Argues that children's literature is a great tool for teaching writing in the elementary grades. Offers a list of fine children's literature the authors use to teach specific writing and "writerly" skills. (SR)

Discusses reading and writing workshops at Green Intermediate School. Notes that Nancy Atwell's voice has become a significant thread woven into a tapestry of literacy research and instruction among others whose work has contributed to the evolution of the way educators teach children to negotiate language. (SG)

The different ways of creating space for teaching writing and for test preparation as well the tension a teacher undergoes of implementing a writing workshop approach within a school context focused on high-test scores are described. The findings suggest maintaining teacher autonomy and surviving the high demands imposed upon teachers.

This instructional note describes the process of rotating teacher participation in peer workshop groups and how this practice can enhance the workshop group dynamics, ease instructors' grading loads, and improve the level of peer feedback and draft revision in composition courses. (Contains 1 end note.)

Teachers are coming to understand the value of using a student's interests, habits, and questions as a starting point for instruction. In this article, Skinner introduces "Teenage Addiction," a voluntary seventh-grade after-school writing/popular culture club that helped students view popular culture through a critical lens and then write about…

With selections from both teachers and students from writers conferences, festivals, and workshops, this anthology brings together a group of "seasoned and fresh writers" for readers/students to savor. The anthology points out that each summer writers conferences are held at Mount Holyoke, Bread Loaf, Sewanee, Iowa City, Port Townsend,…

Writing centers and their faculty are often considered to be "Others" because they have both power and no power--they have the ability to make a difference in students' writing abilities, but they are often excluded because they are seen as a "fixit," a clinic, a lab, an ancillary. Writing center faculty need to take more power so that they can…

This book has an easy-to-follow-format. It supports teachers through six workshops by sharing specific strategies, procedures, and materials that worked best for students and teachers in classroom writing workshops. The book discusses the routines that helped organize and support a workshop; and presents strategies for anecdotal record-keeping,…

This publication is devoted to concerns surrounding the teaching and learning of writing, and offers resources and ideas for professionals, including articles, interviews with prominent members of the field, book reviews, and brief updates on research by the National Center for the Study of Writing and National Writing Project activities. Articles…

This paper describes, reflects on, and analyzes the process of engaging student writers in a creative-critical writing workshop in which they not only work toward presenting a portfolio of original work, but are engaged in performance, dramatic intervention, and creative challenges to texts. The paper explains how students are invited to meet…

The goal of this issue of By Request is to offer educators, parents, and policymakers a brief introduction to writing across the curriculum (WAC) and the two approaches most commonly associated with it: (1) writing in the disciplines (WID); and (2) writing to learn (WTL). The following are provided: (1) a brief overview of the theories; (2)…

Claims that asking students to evaluate their own reading and writing encourages more authentic assessment. Discusses guiding reflection in writing and reading workshops, and teacher responsibility for grading. Presents student comments that show students are able to self-evaluate and improve their efforts to justify higher ratings. (RS)

Discusses how children move from personal to social narratives in writing workshops to create stories as tools for social action, addressing inequities in their school lives. Considers how social narratives can be used as tools for constructing and analyzing shared social worlds. (SG)

Notes that learning new things is one of the most important reasons advisers send their editors and staff to summer workshops, and it is also the biggest reason for advisers themselves to go. Explains that in the atmosphere of a summer workshop, everyone shares a dedication to journalism. Concludes that most students and advisers come away from…

Suggests that there are three powerful ingredients that compose writing workshop block: time, ownership, and response. Notes that the child-centered nature of writing workshop is part of what makes it appeal to students. Considers how the fact that each child is accepted at his or her level allows for many differences in ability. (SG)