LJones

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.