Craft Lessons: Teaching Writing K-8 (2nd Ed.)
Publication Type:
Web ArticleYear of Publication:
2008ISBN:
978-1-57110-706-0Abstract:
"When I set out to rebuild my classroom Writers Workshop from the ground up," says reviewer Gail Ritchie, "the first edition of Craft Lessons was an invaluable resource for me. When the second edition came out, my first thought was, 'How could that book get any better?' The answer does not lie in major changes; rather, the new edition is a sharper, clearer version of the lessons that transformed writing in my classroom and countless others. It is a polishing of the stone, and the result is a vibrant, beautifully simple resource for scaffolding the development of young writers."
Full Text:
Craft Lessons: Teaching Writing K-8 (2nd Ed.)
By Ralph Fletcher and Joann Portalupi
2007 (192 pp./softcover)
Stenhouse Publishers
ISBN 978-1-57110-706-0
$20
Reviewed by Gail V. Ritchie, NBCT, PhD
School-based Curriculum Leader
Fairfax County, Virginia
In the 2000-01 school year, when I set out to rebuild my classroom Writers Workshop from the ground up, the first edition of Craft Lessons was an invaluable resource for me. When the second edition came out, my first thought was, “How could that book get any better?” The answer does not lie in major changes; rather, the new edition is a sharper, clearer version of the lessons that transformed writing in my classroom and countless others. It is a polishing of the stone, and the result is a vibrant, beautifully simple resource for scaffolding the development of young writers.
The lessons featured in Craft Lessons, 2nd Ed. are drawn from the authors’ own experiences as teachers of writing, as well as lessons shared with them by successful writing teachers. The purpose of the book is to help teachers attend to “the item in the middle—craft” (p. 3) rather than just the beginning and ending of the writing process. In this book, the craft of writing is taught through the use of literature that models what the craft looks like, sounds like, and feels like.
As before, the book is divided into lessons for grades K-2, grades 3-4, and grades 5-8. The original lessons return, with updates in some cases, including new mentor texts. The new edition also features several new lessons, including:
• Revealing the Inside Story
• Staying on Topic
• Writing a Strong Ending
• Finding Voice in the World Around Us
The lessons still follow a simple and easy-to-implement format: Discussion, How to Teach It, Resource Material. The authors remind us that these lessons are not “stand-alone” lessons; they are intended to be part of a writing classroom that includes time to write, teacher response to writing, student responsibility for their writing choices, writer’s notebooks for “trying out” writing, and a wide variety of literature that can serve as a model for writing.
They offer their book “in the spirit of conversation, a lively discussion that will push forward . . . thinking about the writing skills that every one of our students will need” (p. 5). I look forward to engaging my colleagues in this lively discussion as I support their efforts to implement writer’s workshop in their classrooms. The second edition of Craft Lessons will be an essential resource for our work with young writers.
