The Qualities of Great Writing

Let's start by looking at some great writing. What makes it appeal to each of us? Just as we notice different things as readers, there are unique qualities that each writer exhibits in their writing. In this workshop we will examine some of the qualities of great writing, using a skills continuum that can be used to inform your planning and assessment.

In this workshop we will focus on imaginative/ narrative writing. We will examine writing samples, placing them on the continuum and looking first for the most important aspects of the writing: ideas and content, how these are organised, where we find aspects of author's voice, the use of words and sentences to best tell the story, and finally conventions. We will work through a process that you can use in your school to facilitate conversations and streamline the process of creating a shared vision of great writing.

From here, we will take this information to inform planning for whole class mini-lessons and conferencing. We will focus on the language of transferable skills, and teachers will experience a mini-lesson. Throughout this process, teachers will be challenged to consider their current practice and identify areas for growth.

Finally, we will look at ways to use this valuable data from interim assessments and process writing to create writing portfolios with our students. Teachers will leave the workshop with a copy of the continuum and an implementation plan for their classroom and/or their school.