Saturday, March 5, 2016

Write on! A Look Inside my Writing Center

I am very lucky to be in a brand new school.  Ok...it's four years old now but to me, it still looks pretty new. 

I'm one of those people who seems to lack a commitment to a certain classroom arrangement so I am often changing my classroom set up. Nothing major so don't freak out on me. Mostly, the student tables (we have tables, not desks) and I may move a shelf here or there.

This is my writing area.

Ideas and resources for setting up your classroom writing center.


I stick with one color scheme and that stays the same year after year. I leave the same bulletin board background and borders up all year since I cannot stand changing bulletin boards. 

I just want to point out the Reader's Theater bin on the top of the book shelf is from A Teeny Tiny Teacher. Leave this post right now and go put one in your cart on TPT.  Those things are fabulous, I tell you. Life changing.  For real.

Back to the writing center, I add a "word wall word" once a day (4 a week) to our word wall. They are based on our district's spelling program. On the shelf on the right I keep different kinds of writing paper (large lined, small lined, papers with boxes for drawing, papers without boxes for drawing, letter stamps, pens, pencils, markers, colored pencils, etc.).  I also keep a stapler there because I will not let the kiddos use my stapler. Without a doubt, every time I do, someone jams it, doesn't tell me, and I am balancing with one leg on a shelf, the other on a chair trying to staple a paper on a board and bam- no staples.


Here's a more detailed view of the inside of the writing center.  I have tried to make this a "cozy" place, like my reading center. The monthly vocabulary cards are changed monthly and are available in my store here.

Narrative and Informative mini anchor charts within a writing prompt with word banks resource.
The narrative, opinion, and informative writing mini anchor charts are part of my Writing Prompts with Word Banks products available here.


I change out the writing prompt pages frequently to maintain interest.



I also love Mel D-Seusstastic's product The Ultimate Writing Station.  The "write banner" pictured above is from her product. You can find it on TPT here


I added colored samples as visual models for students on the back of a shelf.

Ideas, strategies and resources for setting up a classroom writing center.

On the top of the shelf, in the baskets, I keep the prompts that are pictured on the shelf. I only have 4 at a time because I switch them out often to maintain interest. 

Note to self: buy more green baskets because those red ones do not match the color scheme.  It drives me bonkers.  Some of my co-workers tease me about this. I know.  It's a problem.

I can't wait to see photos of your writing centers! As I said, I switch things around all the time so I'm always looking for great ideas.  Please link up and and let's take a peak!


Link up to share photos of your classroom writing centers.





No comments:

Post a Comment