The Art of Teaching Writing

Rating:
Summary: Great Ideas
Review: Book Review by Kelly Maratta
The Art of Teaching Writing by Lucy McCormick Calkins

The Art of Teaching Writing by Lucy McCormick Calkins is aimed towards elementary school teachers; however, I feel that secondary teachers would benefit from this as well as they can modify the ideas from this book to fit their classroom level. McCormick used many example writings throughout this book to illustrate her topics. She does a good job getting her ideas across. I feel that it is a little lengthy and did get boring at times, but overall is very helpful for teachers to learn how to criticize their students and give them proper feedback. Her sample writings and examples that she displays in the book are very helpful and illustrate strategies to use in the classroom. I recommend this book for teachers who are looking for new ideas in teaching writing and help in critiquing. Make sure you have time to sit down and read this; definitely summertime read, when you have a lot of time on your hands.

Rating:
Summary: Helpful book
Review: Book Reviewed by Robin Kragen
As I began reading The Art of Teaching Writing by Lucy McCormick Calkins I hoped to find a book to grab my attention and give me many great ideas on how to teach writing to elementary age children. I did find many great ideas especially on how to do writing workshops. Unfortunately I cannot say that this book held my attention well. This book was intended for elementary school educators and gave many ideas and examples of children's writing. I felt that reading the children's writing was repetitive and not helpful. I would recommend that most teachers who teach writing to young children should buy this book but not as a book to sit down and read from cover to cover. I feel this book can be very helpful when facing a challenging situation in you classroom or when looking for a new way to make writing more exciting. With all the time teachers spend lesson planning and grading papers I don't feel it would be realistic for a teacher to read this whole book but I still feel it can be a great reference for them.

Rating:
Summary: Review of The Art of Teaching Writing
Review: Calkins book was an easy, yet informative read. As a education student, I learned a lot about how to motivate children to want to write. Calkins techniques are practical and simple. It seems that the book could be geared to not just elementary grades, but also to middle school ages. The examples of student writings were great. I will definitely be re-reading this book when I begin teaching in a couple of years.

Rating:
Summary: Review of The Art of Teaching Writing
Review: Calkins book was an easy, yet informative read. As a education student, I learned a lot about how to motivate children to want to write. Calkins techniques are practical and simple. It seems that the book could be geared to not just elementary grades, but also to middle school ages. The examples of student writings were great. I will definitely be re-reading this book when I begin teaching in a couple of years.

Rating:
Summary: Limited inspiration
Review: Calkins's huge book may be appealing to those who are inspired by endless anecdotes about a small set of students and her own precocious son, but it is not a book that gets flipped through on occasion, when looking for a nifty idea. It is instead a revival meeting-style "get up and write with those kids" book, damning and condemning old practices. It takes a bit of doing to sift through the stories to find out what a good writing program comprises, and then she lets you down with a skimpy section on a genre study of poetry, which she readily admits is somewhat of a mystery to her. The best part of this book is the ample book lists, some annotated, which are useful texts for reading out loud and silently. The book is wordy, overblown and only good for teachers new to the field and/or dealing with their own fears of writing.

Rating:
Summary: Essential for writing teachers
Review: Elementary and high school English teachers looking for a quick fix or complete list of how-to lessons and activities for hooking young writers will be disappointed by The Art of Teaching Writing by Lucy McCormick Calkins. What readers will find, however, is a coherent and thorough argument that challenges teachers to develop their own vision of excellence. On the opening page she states in no uncertain terms her definition of good teaching: "To teach well, we do not need more techniques and strategies as much as we need a vision of what is essential" (3). Through five sections and 29 chapters, it is her vision of what is essential that emerges as the overarching theme. Calkins helps students to experience a "wide-awakeness and curiosity" (516) of the world by placing their lives at the centre of their writing. The writing workshop is lauded throughout as a model that makes such an experience possible. Insightful anecdotes and glimpses into elementary and high school classrooms show how all phases of the writing process, including prewriting, drafting, sharing, revising, editing, are managed. Practical discussions on standardized testing, curriculum planning, and assessment are also included. The Art of Teaching Writing is comparable to other landmark texts in the field of writing instruction, including Nancie Atwell's In the Middle (1998) and Linda Rief's Seeking Diversity (1992). However, few texts offer the breadth and passion evident in Calkins' book. Although the book's length (and weight) might be initially daunting, it is a must read for anyone wanting to improve their understanding and use of the writing process and writing workshop. For more than twenty years, Lucy McCormack Calkins has been one of the most respected voices in the field of writing instruction. The Art of Teaching Writing is a testament to why this is the case.

Rating:
Summary: Bookreview of The Art of Teaching Writing
Review: For those first-time teachers as well as education fanatics, The Art of Teaching Writing is an excellent book that provides pointers and examples useful in the classroom. Lucy McCormick Calkins allows her readers to easily and fully understand the information in which she presents in the text. With chapters that divide into specific areas of focus, Calkins covers an immense amount of topics related to writing and its process in education. Ranging from tapping the energy for writing and teaching adolescents: improvisation and commitment, to establishing a predictable workshop environment and making memoir out of the pieces of our lives, these subjects are able to reach anyone interested in learning and teaching new approaches to writing. Although Calkins book is quite big and long, it was an easy read. And especially if you are a teacher yourself, or aspiring to become one, her novel is interesting and helpful. It stands as a strong base for support and ideas about teaching writing, which is necessary in their career.

Rating:
Summary: The Art of Teaching and Writing
Review: I would defiantly recommend The Art of Teaching Writing, by Lucy Calkins. This book would be great for any teacher. I was told it was a book for elementary teachers, but I think any teacher could benefit from the book. Calkins did a great job demonstrating the writing process. Also, she has great example of the writing process throughout the entire book. Caulkins would use children's writing examples to explain her theories. She would explain how to give proper feedback. There was also a list of ways to help correct the mistakes your students make. The first chapter, "Making meaning on the page and in our lives," was a very important chapter. It helps you establish meaning to why people write about certain topics. Throughout the entire book she always referred back to the writing workshop. She also gave great examples of how-to-lessons. The only thing I disliked about this book was it was very long, but it read quickly.

Rating:
Summary: The Art of Teaching Writing
Review: I would defiantly recommend The Art of Teaching Writing, by Lucy Calkins. This book would be great for any teacher. I was told it was a book for elementary teachers, but I think any teacher could benefit from the book. Calkins did a great job demonstrating the writing process. Also, she has great example of the writing process throughout the entire book. Caulkins would use children's writing examples to explain her theories. She would explain how to give proper feedback. There was also a list of ways to help correct the mistakes your students make. The first chapter, "Making meaning on the page and in our lives," was a very important chapter. It helps you establish meaning to why people write about certain topics. Throughout the entire book she always referred back to the writing workshop. She also gave great examples of how-to-lessons. The only thing I disliked about this book was it was very long, but it read quickly.

Rating:
Summary: The Art of Teaching and Writing
Review: In the book The Art of Teaching and Writing, Lucy McCormick Calkins discusses various types of ways on how to instruct children to write efficient papers. The techniques that she illustrates in her book mostly came from her original ideas. These effective ideas could be used while instructing children or when teacher workshops are set up. Calkins writing style was very easy to read. She sets various examples to help illustrate her teaching techniques. One issue that I had with this book was the fact that the topics were too broad. Another problem that I have is that this book is not appropriate for elementary teachers. It could possible be used for middle school students but it is more suitable for teachers who are instructing High School Students. Overall, I feel that this book was organized very well and was easy to read.