Developing a Writer’s Identity in Upper Elementary Students through a Writing Workshop Model

Abstract

The purpose of this capstone essay is to synthesize the literature on teaching writing through a process-oriented approach—specifically a writing workshop model—and to draw connections between this type of writing instruction and how it can help build the writer’s identity that teachers hope their students develop as a product of their education. First, I will examine how the elements of a writing workshop model, when implemented in a classroom setting, can foster development of a writer’s identity in students. I will also explore the developmental characteristics common of a young person in the upper elementary grades and how these influence an individual’s self-perception. I will discuss several aspects of an ideal learning context through which educators can provide students with meaningful and authentic writing opportunities to foster development of a writers’ identity. Through an overview and brief analysis of one writing workshop curriculum used by some educators, I will discuss how these models align with state standards despite lacking explicit connections. Finally, I will discuss practical implications for the classroom as well as potential “next steps” to be made before a writing workshop approach can be most effective.