What book should I start with to teach myself writing?

[Amy M]

I would love to learn more about writing and feel under-confident in leading my children to write well. I've amassed a number of books and curricula on the subject! So far, I've used WWE1-3 both workbooks and our own way, CAP W&R1-2, R&S's writing lessons in their grammar books, and a couple of other things here and there. This next year I'm trying Classical Writing Homer and Aesop with my kids. I have several other writing curricula on the shelf as well. Can you tell I'm feeling under-confident.

 

So I'm posting a list of some books I have below, and asking for advice on where to start reading on my journey of self-education this year. Can you put in order the first five books you think I should read? I'd love suggestions for other good books if you don't see them on the list, but honestly I'm in Africa, so I can't get them right now.

 

1. On Writing Well Zinsser
2. Why Johnny Can’t Write
3. The Elements of Style by Strunk and E.B. White
4. The Lively Art of Writing by Payne
5. Bird by Bird Anne Lamott
6. How to Write a Sentence and Read… by Fish
7. Rhetoric in the Classical Tradition by Horner
8. Composition in the Classical Tradition by D’Angelo
9. Francine Prose: Reading Like a Writer: A Guide to Those Who Love Books and Those Who Want to Write Them
10. Madeline L’Engle’s Walking on Water
11. Acedia and Me: A Marriage, Monks, and a Writer’s Life by Kathleen Norris (NYT bestseller)
12. Someday You’ll Write by Yates, (BJU)
13. The Write Book by Allen, (BJU)
14. Wordsmithy by Wilson
15. I also have IEW TWSS video course.
16. WWS 1

Thank you for your help!

[G5052]

That's quite a range of books!

 

I make the majority of my income writing and teaching writing, so I own most of those. My tastes tend towards classical models, and I'm more of an expository writer professionally.

 

For an adult, I'd start out with How to Write a Sentence, then The Lively Art of Writing followed by Elements of Style. After that I'd work through D'Angelo and Horner. 

Edited December 29, 2016 by G5052

[Amy M]

That's quite a range of books!

 

I make the majority of my income writing and teaching writing, so I own most of those. My tastes tend towards classical models, and I'm more of an expository writer professionally.

 

For an adult, I'd start out with How to Write a Sentence, then The Lively Art of Writing followed by Elements of Style. After that I'd work through D'Angelo and Horner. 

 

Yes, this is for me, an adult. :) Ooh, thank you! I'm so excited to hear from someone who knows many of these books and who writes professionally. I really appreciate that you listed a top 5 for me. I'll try to get through at least the first 4 this year in 2017. The first three are pretty small books. This feels much more do-able now. Thank you!

 

[hollyhock]

I would put Lively Art of Writing pretty high on the list. I found that one extremely helpful in terms of high school writing, and it's even enjoyable to read. As far as teaching writing for younger grades, it's not on your list, but I found SWB's audio lectures on writing to be the most helpful for me.

[Pistachio mom]

I love the books by Sharon Watson. I am going through The Power in Your Hands with my oldest. I wish I had learned how to structure writing this way. College would have been much easier.

[EKS]

Engaging Ideas by John Bean.

But the best thing to help me understand what my kids were going through in learning to write was to enroll in a writing intensive course on a topic that pushed me to the edge of my level of competence. We forget as adults how hard it can be to learn new things, and how much harder it is to write about something you are just learning about than something you know well.

Edited December 30, 2016 by EKS

[coloradomomof5]

Engaging Ideas by John Bean.

 

But the best thing to help me understand what my kids were going through in learning to write was to enroll in a writing intensive course on a topic that pushed me to the edge of my level of competence. We forget as adults how hard it can be to learn new things, and how much harder it is to write about something you are just learning about than something you know well.

can I ask what course you took?

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[EKS]

can I ask what course you took?

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

I my case it (well, actually, it was more than one, because it was for a master's degree, but the first one really gave me what I needed to know about this) was a philosophy of education course.  But I would think that any course that requires a ton of academic writing would do. 

[Vida Winter]

Start with TWSS and do the assigned exercises.

[Kendall]

I would suggest reading through WWS1 since that is likely where your children will be doing at some point.  It looks long, but you could read through it fairly quickly to get an overview of what it is doing. I think the ideal is to try writing assignments yourself, but for years my reading time was while I was nursing babies and I didn't get to write.  But I learned a lot and everything I read contributed to my still growing understanding of writing.  So in some ways it doesn't matter where you start.  I enjoyed watching IEW though I didn't go that direction style wise. If you can listen to those while you work and save your reading time for the others, then add those.  

[Lori D.]

Books #9, 10, and 11 on your list are books largely geared toward authors of creative writing, so probably not what you're looking for, unless you are wanting to write for yourself and for publishing.

I'm a natural writer, and struggled to teach writing to our DSs (one was average but not interested in writing, the other is highly visual-spatial and had learning issues with spelling, writing, math). I learned a lot via churning through a lot of writing programs and resources, pulling out the parts that worked for two radically different NON natural writers.

