The Writing Teacher's Book of Lists with Ready-to-use Activities and Worksheets (J-B Ed: Book of Lists)

Rating:
Summary: Practical and on-target !
Review: A can't-be-beat classroom resource for teaching writing

Rating:
Summary: I used this book very little in my writing classes
Review: I bought this book as a 3rd year math teacher delighted, but nervous, about facing the prospect of teaching two sections of 6th grade English. I can't say that it turned out to be a particularly useful tool - for me.

New teachers might consider purchasing this book if they are both (a) somewhat nervous about the "technical" level of their own skills and (b) intent upon giving those technical elements a significant role in their writing classes. For both of these, its variety of exemplary lists of grammatical forms and genres and the like may be useful to both teacher and, in photocopy, to students.

If, like me, you intend to focus more on writing, writing, and more writing, and to surround that extensive writing with process/context emphasis such as comes from peer-peer editing or writing response groups, the book will be less useful. I found that once students had created an extensive variety of written work and branched into a wide range of genres, each required a very personal approach from me when we worked together. The occasional listing of, e.g., sight-sound words was handy; but, frankly, the student's individual work usually suggested alternatives and choices to both of us in conference.

If you are a new writing teacher, don't just buy this book, as I realize I did, out of insecurity before your first teaching day! After all, it can be brought to your doorstep in a jiffy once you decide, in the midst of teaching, that you would really use it.

Rating:
Summary: Very Practical and Useable Resource
Review: This book was very helpful to me as a beginning teacher. I highly reccomend it to anyone who teaches writing for any subject.

Rating:
Summary: Very Practical and Useable Resource
Review: This book was very helpful to me as a beginning teacher. I highly reccomend it to anyone who teaches writing for any subject.