Some Recommended Reading For Teaching Writing

A List of Professional Texts -Recommended Reading for Teaching Writing

                                  TITLE                                                     OVERVIEW

‘Breathing In, Breathing Out, Keeping A Writer’s Notebook.’ Ralph Fletcher, Heinemann	A slim, but precious book that reminds us of the need to capture the spark of being a writer and using the notebook as a safe place to experiment. I keep returning to this time and again…
‘What You Know By Heart - How To Develop Curriculum For Your Writing Workshop.’ Katie Ray Wood. Heinemann.	Katie Wood Ray reminds us how important it is to envision curriculum ideas through the writing we read. It was here that I learnt the importance of reading like a writer. Before Revision comes vision!
‘Wondrous Words’  Katie Wood Ray, NCTE	A practical book that draws on stories from classrooms about the way students learn to write from their reading. Links theory and practice to supply valuable knowledge for teaching writing
‘About the Author, Writing workshop with our youngest writers’ Katie Wood Ray with Lisa B Cleaveland, Heinemann	This book focuses on the work of our youngest writers encouraging them to write and design books. How to set up and maintain a writing community is also covered in depth. Excellent resource!
‘Juicy Writing, -Inspiration and Techniques for Young Writers,’ Brigid Lowry, Allen & Unwin,	New Zealand, Australia based author Brigid Lowry has written a book chock full of practical advice for the young writers we teach. Pre-teen and adolescent writers will get a lot from this book.
Poetry Everywhere’  Jack Collom, Sheryl Noethe. Teachers and Writers Collaborative.	This book presents a wide array of poetry forms with the work of student writers from K- 12 featured throughout.
‘Writing Workshop –The Essential Guide.’ Ralph Fletcher, Joann Portalupi.  Heinemann.	A great overview for the inexperienced writing teacher. Provides an entre level framework that includes practical advice and examples.
What A Writer Needs’ Ralph Fletcher. Heinemann.	Provides a wealth of specific strategies for challenging and extending all writers. Voice, setting, characters effective leads and endings are among a host of chapter headings covered in this excellent book
‘Non-Fiction Craft Lessons, Teaching Information Writing’ Ralph Fletcher. Heinemann	Provides essential support K-8 in craft strategies to develop non fiction writing
How’s It Going? A Practical Guide to Conferring With Student Writers, Carl Anderson	Anderson has written a definitive guide to ‘conferring’ with writers. Practical and informative it will assist all teachers to become better listeners and better writing teachers.
Take Joy A Writer’s Guide to Loving the Craft, Jane Yolen Writer’s Digest	Easily read volume that explores how to focus on aspects of the craft that bring joy to the writer.
Writing Down The Bones Natalie Goldberg, Shambala	Goldberg teaches us that sometimes we can make writing too complicated…
Writing Fiction, Garry Disher. Allen & Unwin	Australian author Garry Disher unpacks the craft required to write credible fiction.
Boy Writers, Reclaiming Their Voices, Ralph Fletcher, Stenhouse	Focuses on engaging boy writers through topic choice and practical suggestions for the classroom.
Notebook Knowhow, Strategies For The Writer’s Notebook, Aimee Buckner, Stenhouse	A practical book that provides oodles of ideas for implementing notebooks into the writing program. Great resource!
Mentor Texts –Teaching Writing Through Children’s Literature, K-6 Lynne Dorfman & Rose Capelli, Stenhouse	While many of the texts mentioned are American, the ideas formed around them are easily transferred. The authors provide lots of support for teachers.
Using Literature to Enhance Writing Instruction, Rebecca Olness, International Reading Association	The more I read this book, the more I find I like it! The author talks sense about the links to literature and how best to use it to enhance student writing
I Can Write Like That –A Guide to Mentor Texts and Craft Studies, Susan Ehmann & Kellyann Gayer, International Reading Association	A resource for identifying craft ideas in children’s books. The name says it all!
Study Driven, A Framework For Planning Units of Study in the Writing Workshop, Katie Wood Ray, Heinemann	Outlines for teachers how to immerse students of all ages in a close study of published texts and what constitutes good writing. A great book for planning inquiry units.
Finding Your Writer’s Voice, A Guide to Creative Fiction, Thaisa Frank & Dorothy Wall, St Martin’s Griffin	A book aimed at adult writers, which has implications for the way we teach.
The No Nonsense Guide to Teaching Writing, Judy Davis & Sharon Hill, Heinemann	Davis & Hill have written a practical book that covers the organization of the writing workshop, the writing process and the use of the notebook to promote writing and thinking. A boomerang book for me. It’s strength is its practicality…
Lessons For The Writer’s Notebook, Ralph Fletcher and Joann Portalupi, First Hand	Provides 20 lesson ideas that are open ended for launching the writer’s notebook in the classroom. Thought provoking…
Crafting Writers K-6, Elizabeth Hale, Stenhouse.	Identifies specific craft elements when assessing student writing and helps teachers to present craft techniques aimed at moving writers towards forward. Stresses writers becoming the owners of their writing –Like that!
Assessing Writers, Carl Anderson, Heinemann	This books is a wonderful adjunct to Carl’s earlier book on conferring. It deals with what teachers need to know about student writers in order to assess. It also assists the reader to make sense of the information gathered and how to link it to instruction.
In Pictures And In Words, Teaching the Qualities of Good Writing Through Illustration Study, Heinemann	Explores the way the young writer’s thinking deepens when they explore book illustrations and other book elements.
Day By Day, Refining Writing Workshop Through 180 Days of Reflective Practice, Ruth Ayres and Stacey Shubitz, Stenhouse	Ruth and Stacey’s book offers encouragement, support and practical advice on how to implement an effective writing workshop to meet the needs of all writers across the year.
Thinking About Memoir, Abigail Thomas, Sterling	Examines different ways to explore this accessible and rewarding style of writing.
Igniting Writing- When A Teacher Writes, Alan J Wright, Hawker Brownlow Education	Examines the pivotal role a teacher plays in an effective writing program when they make a conscious decision to share the learning journey and the writing process with their own students.
Making Non-Fiction From Scratch, Ralph Fletcher	Non-fiction writing can be full of passion, voice and accurate insight. Ralph Fletcher shows how to use mentors texts to craft meaningful texts.