Best books on HOW to teach writing?

[lorisuewho]

I am not looking for a writing curriculum.  I am looking for some books to read to improve myself as a writing teacher.  I need a book that gives me a big picture of how to get from point A of reluctant elementary school writer to awesome high school writing.

 

What do you like?

[Tsuga]

Is there a reason you don't like the Well-Trained Mind's advice on this, just the language parts, or were you looking for something different?

[Runningmom80]

The Writer's Jungle!

[lorisuewho]

I like The Well Trained Mind.  I also enjoyed listening to SWB's lecture on writing.  I'm just looking for some more resources to educate myself, including different methods, or perhaps just different ways to flesh it all out.

Edited April 27, 2016 by lorisuewho

[LindaOz]

SWB's audio lectures on how to teach writing at elementary, middle grades, and high school levels are fantastic. They are all about method and how to build skills in your child - not about particular curricular. Highly recommend :)

[LMD]

I've been listening to swb's writing lectures recently too (over and over again!), then I went back through The Complete Writer again. It has really helped me get a grasp on what I'm teaching, I love that it is so explicit. This stuff was never explained when I was at school, I got lucky and intuited enough to get good marks - but I felt like I was flying blind.

[El...]

SWB's comment in her writing lecture about only requiring ONE new hard thing at a time changed my piano teaching, as well as helping me with teaching writing.  Such good stuff.

[Monica_in_Switzerland]

I love the Most Wonderful Writing Lessons Ever by Mericonda, as well as The Writer's Jungle.  

[ScoutTN]

I think reading curricula closely and comparing my take on them to others' evaluations has helped me to be a better teacher.

 

But while all the learning ahead is good, it doesn't mean I am not learning as I go with each of my students. I just cannot predict how they will grow and develop and what the next challenge will be.

[Half-Elven]

I've heard good things about The Lively Art of Writing.  

 

Does SWB's audio lectures on writing need to purchased?  Or can one listen to them for free somewhere?  Thanks!

[Carol in Cal.]

The Writers' Jungle--best 'start to finish' handbook

The Well Trained Mind--outstanding at subject area writing, especially in literature and history

The Elements of Style--Strunk and White

There was another one, and I can't remember the name of it, about setting up a writing workshop style classroom, that I used a lot.  I couldn't have been more different from the others on this list.  If I remember the title I'll update this.

Junior Great Books writing assignments--they were pretty creative in their suggestions for written responses to literature at the elementary level, and gave me a lot of other ideas as well.  

 

Books about writing that informed me as a writing teacher (but are not actually train the trainer books):

Bird by Bird  Anne Lamott

A Crow Doesn't Need a Shadow (about writing nature poetry)

 

I would like to read "On Teaching and Writing Fiction" by Wallace Stegner, because he founded the Stanford Writing Program, which was the best around back in the day.

 

[LindaOz]

I've heard good things about The Lively Art of Writing.

 

Does SWB's audio lectures on writing need to purchased? Or can one listen to them for free somewhere? Thanks!

Yes, they need to be purchased from the PHP store but they are only $3.99 (I think) each. Totally worth it.

[ForeverFamily]

I love this old thread comparing different writing curricula. A few books are mentioned in it as well...

 

http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/348864-my-evaluation-of-numerous-writing-curricula/