How to Host an Amazing Writing Celebration

Do you like to celebrate your accomplishments? I know that I like to share what I’ve learned and my excitement with the people important to me! Our students feel they same way once they have completed a writing unit and published an amazing piece! They deserve a writing celebration to show off their hard work and writing knowledge!

A writing celebration is a time to:

• include parents and family in the classroom learning
• review with the students all of the skills they have learned and mastered during writing workshop
• promote pride and confidence in the students for their accomplishment
• involve other classrooms in the building with yours

At the end of each of our writing units, students pick a piece of their writing to work on through the writing process. Once students’ pieces are published and ready for an audience, we begin to plan the writing celebration.

Planning A Writing Celebration

• I always do our writing celebrations over several days. The first day students share with each other to practice and prepare. The second day is with another class in our grade or the grade above/ below. The third day is with the students’ parents and families.
• Students are set up at their desk as if they were at a book signing in a store. Depending on our unit, they might create a display to attract people to their table. For example, for our non-fiction unit students created book posters to advertise their writing piece. They are prepared to share their book with anyone who visits their table and answer any questions.
• The guests attending the writing celebration are invited to mingle around the room and enjoy the books. The students stay at their seats to minimize traffic around the room.
• There is a feedback paper available at each authors’ table for the guests to leave their thoughts after reading the book.
• On the board is the writing goals for the unit and mentor texts that we learned from while writing. This helps the guests know of the progress and achievements that the students’ accomplished. The picture below shows an example from our narrative unit.

Extra Special Writing Celebration

For one unit per year, I do an extra special writing celebration activity! Students get to decorate sugar cookies to acknowledge each of the writing skills they incorporated into their writing piece.

The picture above shows what is projected on the screen during our celebration. Each color represents an important writing skill for our small moments unit the students needed to incorporate into their writing piece. The color also corresponds to the sprinkles the students get to put on their cookie.

I always get permission from the admin to do an unhealthy snack celebration, so check your school’s policies! Store bought sugar cookies with an added layer of white icing on top are my go-to. I have bowls of sprinkles to match the colors on the board. Each student reflects on their writing piece, decorates their cookie accordingly, and then enjoys their hard work!

I did this special writing celebration for the first time with parents in the room. I suggest doing it on the practice day when it is just your class! There were just too many people and the students got SO excited about having their families visit AND cookies that it was a bit chaotic.

I hope that these ideas help you to plan a fun writing celebration for your students! I would love to hear your ideas!

Learn more about my writing workshop:

• Writing Workshop Overview
• Managing Writing
• Partner Conferences in Writing