Students are given writing assignments constantly—the ubiquitous essay for English class, the book report in history, the results of an experiment in science. Outside school the need continues for students to write clearly—messages to members of their families, thank you notes, letters. Some students even write for pleasure—diaries, journals, poems, stories, articles, plays.

Regardless of what students are writing and why, the starting point is always that blank piece of paper that must be filled. To whom are they writing? Why? What do they write? How do they write it? What form do they use? What rules and style do they follow? Young Writers at Work has been written to assist you in teaching students how to write and to teach them that writing is something that they can do, and, in most cases, do competently.

Students can write, some better than others, that is true, but they can all be taught simple writing skills. Just as all journeys start with the first step, any kind of writing starts with the first word. Students can be taught to combine words into sentences, sentences into paragraphs, and paragraphs into essays and stories.

The trick is very simple. Students write one word at a time. You teach them how to take what they already know and/or what they learn through research and put it on paper word by word, sentence by sentence, and paragraph by paragraph. As a teacher, you get students to think about the component parts of the essay or story and to break down the story into manageable pieces. This way students are not scared wordless by the idea of writing an essay or story.

Young Writers at Work is designed to help you increase the effectiveness of your teaching or writing. First, you must clarify your goals so that you know exactly what it is you want to achieve with your students. Your time is limited; you need measurable results. Few of your students will be gifted writers; however, all of your students can be taught to write readable prose.

You can teach the writing process by approaching it one step at a time. You can teach your students to write by having them write regularly. You can teach your students to be more observant and to relish the magic of everyday, ordinary people and events. You can teach them the significance of language—its power, its various uses, and its beauty. You can teach them how to write what they need to write. So, concentrate on what you can do and forget what you cannot do with your students. Establish reachable goals and work toward them.

As a teacher of writing, you need to write often in order to keep your writing skills honed. You must be capable, even adept, at doing any writing you ask your students to do. Practice each writing assignment before using it in class. That way your surprises are more likely to be pleasant ones.

Download the Table of Contents pages here.

Grades 4-8.