5 Ways to Start the School Year Strong in Reading & Writing Workshop
Whether you're a seasoned workshop teacher or just beginning your journey, launching your reading and writing workshops in a purposeful way can set the tone for the entire year. At The Reading & Writing Project at Mossflower, we've curated a Back-to-School series of virtual workshops designed to support you—no matter what grade you teach.
Here are five research-based and classroom-tested ways to build a joyful, rigorous, and community-centered workshop from day one:
1. Start with Identity and Joy
In the first days of school, students are learning who they are as readers and writers. Launch your year with units that emphasize choice, identity, and engagement. Whether it’s We Are Readers in Kindergarten or Interpretation Book Clubs in Grade 5, our sessions show how to create space for joyful exploration.
🗓 Browse our K–5 Launch Workshops
2. Prioritize Partnerships and Talk
Reading and writing grow in community. We’ll share rituals that build strong partnerships early—turn-and-talk routines, partner conferring, and ways to normalize peer feedback. Our August 7th Grade 1 workshop, for example, explores how to launch Building Good Reading Habits with social learning in mind.
3. Teach Small but Mighty Routines
The beginning of the year is all about establishing routines that will carry you through the months ahead. We’ll help you teach rituals for book shopping, notebook setup, small group transitions, and stamina tracking. These tips are featured across our K–8 sessions, including our August 21 workshop on K–2 Writing Small Groups.
🗓 Register for K–2 Small Groups
4. Jumpstart Craft and Independence
You don’t have to wait until October to begin crafting powerful writing. In Spinning True Stories into Gold (Grade 4) and Turning Life into Literature (Grade 5), we explore ways to help writers tell stories that matter right from the first week.
5. Focus on Building a Classroom Community
Reading and writing flourish when kids feel known, safe, and connected. That’s why we’re ending our August series with Building Classroom Community to Foster SEL in Reading & Writing Workshop. You’ll leave with ready-to-use practices that build trust and equity from day one.
🗓 Join the SEL Session on August 27
💬 What Educators Are Saying
“These workshops give me the clarity and confidence I need going into a new school year. Practical and inspiring.” — First Grade Teacher, Brooklyn, NY
“I always walk away with tools I can use tomorrow.” — Instructional Coach, Austin, TX
📅 Full Schedule of Back-to-School Workshops
Aug 5 – Grade K: We Are Readers (AM), Launching the Writing Workshop (PM)
Aug 7 – Grade 1: Building Good Reading Habits (AM), Small Moments (PM)
Aug 11 – Grade 2: Becoming a Big Kid Reader (AM), Making Small Moments Big (PM)
Aug 12 – Grade 3: Building a Reading Life (AM), The Art of Information Writing (PM)
Aug 13 – Grade 4: Interpreting Characters (AM), Spinning True Stories into Gold (PM)
Aug 14 – Grade 5: Interpretation Book Clubs (AM), Turning Life into Literature (PM)
Aug 18 – Grades 6–8: Launching the MS Writing Workshop (AM), Launching the MS Reading Workshop (PM)
Aug 21 – K–2 Writing Small Groups Right from the Start
Aug 25 – Digital Writer’s Notebooks & AI Feedback and Making Grammar and Spelling Stick
Aug 27 – Building Classroom Community to Foster SEL in Workshop
👉 Register now to save your seat » https://mossflower.com/events/
Can’t Join Live? No problem! All registrants will receive access to the recording and resources so you can watch, revisit, and plan on your own schedule.