Boy Writers


Book Description

Writing test scores indicate that boys have fallen far behind girls across the grades. In general, boys don't enjoy writing as much as girls. What's wrong? How can we do a better of job of creating boy-friendly classrooms so their voices can be heard? In Boy Writers: Reclaiming Their Voices Ralph Fletcher draws upon his years of experience as staff developer, children's book author, and father of four boys. He also taps the insights from dozens of writing teachers around the US and abroad. Boy Writers asks teachers to imagine the writing classroom from a boy's perspective, and consider specific steps we might take to create stimulating classrooms for boys. Topic choice emerges as a crucial issue. The subjects many boys like to write about (war, weapons, outlandish fiction, zany or bathroom humor) often do not get a warm reception from teachers. Fletcher argues that we must widen the circle and give boys more choice if we want to engage them as writers. How? We must begin by recognizing boys and the world in which they live. Boy Writers explores important questions such as: What subjects are boy writers passionate about, and what motivates them as writers? Why do boys like to incorporate violence into their stories, and how much should be allowed? Why do we so often misread and misunderstand the humor boys include in their stories? In addition, the book looks at: how handwriting can hamstring boy writers, and how drawing may help; welcoming boy-friendly writing genres in our classrooms; ways to improve our conferring with boys; and more. Each chapter begins with a thorough discussion of a topic and ends with a highly practical section titled: "What can I do in my classroom?" Boy Writers does not advocate promoting the interests of boys at the expense of girls. Rather, it argues that developing sensitivity to the unique facets of boy writers will help teachers better address the needs of all their students.




The Bicycle Spy


Book Description

Can Marcel make the ride of his life? Marcel loves riding his bicycle, whether he's racing through the streets of his small town in France or making bread deliveries for his parents' bakery. He dreams of someday competing in the Tour de France, the greatest bicycle race. But ever since Germany's occupation of France began two years ago, in 1940, the race has been canceled. Now there are soldiers everywhere, interrupting Marcel's rides with checkpoints and questioning.Then Marcel learns two big secrets, and he realizes there are worse things about the war than a canceled race. When he later discovers that his friend's entire family is in imminent danger, Marcel knows he can help -- but it will involve taking a risky bicycle ride to pass along covert information. And when nothing ends up going according to plan, it's up to him to keep pedaling and think quickly... because his friend, her family, and his own future hang in the balance.




Revolting Writing for Boys ...and Girls Who Dare!


Book Description

If you struggle to get your child to write an essay, or even a paragraph, this book is for you! Revolting Writing(c) goes rogue and reaches reluctant writers on their level of interests and was created out of desperation to get kids excited about writing. This 18 week journal program is chocked full of kid-thrilling topics and disgusting humor. (teacher's guide and answer key included) Suggested age/grade level: 9-13 yrs. or grades 5th-8th. The vocabulary list in each lesson is meant to engage, excite, challenge and elicit laughter. Each weekly lesson includes: Revolting or rousing theme Related vocabulary words ] fun slang terms defined Humorous and informative vocabulary exercise Revolting or playful writing prompt discretely encouraging different types of essays An Illustration page to enhance creative expression Hilarious cursive handwriting copywork exercise Example Chapter Titles: Design a Disease, How to Pretend to Clean Your Room, The Art of the Fart, and even more exciting topics! As a homeschool mom of 3 boys I know the struggle to excite boys to write. A miraculous thing happened when, at my wits end, I asked my son to write about the contents of the toilet. It was magical. He was putting words together in sentences and paragraphs without complaining. Through laughter I was able to help him edit his grammar, spelling, and sentence structure. When allowed to write about what interests and excites them, kids are more willing to try. Out of desperation, I reached my child and he learned to write. I hope this book brings laughter and a love of writing to your reluctant writer as well. *Disclaimer: This book contains gross words and potty humor such as "poop, loogie, fart" etc.




Supporting Boys' Writing in the Early Years


Book Description

Julie Cigman uses a vast range of personal vignettes to explain best practice when encouraging boys to write. The theory is brought to life with these recollections, making this a very informative and enjoyable book to read. The ideas for working together with boys are beautifully simple and are tried and tested. This book would support both experienced practitioners and those who are just starting out, because it is so accessible and uses examples in such a delightful way - Kathy Brodie, Early Years Consultant, UKEarly Years Consultant, UK. Julie Cigman has given us a practical and principled way forward in supporting boys' writing. This book is shot through with rich examples of effective practice and deserves to be widely used. Young boys' writing is bought alive for us in these pages, and the groundedness in practice demonstrates how boys' achievement in writing can be appropriately supported from an early age. This is a book for everyone interested in promoting early literacy development. An excellent read and a practical compendium -Professor Cathy Nutbrown, School of Education, The University of Sheffield. How do we give young children a ‘writers’ voice’ and allow them to become creative and inspired writers? Supporting Boys’ Writing in the Early Years shows you how you can help boys to become confident and capable writers by supporting them to write in ways that make sense to them – on the move, outside and inside, in dens, in bushes, in mud, or sprawled on the floor dressed as superheroes. Drawing on four boys writing projects involving over 80 practitioners, the book reveals that a playful, child-centred approach can allow boys and girls to develop a writers’ voice and raise attainment in writing as well as enhancing all aspects of young children’s development. With a strong focus on observation-led assessment and planning, the book is full of practical ideas to improve the writing environment and provide writing opportunities that will be enjoyable and motivating for children. Featuring a wide range of case studies, it covers: the stages that children move through in learning to write; how you can change and develop your learning environments to give children inspiring resources and opportunities to write; helping children to find a purpose to write through their play; practical ways to create a partnership with parents that builds on their strengths as educators at home. This book will help you to create a truly enabling environment for writing and is essential reading for all those that want the children in their setting to become confident, motivated and creative writers.







The Writer


Book Description










Children, Film and Literacy


Book Description

Children, Film and Literacy explores the role of film in children's lives. The films children engage in provide them with imaginative spaces in which they create, play and perform familiar and unfamiliar, fantasy and everyday narratives and this narrative play is closely connected to identity, literacy and textual practices. Family is key to the encouragement of this social play and, at school, the playground is also an important site for this activity. However, in the literacy classroom, some children encounter a discontinuity between their experiences of narrative at home and those that are valued in school. Through film children develop understandings of the common characteristics of narrative and the particular 'language' of film. This book demonstrates the ways in which children are able to express and develop distinct and complex understandings of narrative, that is to say, where they can draw on their own experiences (including those in a moving image form). Children whose primary experiences of narrative are moving images face particular challenges when their experiences are not given opportunities for expression in the classroom, and this has urgent implications for the teaching of literacy.




Writing Across the Curriculum


Book Description

As the amount of curriculum in today’s classrooms expands and teaching time seems to shrink, teachers are looking for ways to integrate content area and writing instruction. In this revised and expanded edition of Writing Across the Curriculum, Shelley Peterson shows teachers how to weave writing and content area instruction together in their classrooms. The author provides practical and helpful ideas for classroom teachers and content-area specialists to easily incorporate writer’s workshop while teaching in their subject area. New features in this second edition include: • Websites that can be used to teach writing (e.g., wiki’s, weblogs, and digital storytelling) • Examples from grades 4-8 classrooms that show how science, social studies, health, and mathematics teachers can also be teachers of poetry, narrative, and non-narrative writing • New assessment scoring guides • Information on working with struggling writers and supporting English Language Learners • Graphic organizers, templates, and mini-lessons that engage students in learning




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