LJones

What can I say?! I want to keep this book in my classroom. There are too many ideas to absorb so I need it in my room to refer to and to use. The readings continue with practical, focused mini lessons on craft. There are suggestions for focusing on character such as describing a character or the inner life of a character.It even has a lesson on person versus nature and using a parallel story. There is a lesson on crafting a lead and on 'the give-away' lead. There are several lessons on endings - experiment with endings, a circular ending, emotional endings, and surprise endings. This section ends with crafting a title. In fourth grade, I feel we focus on : implicit understandings in reading/writing, sensory and descriptive reading/writing, and in general alot more emotion in reading/writing. These can be difficult for this age group - to step out of self - and see a larger picture. While we use many strategies to guide students in this direction, the Craft Lessons will add and enrich what we currently do. I look forward to the writers workshop. Can I keep the book? : )

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Posted by: LJones    in: My entries

Modified on January 23, 2006 at 8:45 PM

This section has 'real' ideas to use in the classroom. I suppose they are like mini-lessons with each one focusing on a different 'craft' aspect in writing. Some great useable ideas and even lists resources. The introduction is interesting and gives a remarkable synopsis of a typical 3-4th grade writer. The lessons range from : Cut and Paste (students can avoid the total rewriting of a piece to make corrections by actually cutting the paper and adding corrections - I can see how this encourages the editing process - we all know how students want to avoid rewriting) Other ideas include - Using Stronger Verbs, Cracking Open General Word, Unpacking a Heavy Sentence, Sharpening the focus, Focusing on a Slice of Pie, Describing the Setting, Describing the Character, There are too many to explain - but I thought they were good ideas and plan on incorporating them. I do have some questions and am looking forward to writers workshop.

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Posted by: LJones    in: My entries

Modified on January 18, 2006 at 10:23 PM

Teaching Craft Lessons pg 1-13

pg 2& 3 - Many teachers spend alot of time on prewriting and editing but the middle element - craft - gets the least attention. Students are left with a 1000 decisions about text - voice, structure, supporting detail, setting, mood, and character.

Rereading is often overlooked by students. This book is about teaching craft in tangible ways.

The authors share beliefs about writing. These beliefs include:TIME - writers need to write at regular sustained imes                                                                          - RESPONSE - Peer and teacher dialogue - remember to: respond as a reader; be positive; try to understand writers intent; and lower your ambitions (teach 1 or 2 things in each piece then have student write more frequently)                                           - RESPONSIBILITY - teach ownership - students should make decisions about writing - not always told by the teacher              - LITERATURE - writing is built on a foundation of literature. Rereading is crucial - to the point that you can read it like a writer (how did the author write it?). Also, talk, talk, talk, about literature.

The next reading should include the tangible ways of teaching craft.