Craft Lessons: Teaching Writing K-8
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Pages 1-13
The authors of this book state, "teachers need to have a deep and profound knowledge of writing and that this knowledge should include a sense of how writers grow as they move through the grades and move toward proficiency." (p.2) In addition to being knowledgeable, teachers must be willing to allow much time and opportunity for students to write. No matter how good our craft lessons are, students must have time to write on a regular basis.
Responding to student writing is also important. The authors provide four practical tips. Respond first as a reader, letting the content guide you, be positive, try to understand the writer's intention, and lower you ambitions. This last one really hit home with me. I know that I have been guilty of trying to cover too many areas while helping a student with their writing. Point out one thing and move on.
Finally, we need to immerse our students in good literature. We need to allow them to hear it, read it, and have the freedom to talk about it and even act it out. Books can be used to teach craft lessons, such as, character descriptions, sensory details, point of view, etc... By reading and rereading literature, we can teach children how to reread their own writing.
Pages 44-64
Throughout these pages the authors give practical tips for improving the writing craft. Specific writing skills are discussed with examples of literature to support the skill. Such skills as using voice, using stronger verbs, creating a dramatic scene, etc... are discussed and ideas shared to help teachers help students as they apply the skill.
Page 58, "Focusing on a slice of the Pie", is a problem that many students have. They try to write on a topic that is just way to large and unmanageable. So instead of eating the whole pizza, you help students narrow down the topic to something that can be done in depth with rich details. For example, instead of writing about "My Family", try writing about, "My Grandfather". To narrow this topic down even farther, write about a special memory of grandfather. Thus the student is left with a small slice of the pizza instead of the whole pizza.
Pages 65 - 77
I really have enjoyed this book. This last section offered more easy to use, easy to reference writing lessons that can be quickly adapted to many writing situations. This is a book that should be accessable to all grade levels.
The authors of this book state, "teachers need to have a deep and profound knowledge of writing and that this knowledge should include a sense of how writers grow as they move through the grades and move toward proficiency." (p.2) In addition to being knowledgeable, teachers must be willing to allow much time and opportunity for students to write. No matter how good our craft lessons are, students must have time to write on a regular basis.
Responding to student writing is also important. The authors provide four practical tips. Respond first as a reader, letting the content guide you, be positive, try to understand the writer's intention, and lower you ambitions. This last one really hit home with me. I know that I have been guilty of trying to cover too many areas while helping a student with their writing. Point out one thing and move on.
Finally, we need to immerse our students in good literature. We need to allow them to hear it, read it, and have the freedom to talk about it and even act it out. Books can be used to teach craft lessons, such as, character descriptions, sensory details, point of view, etc... By reading and rereading literature, we can teach children how to reread their own writing.
Pages 44-64
Throughout these pages the authors give practical tips for improving the writing craft. Specific writing skills are discussed with examples of literature to support the skill. Such skills as using voice, using stronger verbs, creating a dramatic scene, etc... are discussed and ideas shared to help teachers help students as they apply the skill.
Page 58, "Focusing on a slice of the Pie", is a problem that many students have. They try to write on a topic that is just way to large and unmanageable. So instead of eating the whole pizza, you help students narrow down the topic to something that can be done in depth with rich details. For example, instead of writing about "My Family", try writing about, "My Grandfather". To narrow this topic down even farther, write about a special memory of grandfather. Thus the student is left with a small slice of the pizza instead of the whole pizza.
Pages 65 - 77
I really have enjoyed this book. This last section offered more easy to use, easy to reference writing lessons that can be quickly adapted to many writing situations. This is a book that should be accessable to all grade levels.
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