A Guide to Creating Student-Staffed Writing Centers, Grades 6–12, Revised Edition is a how-to and, ultimately, a why-to book for middle school and high school educators as well as for English/language arts teacher candidates and their methods instructors. This revised and updated International Writing Centers Association 2006 Book of the Year shows writing centers as places where writers work with each other in an effort to develop ideas, discover a thesis, overcome procrastination, create an outline, or revise a draft. Ultimately, writing centers help students become more effective writers. Visit any college or university in the United States and chances are there is a writing center available to students, staff, and community members. Writing centers support students and busy teachers while emphasizing and supporting writing across the curriculum.
Richard Kent, Ph.D., is Professor of Literacy and Director Emeritus of the Maine Writing Project, a site of the National Writing Project, at the University of Maine. A former secondary school writing center director, English teacher, and coach, Kent is the author of many books, including Writing on the Bus, Room 109: The Promise of a Portfolio Classroom, and Teaching the Neglected 'R' with Thomas Newkirk. Maine's 1993 Teacher of the Year and 1994 National Educator Award recipient, Dr. Kent also studies how athletes' writing affects their performances. His research website for coaches and athletes may be found at WritingAthletes.com and his research website for secondary-school writing centers is WCenters.com.