Teachers often feel frustrated when the revisions students make to their writing aren’t improvements. And so they ask me how to help the children make their manuscripts better.
I wish I had an easy answer for these teachers and for their students, but here’s the truth: Revision is messy. It’s fraught with detours. Even experienced writers struggle with the process, and sometimes our efforts are complete and utter failures.… more
The term creative nonfiction was first used by Lee Gutkind in the 1980s as a synonym for narrative nonfiction. Gutkind wished to convey the idea that nonfiction wasn’t always dry and utilitarian. By employing such elements as character, dialogue, scene building, strong voice, innovative structure, point of view, and literary devices, writers could craft nonfiction that sings. … more
By third grade, nearly all students know what plagiarism is and understand that it’s both immoral and illegal, and yet, again and again, we catch them copying their sources.
Why don’t students express ideas and information in their own words? Because they haven’t taken the time or don’t have the skills to analyze and synthesize the material they’ve collected so that they can make their own meaning.… more
