Teaching Adolescent Writers,   ISBN:9781571104229

Customer Rating: 

Another gem of a book for English teachers by Kelly Gallagher. He is my literacy "guru". I've attended excellent workshops by Kelly, and subsequently purchased and devoured his books: Reading Reasons, Deeper Reading, Readicide, and now this writing book. All the teachers in my department read it this summer, and we are eager to implement many of the strategies and ideas in our writing instruction.

Customer Rating: 

If you are a school teacher who is wondering how to motivate your kids to work on their writing but have no idea how to do that when your class is so huge that individual feedback is almost impossible, then this book is what you have been waiting for. Gallagher gives tried and tested methods for provoking thought, stimulating writing and giving useful feedback. My favourite one so far: mark no more than 6 types of errors per script, and don't do all the work for the students. Students do get demoralised when they see a sea of red ink on what they thought were beautiful essays. Focused feedback, Gallagher says, is both more meaningful, and more motivating. The style of writing in this book is very accessible, and you get the feeling you are learning from a master teacher.

Customer Rating: 

I LOVE this book. Surprisingly, it is a page-turner, even though it's not a novel. Great concepts, practical ideas, and inspirational. It has re-charged my enthusiasm for teaching writing.

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I attended one of Kelly Gallagher's lectures last summer and was instantly hooked on his honesty, humor, and principles. I purchased Teaching Adolescent Writers and have used it almost daily. Gallagher's ideas and techniques make so much sense and what's even better is that everything he suggests are exactly what we teachers of writing need. I tried the "find the fib" idea and hooked my students immediately. I moved to "the myth of the boring topic" and had lots of fun exchanging questions with the class. Everything I've brought to the classroom has engaged my reluctant teenages who have no interest in school let alone writing. I try to read sections of his book in the morning before school starts because he just makes so much sense and his ideas are so much fun, I often go to work excited.

Customer Rating: 

As a new teacher, I found this book packed with practical guides on everything from motivating students to assessing student work. This book provides not only the reasons why we teach writing, but most importantly HOW to teach writing.