Reason to Write; Student Handbook, Elementary School Edition

by Douglas Reeves

• ISBN13: 9780743230537
• ISBN10: 0743230531
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2002-09-10
• Publisher: Kaplan Publishing

Summary

Features: *Activities that can easily be broken down into reasonable steps *Tips on checking one's own writing *Strategies for writing well on state tests *Insight on writing for different purposes Reason to Write: Student Handbook Dear Reader: This book will help you become a better writer.Each chapter has some important information that will help you build your writing skills. We'll talk about the rules of good writing and the different kinds of writing, such as letters, essays, stories, poems, research papers, and journal writing. By the time you have completed all of the worksheets in this book, you will be a confident writer, able to tackle any school writing assignment. Why is writing so important?Writing helps you in every subject in school, including reading, math, science, social studies, and anything that requires thinking. Writing helps you understand what you read. Writing helps you learn. And writing allows you to play an important role in society, even before you can vote! This book is full of ideas to help you build your writing skills,whether you are an experienced writer or just starting to learn about writing. If you don't like to write, this book will show you how to write better (and then maybe you won't dislike it so much). If you enjoy writing, this book offers dozens of ideas and activities to help you become an even better writer. Ready? Let's get started! Douglas B. Reeves, Ph.D. FREE WRITING TOOLS ONLINE! Visitwww.reasontowrite.comfor brainstorming and organizational tools, writing tips, evaluation guides, and more.

Author Biography

Douglas B. Reeves, Ph.D. is President of the Center for Performance Assessment and the International Center for Educational Accountability. He is the author of more than a dozen books, including the 20-Minute Learning Connection series, which received a prestigious Parent's Choice Award. He works with parents, teachers, and school leaders throughout the world to raise student achievement and improve educational practices.

Table of Contents

Contents

Introduction: Where Do I Start?

1. Why is Writing So Important?
2. What to Do If You Hate Writing
3. What You Really Need to Know for School
4. You're Smarter Than You Think: What You Already Know About Good Writing
5. The Audience
6. What to Write When You Can't Think of Anything
7. Making Sense Out of Nonsense: How to Organize Your Ideas
8. Why Can't I Just Use the Computer?
9. You're the Teacher: How to Evaluate Your Own Writing
10. Dear Mr. President: Writing Letters to Get a Response
11. Tell Me About It: Writing to Describe People, Places, Events, and Things
12. Help Me Understand: Writing to Explain
13. I'm Mad: Writing to Influence Other People
14. Research Papers Without Pain
15. The Genius Inside You: Writing Stories, Poems, and Songs
16. My Parents and Teachers Don't Understand Me!
    Talking About Writing With Adults
17. Now It's Really Important: Writing for State Tests
18. Developing the Habit of Writing
19. Your Writer's Tool Kit

Appendix A: Checking Your Own Writing

Excerpts

Introduction: Where Do I Start? This book is will help you become a better writer. You already have a great imagination and lots of ideas. Now you can use those ideas to write stories, essays, letters, and poems. Each chapter has some important information that will help you build your writing skills. In the beginning, we'll talk about why writing is important. We'll also talk about the rules of good writing, and you'll create your own personal set of rules. Then we'll talk about different kinds of writing, including letters, essays, stories, poems, research papers, and journal writing. At first, you'll do only a little writing. I'll ask you some questions, and you'll write your answers in this book. Later, you'll do more writing. By the time you have completed all of the worksheets in this book, you will be able to complete any writing assignment in any subject, including English, social studies, and science. Best of all, you will be ready to enter middle school as a confident writer.If you are already an experienced writer and need to work on a project right now, you can jump straight to the chapters that have the information you need.If you need help on descriptive writing, jump to chapter 11.If you need help on analytical writing, jump to chapter 12.If you need help on persuasive writing, jump to chapter 13.If you need help on a research paper, jump to chapter 14.If you need help on creative writing, jump to chapter 15.If you need to practice essays for state tests, jump to chapter 17.Let's get started! Copyright copy; 2002 by Douglas Reeves, Ph.D. Chapter 1: Why Is Writing So Important? We haven't met yet, but I think I already know some important things about you. You like school, at least most of the time. You've been going to school long enough now to know that some days are better than other days. Some days are exciting, and others are boring. Most kids are nice, but some are mean. Most teachers care about you, but a few seem to be pretty stressed out. In other words, you're a pretty typical kid in a pretty typical school.Now that I know a little about you, let me tell you a few things about me. My name is Doug, and I write books for teachers, parents, and kids. I have four children. Their names are Brooks, Alex, Julia, and James, and they are now in elementary school, middle school, high school, and college. I'm also a teacher, and have taught students in elementary school, middle school, high school, and college. And just like you, I'm also a student, because I'm always learning new things. Even though I'm a grown-up with kids and a job, I still go to school, take classes, and try to learn new things all the time. I am also taking cello lessons. I'm just a beginner, and I'm not very good at it yet, but I know that if I keep practicing, I'll get better. In fact, some of the things I've learned from being a student help me understand what you are going through in school. Sometimes being a student is fun, but sometimes it's frustrating. Sometimes my teacher says, "Good job!" and he really means it, and sometimes he says, "Good job," and I can tell that I still need a lot of work.Even though we haven't met, I think I know a lot about how you feel about school and about writing. We both like to do our very best work. The problem is figuring out how to do that. This book will help you do your very best work in writing.Thinking about your strengths and the things you care about most will help you be a better writer. So right now, please write down some important information about yourself below. My name:In school, my three best subjects are:Things I do very well (try to think of different things than the subjects you listed above):I care very much about these three things:These three things make me mad: Writing for Real People"But writing is easy!" y