Since DSs both graduated from our homeschool high school, this is my fifth year of teaching co-op classes, fourth year in teaching Literature & Composition for middle/high school students, and last year and this year have been when things are finally "clicking" hugely for me in understanding how to teach writing. I'm seeing there are 3 components that go into teaching writing:

1. understanding the process and parts of formal writing (i.e., what content to teach, and when)

2. understanding how to teach to different learning styles/brain dominances (because writing is a formal, structured form of communication very different from speaking, and writing definitely comes out of how a person thinks and processes)

3. understanding how to grade/comment on student writing -- use of a rubric is immensely valuable (the comments as part of the grading is really about mentoring the student in the process of the student learning how to see what they need to improve their own writing)

Of those 3 components, IMO:

#1 is the easiest to address -- via looking at various writing programs and reading a book or two about teaching writing

#3 comes with practice (to "see" how to balance amount/depth of comments with how much the student can absorb at one time)

#2 is the hardest to get your head around, as it requires research, practice, and working hard to "get inside the student's head" to understand how *the student* thinks in order to be inspired with a "lightbulb moment" with how to teach *this* student the writing process so that it clicks for *this* student

I do think Susan Wise-Bauer's downloadable audio lecture on teaching writing could be helpful: A Plan for Teaching Writing: Elementary Grades, Middle Grades, High School Years (or, the overview audio lectures: Writing Without Fear, and, A Plan for Teaching Writing K-12)

I find the thoughts and discussion in these past threads helpful:
- "Bringing Karen's mention of essay writing to a new thread"
- "Here is how I am teaching the material in WWS1-3; what are you doing?"
- "Transition to original writing"
- "Critique my scope and sequence for writing instruction: 2nd-8th grades"
- "Resources for teaching writing for high school"
- "Can we discuss apathetic writers and college prep?"

I guess what I would add to the previous posters' great book suggestions is the thought that while it's good and necessary to do some reading and research, just like with homeschooling in general, a big part of how to teach yourself how to "teach writing" and to do it successfully -- is by *doing* it -- practicing it, making mistakes and learning from your mistakes, and going back for more research and trying something new when what you did with the first student isn't working for a younger sibling. ?

 

BEST of luck as you read through resources to glean information to help you in this process of becoming a good teacher of writing! ? Warmest regards, Lori D.

Edited September 13, 2018 by Lori D.

[historymatters]

I have Great Courses Plus and will be watching several of their courses related to writing, using their guidebooks, too.

 

What I'm really looking forward to is I'm about to start a writing class learning the literary analysis essay specifically using Windows to the World at Inspired Scholar. 1 semester, at your own pace.

 

Lively Art of Writing is also on my list, using the study guide so graciously provided through this forum.

 

You might also want to brush-up on grammar skills with Our Mother Tongue? Though, there are GC courses which address that when starting from the "writing a sentence" level.

 

HTH

Edited January 6, 2017 by historymatters

[Amy M]

Lively Art of Writing is also on my list, using the study guide so graciously provided through this forum.

 

You might also want to brush-up on grammar skills with Our Mother Tongue? Though, there are GC courses which address that when starting from the "writing a sentence" level.

 

HTH

 

I would love to use that study guide! Where can I find it? Thanks for mentioning that! As far as grammar, I feel much more confident about grammar than writing. :)

[birchbark]

I would love to use that study guide! Where can I find it? Thanks for mentioning that! As far as grammar, I feel much more confident about grammar than writing. :)

 

I'm guessing she's referring to the one found here.

 

This wasn't on your list, but one of the best things I've found that has helped me teach writing is the old curriculum Understanding Writing. It's been one of my all-time best homeschool purchases. I am not currently using it as a curriculum, but I still get it out on a regular basis for help with teaching.

 

I too am still very much in the learning phase but I also love Strunk & White and Beechick's How to Write Clearly.

Edited January 10, 2017 by birchbark

[G5052]

This wasn't on your list, but one of the best things I've found that has helped me teach writing is the old curriculum Understanding Writing. It's been one of my all-time best homeschool purchases. I am not currently using it as a curriculum, but I still get it out on a regular basis for help with teaching.

 

I too am still very much in the learning phase but I also love Strunk & White and Beechick's How to Write Clearly.

 

I forgot about Understanding Writing. I used that with mine in the early years and then switched over to IEW. Because I was always having to sell curriculum to buy curriculum, I sold it.

 

Such a solid program though; I remember how well-organized it is. I may have to poke around and see if I can find a cheap copy. I'm always looking for checklists and such for my classes.

 

I bought a cheap used book in December solely for the examples. It's brief and cheesy, but I like it. It's Telling Tales: Writing Captivating Short Stories by Rebecca Langston-George. Perfect for what I needed.

[Lori D.]

I forgot about Understanding Writing. I used that with mine in the early years and then switched over to IEW.

 

Is this the one you are talking about?? It looks like it is for elementary ages?

Edited January 10, 2017 by Lori D.

[G5052]

Is this the one you are talking about?? It looks like it is for elementary ages?

 

No, it's for all ages. She doesn't recommend it for high school self-study, although it works for that age. She feels that a parent should be involved all along the way in writing instruction.

 

Here's her website with more info:

 

http://www.understandingwriting.com/

[Lori D.]

No, it's for all ages. She doesn't recommend it for high school self-study, although it works for that age. She feels that a parent should be involved all along the way in writing instruction.

 

Here's her website with more info:

 

http://www.understandingwriting.com/

 

Thank you. I also frequently look for writing resources to help me in teaching writing to the middle/high school co-op classes I do, so I'll keep this one in the back of my mind as a possibility. :)