Differentiation in Writing Workshop – Tip #8 – Strategy Cards

Today’s Writing Workshop Differentiation Tip is about providing your students with strategy cards that go along with the lesson. If you use Lucy Calkin’s Units of Study, each mini-lesson has a main teaching point.  Even if you don’t use Units of Study, your writing lessons also have a main teaching point or takeaway for that day. As we know once the mini-lesson is finished and students are sent back to work on their writing, you always have those few kids that don’t remember what they are supposed to be working on. This is where strategy cards come in. Strategy cards are task card size and can have the main teaching point written on them.   For example, “Authors focus on writing small moment stories about one event.”  Or – “Authors edit their pieces and check to make sure they use capitals and end marks in the right places.”  In addition to words, you could also add pictures or even a photo example of the writing focus. You can give it to students who you know will need a reminder or if they ask.  This way they have a constant reminder on their desk of what the teaching point is. You could also differentiate these and have different teaching points for different kids depending on their goals.   Check back Thursday for a few tips for differentiating during individual writing conferences.   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

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.