Resource Topics

Teaching Writing - Writing Centers

Additional Resources

Getting It Off the Ground: The Wildcat Writing Center's Inaugural Year

The Journal of the Virginia Writing Project, January 2013
Alison Hughes
Alison Hughes, a teacher-consultant of the Northern Virginia Writing Project, shares her experience from starting a writing center at Centreville High School, school year 2010–2011, and offers resources and lessons learned from her experience. More ›

The Age of Student-Run Writing Centers

The Journal of the Virginia Writing Project, January 2013
Dave Goldfarb
Dave Goldfarb, a teacher-leader of the Northern Virginia Writing Project and a principal in Fairfax County Public Schools, outlines the strategic thinking involved in the development of a student-run writing center at school. More ›

The Concept Of A Writing Center

June 2011
Writing centers exist in a variety of shapes, sizes, and settings, but they share many of the same approaches. Typically they are part of a writing program or learning center and serve the entire school, both at the secondary and college levels. More ›

Opening the Door to Discourse: Cooperation, Authority, and the Inner-City High School Writing Center

June 2011
Alaina Feltenberger discusses making high school writing centers a reality within inner-city high schools. More ›

The Successful High School Writing Center

2011
This book highlights the work of talented writing center teachers who share practices and lessons learned from today's most important high school writing centers. The authors offer innovative methods for secondary educators who deal with adolescent literacy, English language learners, new literacies, embedded professional development, and differentiated instruction. More ›

Book Review: Noise from the Writing Center

November 2010
Cindy Dean
Cindy Dean, University of Maine Writing Project teacher-consultant and director of a high school writing center, reflects on Elizabeth Boquet's theory of "writing center noise" and its applicability to high school writing centers. More ›

NWP Radio—Teachers and Writers Together at Student-Staffed Writing Centers, Part 2

November 2010
In this second of two episodes on student-staffed writing centers, we hear from Writing Project sites that have worked with schools to develop writing centers. How can writing centers be at the center of a professional development model for teachers and students alike? More ›

NWP Radio — Teachers and Writers Together at Student-Staffed Writing Centers

October 2010
The first of two programs about student-staffed writing centers from schools around the country. Guests—including students—share how their work with writing centers has transformed their own work as writers and the culture of their schools. More ›

826 Reinvents the Writing Center

July 2010
Gavin Tachibana
826 centers across the country have created a different notion of what a writing center is, and partnerships between local Writing Project sites and chapters of 826 National are helping students become better writers, and for some, published authors. More ›

Writing Centers: More Than Remediation

May 2010
Art Peterson
Jennifer Wells, a teacher-consultant with the Central California Writing Project, writes about the establishment of a writing center at her high school and advises educators on how to create writing centers that are hubs of writing for writers of all levels. More ›

Book Review: A Guide to Creating Student-Staffed Writing Centers: Grades 6–12

December 2007
Stephen Gordon
This book by Richard Kent provides a thorough how-to guide for teachers interested in starting student-staffed writing centers in their schools. More ›