Directing the Writing Workshop : An Elementary Teacher's Handbook

"A 'must-have,' comprehensive guide, this book shows teachers how to nurture and develop student writers. Snapshots of classrooms in action are interwoven with samples of student work and practical suggestions on setting up and managing a writing workshop. The book provides helpful mini-lessons and guidelines for each stage of the writing process, and the booklists in the appendices are a teacher's gold mine. Finally, the 'Teacher's Tips' throughout the book reflect the wide range of teaching, coaching, and research experiences of these two educators, who truly understand the needs of children and teachers."--Laura Robb, author of Teaching Reading in Middle School and Redefining Staff Development; Curriculum Coordinator, Powhatan School

"One of the best books yet on teaching writing in the elementary grades. Everything is here: a vivid presentation of the writing process and hundreds of ideas, big and small, for teaching it. Page after page of children's works take us inside the processes of writing and spelling. A wealth of checklists and book lists; 'visits to classrooms' and 'Teacher's Tips'; literature connections; and advice on using computers, helping reluctant writers, and conducting young authors' conferences will win over undergraduate and graduate students with classroom-based practicality and seasoned scholarship. Highly recommended for undergraduate and graduate courses on writing and language arts instruction."--Charles Temple, PhD, Department of Education, Hobart and William Smith Colleges

"Gillet and Beverly offer an insider's perspective on orchestrating a classroom writing workshop. Their book is filled with a wealth of practical suggestions, careful descriptions, and straight talk about how to guide young writers to independence and success. It is a resource that novice as well as experienced elementary teachers will turn to again and again."--Kathy Ganske, PhD, Department of Reading, Rowan University, Glassboro, NJ