Like Reading Reminders, its best-selling companion, Writing Reminders is designed to be read on the run—between periods, while planning, even while teaching—to make every minute count in your classroom, to help you work smarter and more effectively. And like Reading Reminders, it features Jim Burke's best techniques, this time for teaching writing, complete with tools and tips on how to implement them. Every reminder is a result of his daily effort to solve the problems he faces in his classroom. And each one shows how it is possible to teach all students, as long as they make a genuine effort, to write clear, cohesive prose.
Look at the table of contents and in thirty seconds get an idea that will help you. Each reminder clearly states a technique in its title and includes:
- A Rationale—a brief explanation of what the reminder means and why it's important
- What to Do—questions to ask, activities to try, strategies to use
- Classroom Connection—sample assignments and student examples
- At a Glance—goals for writing in many genres
- Recommended Reading—sound investments for continued teaching of good writing.
Writing Reminders directly addresses standards-based instruction, too, providing techniques and assignments to hone students' skills in key areas and prepare them to succeed on important state tests. Built on a foundation of recent research into effective literacy teaching, the book offers a wealth of useful resources and processes that result in greater engagement and higher-level performance without "teaching to the test."
Regardless of the grade, the ability level, or even the subject you teach, you can find no better way to easily and quickly improve your writing instruction than to use Writing Reminders. And pair it with Reading Reminders for a complete reading and writing curriculum with ready-to-use techniques for effective teaching.
