TeachingAdolescentWriters

Inanincreasinglydemandingworldofliteracy,ithasbecomecriticalthatstudentsknowhowtowriteeffectively.Fromtherequirementsofstandardizedteststothoseofthewiredworkplace,theabilitytowritewell,oncealuxury,hasbecomeanecessity.Manystudentsareleavingschoolwithoutthenecessarywritingpracticeandskillsneededtocompeteinacomplexandfast-movingInformationAge.Unlessweteachthemhowtorunwithit,theyareindangerofbeingrunoverbyastampede—aliteracystampede.InTeachingAdolescentWriters,KellyGallagher,authorofReadingReasonsandDeeperReading,showshowstudentscanbetaughttowriteeffectively.Kellysharesanumberofclassroom-testedstrategiesthatenableteachersto:understandtheimportanceofteachingwriting;motivateyoungwriters;seetheimportancemodelingplaysinbuildingyoungwriters(modelingfromboththeteacherandfromreal-worldtext);understandhowprovidingchoiceelevatesadolescentwriting(andhowtoallowforchoicewithinarigorouscurriculum);helpstudentsrecognizetheimportanceofpurposeandaudience;assessessaysinwaysthatdrivebetterwritingperformance.Infusedwithhumorandilluminatinganecdotes,Kellydrawsonhisclassroomexperiencesandworkasco-directorofaregionalwritingprojecttoofferteachersbothpracticalwaystoincorporatewritinginstructionintotheirdayandcompellingreasonstodoso.