Differentiation in Writing Workshop – Tip #10 – Student Created Goals

My last tip for differentiation in Writing Workshop has to do with goals – but this time – student created. Lucy Calkin’s Units of Studies has specific lessons geared towards students coming up with their own goals.  There are checklists, mini-lesson ideas, etc.  You can do this without Units of Study too.  First, come up with a few areas that you have been focusing on. For example, sequencing, adding details, staying focused on a small moment, etc. Create a little checklist with those items on it.  Students will then take the checklist and their writing piece and work with a partner. They can read the story to each other and go through the checklist marking areas that they are doing well with and areas they need to work on. From there have each child pick one area that they want to focus on as their current writing goal.   Thank you so much for checking out my Differentiation in Writing Workshop blog series!  See below to catch up on past posts.   If you missed my past tips from the Differentiation in Writing Workshop series, click below…

• Introduction
• Writing Pre-Test/Sample 
• Mini-Lessons
• Paper & Topic Choice
• Mid-Workshop Interruption
• Word Walls
• Editing Checklists
• Anchor Charts
• Strategy Cards
• Student Conferences

FREE Writing Checklists

To make your life easier I have a FREE set of writing checklists for your students to use! These are geared towards the primary grades and include 8 different checklists – so you’ll be able to differentiate based on what you’re teaching and your students’ needs. Grab your writing checklists HERE.