Developing children's writing abilities boosts their confidence, creates enjoyment and relevance in the task and cultivates a range of decision-making and problem-solving skills that can then be applied across the curriculum. The Countdown series provides all the support you need in helping children to improve their prose, poetry and non-fiction writing. This guide provides all the support you need in helping pupils to improve their poetry writing. Countdown to Poetry Writing is a comprehensive and flexible resource that you can use in different ways, including: stand-alone modules that cover all the essential aspects of writing a poem, including word play, use of metaphor, rhyme and many others countdown flowchart providing an overview showing how modules are linked and how teachers can progress through them with the pupils photocopiable activity sheets for each module that show how to make the decisions and solve the problems that all writers face along the road from first idea to finished piece of work teachers' notes for modules, with tips and guidance, including how modules can be used in the classroom, links to other modules and curriculum links, and advice on helping and guiding pupils in their writing a self-study component so that children can make their own progress through the materials, giving young writers a sense of independence in thinking about their work and offering built-in scaffolding of tasks so that less experienced or less confident children get more support from the resource 'headers' for each module showing where along the 'countdown path' you are at that point. In short, Countdown to Poetry Writing saves valuable planning time and gives you all the flexibility you need - teachers might want to utilise either the self-study or 'countdown' aspects of the book, or simply dip into it for individual lesson activities to fit in with their own programmes of work.

Countdown to Poetry Writing saves valuable planning time and gives you all the flexibility you need in helping children write poems.

Writing Simple Poems is a resource book that shows teachers how to use poetry writing to teach grammar and writing conventions. Appropriate for any age or fluency level, the book can be used by ESL, foreign language, or bilingual teachers as an adjunct to their writing program. Regular classroom teachers will find it useful for language arts. The first part of the book focuses on methodology and offers suggestions for ways to integrate poetry writing with the curriculum. The second part of the book contains twenty-five easy-to-follow lesson plans, each with poetry models and sample poems written by students of various ages and linguistic backgrounds. The third part of the book offers an index of teaching points and a glossary of grammar terms.

Told in letters, poems, text messages, news stories, and comics--a series of documents Nora collects for the Wolf Creek Community Time Capsule Project--Breakout is a thrilling story that will leave readers thinking about who's really welcome in the places we call home. Nora Tucker is looking forward to summer vacation in Wolf Creek--two months of swimming, popsicles, and brushing up on her journalism skills for the school paper. But when two inmates break out of the town's maximum security prison, everything changes. Doors are locked, helicopters fly over the woods, and police patrol the school grounds. Everyone is on edge, and fear brings out the worst in some people Nora has known her whole life. Even if the inmates are caught, she worries that home might never feel the same. A Mighty Girl Best Book of the Year

This is a comprehensive and flexible resource that contains 60 stand-alone modules that cover all the essential aspects of writing a story and a number of other resources for teachers.

Developing children's writing abilities boosts their confidence, creates enjoyment and relevance in the task and cultivates a range of decision-making and problem-solving skills that can then be applied across the curriculum. The Countdown series provides all the support you need in helping children to improve their prose, poetry and non-fiction writing. Countdown to Non-Fiction Writing is a comprehensive and flexible resource which you can use in different ways. It includes: 37 stand-alone modules which cover all aspects of writing and understanding non-fiction texts, including the nature of language, logical thinking, recognising ‘facts’ and planning; A countdown flowchart provides an overview, showing how modules are linked and allowing teachers and pupils to track their progress; Photocopiable activity sheets for each module that show how to make decisions and solve problems which writers face on the journey to a finished piece of work; Teachers’ notes for each module with tips and guidance, including how modules can be used in the classroom, links to other modules and curriculum links, and advice on helping and guiding pupils in their writing; A self-study component so pupils can make their own progress through the material. This option gives young writers a sense of independence in thinking about their work and through offering a scaffolding of tasks, encourages confident and effective writing; 'Headers' for each module showing where along the 'countdown path' you are at that point; Contents page for quick access to particular modules and relevant aspects of writing. In short, Countdown to Non-Fiction Writing saves valuable planning time and gives you all the flexibility you need in helping pupils to prepare for, understand, and write non-fiction. The structure of the book allows teachers to utilise the modules for ‘self-study’, as a longer programme following the ‘countdown’ structure, or to dip into the book for individual lesson activities and ideas to fit in with wider programmes of study.

