Writing As Learning: A Content-Based Approach

Use writing as a tool to help increase students′ comprehension of content!

"Offers an organized set of strategies for creating a ′continuous learning through writing′ program for teachers and their students."
―Kimberley Gomez, Assistant Professor of Curriculum and Instruction
University of Illinois-Chicago

"The strategies are clearly explained and include samples of student work. They can be easily implemented by pre-service teachers as well as seasoned teachers."
―Susan D′Angelo, Fifth-Grade Gifted Education Teacher
Pineview School for the Gifted, Osprey, FL

Are you looking for ways to improve students′ subject area learning and writing skills? Would you like to help students respond more effectively to writing prompts on standardized tests? Can you use creative ideas for developing content-based writing assignments?

Writing as Learning, Second Edition, presents teachers with easy-to-use strategies for engaging students in writing about subject area content. These strategies will help students build a rich vocabulary, gain a deeper understanding of concepts, make connections between ideas, and develop organized thinking processes.

This updated edition offers
• A thorough discussion of writing as a learning tool
• 12 practical strategies that can be used across subject areas and grade levels
• Step-by-step guidelines for implementing each strategy
• More than 200 examples showing how the strategies can be used

Designed to help teachers develop a systematic approach to using writing in any subject area, this practical text is an essential resource for helping students achieve higher levels of content learning and effectively prepare for assessments.

Andrew S. Rothstein has had a distinguished career as a teacher, administrator, and researcher. His diverse and enriching experiences in international schools, special education, public schools, and consulting have given him a broad perspective of the contexts in which children learn. As an author and presenter, he has achieved wide acclaim for his work in improving school performance by focusing on improving instruction and its supervision. His work in integrating many subject areas through writing has been highly effective in improving test scores in districts across the country. As principal, Rothstein led site-based improvements that resulted in strong increases in student academic performance. While superintendent of a regional school serving children with severe physical disabilities and health impairments, Rothstein reorganized staff development, created new curricula, and integrated technology into the instructional program for children for children from prekindergarten through high school. He has been an adjunct professor at Southern Connecticut State University and Touro College. Rothstein earned a master′s degree in special education from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a doctorate in educational administration from New York University.

Evelyn Rothstein has been an educational consultant specializing in teaching writing across the curriculum for the past twenty years. With a background in classroom teaching and a specialization in linguistics and language development, she has trained teachers and implemented her strategy-based Writing As Learning and Write for Mathematics programs in hundreds of schools and school districts throughout the United States. She is the author of numerous books and articles, including Writing as Learning and Write for Mathematics. Rothstein is a graduate of the City University of New York and Teachers College, Columbia University with degrees in education, speech, reading, and psycholinguistics.

Dr. Gerald Lauber, currently Chief Operating Officer of the National Urban Alliance previously served as superintendent in three New York State school districts, where he initiated programs to meet the needs of diverse student populations while stabilizing long-range fiscal plans. Under his administration, state-of-the-art computer assisted instructional programs, as well as innovative writing and mathematics programs were put into place. As President and CEO of Purewater Sciences and Melric Technologies he developed a corporate perspective on what schools must provide to prepare children for success in the workplace and the world in which they live. Dr. Lauber′s writings have appeared in Electronic School, THE Journal, American School Boards Journal , New York Slate Education, Viewpoints, Newsday and other publications. Dr. Lauber co-authored Writing as Learning and Write for Mathematics and makes numerous presentations for school districts across the country. Dr. Lauber has an MA and MED in School Administration from Teachers College and an Ed.D. in Systems Administration from New York University.