$ 67.00 NZD incl GST
The Writing Book is a 245-page 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. Downloadable support material is also supplied.
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New Zealand and Australian schools, 10% discount on orders of 10 books or more (any combination of books). Postage and packaging free.
As a literacy coach working in many schools, I use The Writing Book and The Oral Language Book as my ‘go to’ resources for improving teacher engagement with literacy pedagogy. These engaging and informative books are just brimming with practical classroom applications that teachers love.
Alexandra Newbold, Literacy Coach, Adelaide, Australia
This book is exactly what it says it is in the title, and it certainly lives up to its promise. It is a writing book that is full of practical advice, strategies, and ideas. The strength of this book lies in its underpinning premise of writing as a complex process, not to be undertaken without a sound understanding of just what is involved. The colour coding of the various sections is particularly helpful. Basing their work on their own profound realisation of the pedagogy involved, the authors present material that is carefully considered, well informed, and eminently useable. This is one book that any teacher of writing really ought to have.
Dr Margaret Zeegers, Associate Professor, School of Education and Arts, Federation University, Victoria, Australia
The Writing Book is a 245 page 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.
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 as downloadable material)
Eleven writing planning sheets for different writing purposes
Four Quick Write graphic organisers
Five publishing templates
Support material for students
Content of Downloadable material:
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