Demystify and appreciate the pleasures of poetry Sometimes it seems like there are as many definitions of poetry as there are poems. Coleridge defined poetry as “the best words in the best order.” St. Augustine called it “the Devil’s wine.” For Shelley, poetry was “the record of the best and happiest moments of the happiest and best minds.” But no matter how you define it, poetry has exercised a hold upon the hearts and minds of people for more than five millennia. That’s because for the attentive reader, poetry has the power to send chills shooting down the spine and lightning bolts flashing in the brain — to throw open the doors of perception and hone our sensibilities to a scalpel’s edge. Poetry For Dummies is a great guide to reading and writing poems, not only for beginners, but for anyone interested in verse. From Homer to Basho, Chaucer to Rumi, Shelley to Ginsberg, it introduces you to poetry’s greatest practitioners. It arms you with the tools you need to understand and appreciate poetry in all its forms, and to explore your own talent as a poet. Discover how to: Understand poetic language and forms Interpret poems Get a handle on poetry through the ages Find poetry readings near you Write your own poems Shop your work around to publishers Don’t know the difference between an iamb and a trochee? Worry not, this friendly guide demystifies the jargon, and it covers a lot more ground besides, including: Understanding subject, tone, narrative; and poetic language Mastering the three steps to interpretation Facing the challenges of older poetry Exploring 5,000 years of verse, from Mesopotamia to the global village Writing open-form poetry Working with traditional forms of verse Writing exercises for aspiring poets Getting published From Sappho to Clark Coolidge, and just about everyone in between, Poetry For Dummies puts you in touch with the greats of modern and ancient poetry. Need guidance on composing a ghazal, a tanka, a sestina, or a psalm? This is the book for you.

Offers an amusing collection of poetry filled with wacky verse and familiar topics covering every and anything about school and all the events that take place during one full year. 15,000 first printing.

Poetry Non-stop is for anyone with an interest in writing poetry. The book offers an effective system for beginners and experienced poets alike to complete the challenge of writing a poem a day for 30 days. It is the ideal guide for anyone attempting NaPoWriMo or any writer who wants to boost their creativity.The prompts and techniques will motivate beginners to start writing and keep going! Experienced poets will also gain plenty of fresh ideas and motivation to get through a marathon month of writing. In addition to plenty of advice and encouragement there is a substantial collection of original poetry by the author with insights into how the poems were inspired and developed.The book includes:* Techniques for quickly generating ideas for poems on any topic* Forms that can be employed to turn any idea or flash of inspiration into a poem* Daily writing prompts to complete the 30 poems in 30 days challenge* More than 30 original poems written using the prompts and techniques in the book to entertain and inspire* Advice on redrafting and developing poems to a publishable standard* Useful resources for reading, writing and publishing poetry

Why should children learn to write fluently? What difference will it make to them and the opportunities available to them later on in life? The ability to communicate clearly, accurately and persuasively is a vital life skill. Deficiencies in motivation and thinking skills pervade the challenge of improving children's literacy levels. Get Them Thinking Like Writers! combines practical activities to help children aged 7-11 develop their writing skills, with insights into the attitude that experienced writers apply to their craft. The activities explore different working methods - such as how authors tap into and develop their creativity and how they deal with 'writer's block' - and are supported by strategies for thinking that will develop children's literacy and the way they use language to express their opinions in all subject areas. Steve Bowkett, author, storyteller and education consultant, provides the key concepts and learning benefits of each strategy, along with a series of activities, extension ideas and useful links. Linked resources can be found on the series companion website.