Description

The Writing Book is a teacher friendly guide to teaching writing at emergent, early and fluent levels. It includes practical information that will support primary and middle school teachers to plan and deliver an effective writing programme.

Packed with useable writing activities, exercises, games and strategies for teachers. Support material is also supplied on a CD-ROM.

Author description

Sheena Cameron is an experienced teacher who has taught in New Zealand, the UK and the United States. She has taught at primary, intermediate and tertiary levels. Sheena currently facilitates literacy workshops both in New Zealand and internationally and is the author of The Reading Activity Handbook, (2004), The Display and Publishing Handbook (2006) and Teaching Reading Comprehension Strategies (2009). Louise Dempsey is an experienced teacher, consultant and trainer who has worked in New Zealand and the UK. She facilitates literacy training and professional learning at schools and teachers’ centres around New Zealand and also leads a professional learning project across three schools on the Mt Roskill Campus in Auckland. She has completed a range of writing projects for NZ and English publishers, including the Department of Education in the UK.

Table of contents

Chapter 1: Introduction — guiding principles and practices Chapter 1 includes an overview of the writing process, the teaching approaches in a balanced writing programme, and the traits of effective teachers of writing. This chapter also introduces the idea that effective writers draw on two toolkits: a Knowledge Toolkit (what good writers know) and Skills Toolkit (what good writers do). Chapter 2: The writing classroom This chapter offers information on establishing an effective classroom environment for writing. This includes developing a positive learning culture as well as a supportive and purposeful physical environment. The chapter introduces the support material available to both teachers and students, and provides suggestions on a variety of ways to set up students’ writing books. Chapter 3: Planning a writing programme Chapter 3 focuses on planning. This chapter provides guidance on planning a writing programme and includes a step-by-step guide to translating curriculum guidelines into actual writing lessons. A suggested lesson structure is also included. Chapter 4: Teaching the Skills Toolkit Chapter 4 unpacks the skills in the Skills Toolkit. Once you are familiar with the content, use the mini-lessons to explicitly teach students these skills. This is a useful chapter to dip in and out of, depending on your writing focus and the needs of the students. Chapter 5: Teaching writing This chapter includes examples of lesson plans and ideas for writing topics. There are thirty ‘Quick Writes’ lessons (short writing activities), which could be used as starter activities or as one-off lessons. The rest of the chapter is divided into the most common text types. Each text type section includes: a detailed lesson plan; an annotated exemplar; a blank student planning sheet; a completed planning sheet; and a list of suggested ‘Quick Writes’ and writing topics appropriate to the text type. A longer generic list of writing topics is provided at the end of the chapter. Like Chapter 4, this chapter is also useful to dip in and out of, depending on your writing focus and the needs of the students. Chapter 6: Reviewing editing and celebrating writing Chapter 6 offers guidance on how to teach reviewing and editing skills. There is also detailed information on effective ways to respond to students’ writing, and ideas for celebrating and publishing student writing. Photocopy masters include: (All photocopy masters are available on the CD-Rom) Eleven writing planning sheets for different writing purposes Four Quick Write graphic organisers Five publishing templates Support material for students Content of CD-Rom: Instructions for making a PDF writable Folder 1: Support material for students Folder 2: Support material for teachers Folder 3: 8 PowerPoints Folder 4: Exemplar texts for the common text types (from Chapter 5) Folder 5: Exemplar plans for the common text types (from Chapter 5) Folder 6: Writing planning sheet (from Chapter 4: PM 1-11) Folder 7: Photocopy masters 12- 30 Folder 8: Photo bank