Setting-up the Writing Resource Center:
A guided demonstration
To show you how to set-up the
center we’re going to return to
some folks we’ve seen in prior
lessons - Mr. New, our novice
teacher, and Ms. Knowall, his
advisor and master teacher.
Once again, Ms. Knowall has
some wise advice for Mr New
as he sets up his center.
Mr. New: Could you help me set-up a
Writing Resource Center? I don't
even know what it should look like!
Ms. Knowall: Oh, I've been running a
Writing Workshop for years in my
classroom. Let's look at mine.
Now keep in mind that yours may end up looking different than mine. On the left
are the writing materials and supplies, and the writing references are in the
bookcase to the right. I keep student-writing examples in this file cabinet sorted by
genre and on top of it is a “teacher-edit box” where students put their final drafts for
me to edit. On the floor is the “final copy file case” with copies of students’ final
writings.
Students are constantly moving in and out of the
Writing Resource Center as they are
• getting writing materials supplies needed for writing like
pens, paper, scissors, etc.,
• using dictionaries, thesaurus, and other writing references,
• locating student-writing examples on the different genres,
like book reports or short stories,
• placing final drafts of their writing in the "teacher-edit box”
for later editing by teacher, and
• filing final copies in "final-copy file case" where their final
"publishable" papers are kept.
Setting up the Writing Resource Center begins with
determining its location within the workshop
configuration. Its location will depend on your
classroom, but in general the center should
• be centrally located since students at all writing phases
will be using the center;
• be easily accessible so that furnishings and materials
can be arranged for maximum access;
• have sufficient space for at least two bookcases and a
file cabinet; and
• be located away from "No Man's Land" which is a
place for students to work in quiet.
Mr. New: Wow, this looks great! It must have taken you a long time to assemble all
of this!?
Ms. Knowall: Well, over the years I've learned to keep track of what I've done in
the form of checklists and a procedure list.
Mr. New: Do you think you could lend me the checklists and job aid?
Ms. Knowall: Of Course! In fact, I have an extra copy.
First, let's look at the Procedure List Setting-up a Writing Resource Center. On
this list, setting up the center is divided into
five major steps, each comprised of smaller
sub-steps. The major steps include
• Step 1: Set-up Furnishings and
Equipment
• Step 2: Set-up Writing Materials
and Supplies
• Step 3: Set-up Writing Reference
Books
• Step 4: Set-up File Cabinet with
Writing Examples
• Step 5: Set-up Final-Copy File Case
Now, let's look at the Checklist
for Writing Materials and
Supplies. The checklist identifies
essential and optional materials
and supplies. To have all of the
materials on the list is optimal,
but not always practical. At the
beginning of the year when I'm
organizing the center, I always
make sure that the center has the
essential items and that it is wellstocked with at least these
materials.
Finally, let’s look at the
Checklist for Writing
References. The checklist names
general types of references and
suggests a minimum number of
copies needed for each type.
The titles of the references listed
below each type are just my
recommendations. You
probably have some great ideas
yourself and ones that may be
better for the grade level you're
teaching.
You will be watching Mr. New as he uses the procedure lists to set-up his
resource center. Print these out right now so you can follow along - just doubleclick on this highlighted link here.
Take some time to review these lists. During the next frames, you will be asked
questions to make sure that you understand how to use them. You are expected
to use the lists as you answer the questions.
Now let's watch Mr. New as he
begins to follow the procedure
outlined on the Procedure List Setting-up the Writing Resource
Center. To do Step 1, locate
furnishings and equipment, he
finds several items in the
school's storage closet that seem
perfect, but he's forgotten his
checklist.
Using the Procedure List - Setting-up the Writing Resource
Center, which of the following items should he take to his
classroom? (you can select more than one)
 table
 lamp
 file cabinet
 student desk
file crate with hanging files bookcase
cardboard box
 teacher desk
 bookcase
How do your answers compare with those Ms.
Knowall would have chosen?
 table
 lamp
 file cabinet
 student desk
 file crate with hanging files bookcase
 cardboard box
 teacher desk
 bookcase
If your answers differ, then review the procedure list
carefully, but remember that these are optimal answers.
Certainly in setting up the center there will be some degree of
judgment involved in your selections.
Mr. New is ready to do Step 2, setting-up the writing
materials and supplies. This time he tries to set-up the
materials and supplies without the checklists. He's located
the necessary paper, writing utensils, and supplies, found
some containers, put writing utensils and supplies into
containers, and placed these materials into the bookcase.
Using the procedure list, which of the following steps did
he skip? (you can select more than one)
Locate Checklist for Writing Materials and Supplies
 Locate essential paper, utensils, and other supplies
 Locate containers
 Label containers and bookcase
 Place utensils and supplies into containers
 None of the above, he did it correctly
How do your answers compare with those Ms. Knowall
would have chosen?






Locate Checklist for Writing Materials and Supplies
Locate essential paper, utensils, and other supplies
Locate containers
Label containers and bookcase
Place utensils and supplies into containers
None of the above, he did it correctly
If your answers differ, then review the procedure list
carefully, but remember that these are optimal answers.
Certainly in setting up the center there will be some degree of
judgment involved in your selections.
Now, Mr. New is ready to do Step 3, setting-up the
writing reference books. He locates the Checklist
for Writing References, and as he reads it, he
becomes concerned that he doesn’t have all the
titles listed. In fact, most of the books are too
advanced for his second graders.
Of the following statements, what should he do? (you
can select more than one)
 The titles are simply suggestions
 Locate reference books of the same type
 References should be age-appropriate
 Find the correct numbers of these books
 None of the above
How do your answers compare with those Ms.
Knowall would have chosen?





The titles are simply suggestions
Locate reference books of the same type
References should be age-appropriate
Find the correct numbers of these books
None of the above
If your answers differ, then review the procedure list
carefully, but remember that these are optimal answers.
Certainly in setting up the center there will be some degree of
judgment involved in your selections.
Ms. Knowall: It looks like you
skipped a step in doing step 4, settingup the file cabinet with student-writing
examples.
Mr. New: But I got the writing
examples, put them into the file
cabinet, and labeled the cabinet. What
did I miss?
Ms. Knowall: Well it’s very important
to organize the examples into folders
by genre. Otherwise, students simply
won’t be able to find the ones they
need.
Mr. New: Finally I can move on to the last part,
step 5 and set-up the final-copy file box! Ok,
according to the procedure list I need to locate the
final copy folders for each student, create
alphabetized file dividers, alphabetize the folders
and place them in to the file crate.
Using the procedure list, which of the following steps did he
skip in setting up the final-copy file case? (you can select
more than one)
 Locate student final-copy folders
 Create alphabetized file dividers
 Alphabetize folders and put into crate
 Label file crate
 None of the above
How do your answers compare with those Ms. Knowall
would have chosen?
 Locate student final-copy folders
 Create alphabetized file dividers
 Alphabetize folders and put into crate
 Label file crate
 None of the above
If your answers differ, then review the procedure list
carefully, but remember that these are optimal answers.
Certainly in setting up the center there will be some degree of
judgment involved in your selections.
Mr. New: Finally I’m done!!
Now you’re ready to set-up the writing resource center in
your classroom. Be sure to use the procedure list and
checklists as a guide and to ensure that you’ve done
everything properly.
Good Luck!