced to a small mini-lesson, focusing on a skill to focus on in their writing for this class. Learners will start class brainstorming a specific event they would like to write about using a graphic organizer. Teacher will provide supports for students unsure about what to write about. Learners will then use a graphic organizer to draw a picture about this specific event discussed during the mini-lesson. Learners will then use the graphic organizer to write down, draw, and label some details about this event they remember. 

The last part of the lesson will include time for learners to write about their pictures. By this time, learners have thought through their picture, and will be guided through writing a story about the picture they drew. Learners will be supported with writing, but encouraged to sound out words they do not know. 

Teacher will model all aspects of writing to support learners. 

Course Monthly Focus Outline (Mini-Lessons):
MAY: *Please note: Each lesson will follow the same outline, however, mini-lessons will change depending on the week*
May 3: Introduction to drawing a picture focused on specific event
May 10: Learner Focus on adding details to picture on specific event
May 17: Learner Focus on adding a strong beginning to our story
May 24: Learner Focus on adding details to our writing

JUNE: *Please note: Each lesson will follow the same outline, however, mini-lessons will change depending on the week*
June 1: Learner Focus on stretching sentences
June 7: Learner Focus on expanding word choice
June 14: Learner Focus on adding a strong ending
June 28: Learner Focus on editing our writing

An example of the graphic organizer is attached. Organizers will be updated weekly depending on the focus animal. Learners will be invited to draw a picture of their chosen animal. Teacher will model different parts of the animal to label. Learners will be invited to add color to their picture at the end of class. 

These lessons will include skills taught from the Kindergarten Common Core Standards in Writing, including standards, W.K.1 -focusing on writing informative sentences, 

CCLS: W.K.3- Learning how to write personal, narrative stories.

Writing is a very important skill for learners to develop, but it is also important they have time to practice this skill on their own. In this writer's workshop type class, learners will have a mini-lesson at the beginning of class, to actively engage and learn a new skill, or practice an older skill. 

At the end of the lesson, the teacher will model how to use a drawing of an event in each learner's own experiences to write a story.  
Learners are included to add as much details as they can to their story. Each week, learners will be invited to write a new story. 

Learners will see skills modeled from the teacher during each lesson. During class, learners will have ample time to practice using this skill on their own. Skills will include, answering a prompt with facts, drawing a picture and dictating what they drew, or using vocabulary to discuss what they can see in a picture. Learners will be provided with support from the teacher, including visuals, word banks and sentence starters. 

At the end of the lesson, learners will be given time to share their writing if they choose to. If their writing is unfinished, they can complete it after class.