One of our goals as teachers is to help our students discover their love of writing. An effective tool to help us achieve this is a writing center. When creating a writing center, you want to designate a space that will allow you to make the tools needed for the craft accessible. While structured writing lessons and assignments are very important, students really grow when they are allowed to write about topics that interest them in ways that interest them. Read below to learn how to set up a writing center in your classroom!
What is a writing center?
A writing center is a designated space in the classroom that makes all of the tools for writing accessible to students. It is stocked with everything students need for writing, so they can independently access the tools they need when working on their writing pieces.
What is the purpose of of a writing center?
The purpose of a writing center is to make writing tools accessible to students (so they can be more independent learners), facilitate opportunities for them to craft writings of their choice or the teacher’s choice, invite them to see themselves as writers, and build a love of writing in students.
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What furnishings and supplies do I need to set up my writing center?
Containers (bins, baskets, drawers, shelves, etc.), labels, and supplies (plain white paper, paper with wide lines, paper with thin lines, letter writing paper, writing prompts, writing journals, tape, staplers, scissors, pencils, pens, highlighters, crayons, colored pencils, glue, erasers, sticky notes, index cards, pencil sharpeners, etc.).
3 Ideas for Setting Up Your Writing Center
Below are 3 ideas to consider when setting up your classroom writing center.
1. Consider Accessibility
Create a writing center that is accessible to all students. For example, think about the height of the materials and the location of the center in the classroom.
2. Set Up and Maintain Organization Systems
Your writing center should be a model of organization and easy to maintain. Make sure your items are well labeled and that you develop procedures and routines to maintain the area. This will help keep it neat and organized which will greatly improve it’s value in the classroom.
3. Take Usability into Consideration
You need an abundance of materials that students need for all aspects of the writing process. If supplies are missing or have run dry, students will not value it for the awesome tool it is and will ask you where to find writing tools.
In closing, we hope you found this post about how to set up a writing center helpful. If you did, then you may also be interested in these posts:
- How to Teach the 6 Steps of the Writing Process at the Elementary Level
- How to Set Up Your Small Group Instruction Area
- Back to School Read Alouds for Elementary Teachers
