Good writers don't wing it--they have a plethora of skills. They list, picture, circle, strategize and revise to make language come alive. They know what to use and when. Like ace athletes, they are highly trained, well-versed in the techniques found in this lively book. "Writing Workouts" provides a method for instruction that gives…

This article serves as an invitation to see the way the teaching of biography-driven writing has been increasingly pushed out of the secondary English Language Arts (ELA) curriculum in favor of highly structured, formulaic, and impersonal writing, and how this is a setback for students in their preparation for college and career writing. The…

In this practical guide, literacy experts show teachers how to use project-based inquiry to build students' discipline-specific skills and knowledge in grades 6-12. The authors present a five-phase framework that incorporates their professional development experience working with over 3,000 teachers. By making the intuitive practices of the…

This book introduces a set of pedagogical practices designed to assist adolescent English learners in developing their English skills in a way that honors and leverages their native languages and cultures. Responding to the linguistic and educational diversity of adolescents, the R.E.A.L. (Relevant, Engaging, and Affirming Literacy) method offers…

This book highlights the work of talented writing center teachers who share practices and lessons learned from today's most important high school writing centers. The authors offer innovative methods for secondary educators who deal with adolescent literacy, English language learners, new literacies, embedded professional development, and…

Outlines one school's approach to using microcomputers to help teach writing skills in high school. (MD)

This essay is intended to assist teachers in helping students develop the art of resume writing. The curriculum outlined is based on prewriting, writing, and rewriting and on using sample entry-level resumes to illustrate basic resume do's and don'ts. The first section outlines the importance of good resumes and the pitfalls of having vocational…

A teacher of secondary learning disabled students describes an effective way of teaching grammar, mechanics, and usage by focusing on revising and editing of the students' own work. (CL)

Describes a writing assignment that uses the song "America the Beautiful" to point the following six reasons why America is beautiful: skies, mountains, grain, Pilgrims, heroes, and dreams. (NKA)

John S. O'Connor offers exciting new approaches to teaching poetry in middle school and high school classrooms with more than 25 high-interest activities designed to sharpen students' writing and self-understanding and heighten their awareness of the world around them. In the process, he demystifies poetry for teachers and students by using…

Twenty-one learning-disabled eighth and eleventh graders wrote essays and answered a questionnaire concerning metacognition. Subjects were comparable to normally achieving sixth graders in their essays' interestingness, clarity in communication of goals, word choice, paragraph structure, and metacognition about the writing process. (Author/JDD)

Concludes that two uses of the computer are potentially helpful in social studies instruction: (1) as a data storage and manipulation tool and (2) as a writing tool for composition. Entertains diverse opinions on the necessity of computer literacy. (JK)

In this inquiry study, teachers will learn about the writing process and ways to improve virtually all facets of students' writing. Teachers will carefully examine their own beliefs about writing and the value of their own written literacy that can be modeled for students. Teachers will build professional communities in which they will interact…

The literature seminar format meets the needs of gifted students for intellectual challenges, complex curricular experiences, creative research and writing activities, and stimulating interactions. Three seminars conducted in the English curriculum at a special school for gifted students are described: "Dickens and the Industrial…

A six-phase theoretical model for the teaching of summarization is presented, and the concept of direct instruction is applied to teaching students to summarize lengthy selections. A sample fourth grade lesson is included, though the plan itself is also recommended for use with older students needing assistance. (JDD)