Writers will learn the writing and revision process that will lead them to creating more salable picture book manuscripts. It covers researching the picture books market, creating characters, point of view, plotting, tips on writing rhyme and more, all the lessons writers need to write great and appealing picture books.

Thomas Newkirk explores the diversity of writing done by young children, and by focusing on the work of one child between ages four and seven he illustrates how children competently use the basic structures of argument and explanation.

Harvey S. Wiener shows how parents can encourage their children to write with a home program that can be used from preschool through high school. Beginning with the building of attitudes, Wiener moves through simple, varied and practical experience with the written word. By setting up an atmosphere in the home that encourages creative written expression, coupled with a parent's guidance in writing, children gain an outlook on writing that builds confidence in their abilities to use language.This new edition addresses many heated issues about children's education and touches on today's critical debates: parents' roles in school preparations, the increased stress on writing assessment and performance measures throughout a child's education and across school sectors, and the debate over phonics. A revised and expanded section called "Key Books for Young Writers and Their Parents" will help any family stock its shelves with useful books for a home writing program.A new chapter discusses the ubiquity of home computers and word processing programs and assesses their positive and negative influences on children's home learning experiences. In addition, Wiener describes how to find the best educational online resources and how to supervise a child's work on the Internet. Furthermore, he emphasizes the importance of collaboration--child and parent, child and sibling--to help avoid computer abuse and establish good computer practices. Finally, he integrates discussion on computers through the text, and also offers writing exercises and samples for children to obtain from Oxford's website.

Offers guidance on introducing and developing writing skills with young learners. Teaches the Roman alphabet, letter shapes and names, and word recognition. Provides a framework for developing writing skills at word, sentence, and text level. Encourages the idea that words can be used creatively and that writing can be fun. Provides opportunities for children to practise a wide range of writing skills.

Strong writing skills are essential for success in school, college, and on the job. In 99 Ways to Get Kids to Love Writing, educator Mary Leonhardt provides parents with practical, easy-to-follow tips on how to teach their children the fundamentals of writing and make it fun for them at the same time. Here are just a few of her nuggets of advice: ¸ Always be encouraging about your children's writing. ¸ Don't worry about teaching grammar to kids when they are just beginning to write. Most grammar knowledge is acquired rather than directly learned. ¸ Provide plenty of writing material. ¸ Encourage your preschool children to dictate stories to you. Leonhardt follows up with 10 Easy Ways to Teach Them Grammar, essential tools for all budding writers.

Addressed to early childhood educators in Scotland, this guide shows how adults working in preschool and early primary school settings can maximize children's interest, knowledge, and skills in writing, and actively foster the disposition to be a writer. Following an introduction, the guide is presented in four parts. Part 1, "Teaching Writing 3-8," focuses on the role of preschool and primary school environments in promoting emergent literacy, makes suggestions for nourishing children's enthusiasm for writing, and examines the importance of a responsive curriculum for fostering interest in print and literacy. Part 2, "Print and Forming Letters," concerns what children need to learn, what they see as important, and what they understand about letter writing. This part also presents suggestions for identifying children's current level of understanding, modeling print and letter formation, and incorporating mistakes as part of the learning process. Part 3, "Writing Is Important," focuses on the importance of learning the functions of writing, the role of the family in early writing, and what educators need to know and do regarding the intentions, formats, and functions of writing. Suggestions are offered for providing writing opportunities and for supporting children as writers. Part 4, "Stories," discusses how a story telling environment enhances early writing, the characteristics of children's early stories, how adults can prompt children's stories, how they can teach children to write stories, and the role of writing as a social and personal activity. The guide includes numerous examples from practice and questions for reflection. Contains a list of 12 references and suggested readings. (KB)

Harvey S. Wiener shows how parents can encourage their children to write with a home program that can be used from preschool through high school. Beginning with the building of attitudes, Wiener moves through simple, varied and practical experience with the written word. By setting up an atmosphere in the home that encourages creative written expression, coupled with a parent's guidance in writing, children gain an outlook on writing that builds confidence in their abilities to use language. This new edition addresses many heated issues about children's education and touches on today's critical debates: parents' roles in school preparations, the increased stress on writing assessment and performance measures throughout a child's education and across school sectors, and the debate over phonics. A revised and expanded section called "Key Books for Young Writers and Their Parents" will help any family stock its shelves with useful books for a home writing program. A new chapter discusses the ubiquity of home computers and word processing programs and assesses their positive and negative influences on children's home learning experiences. In addition, Wiener describes how to find the best educational online resources and how to supervise a child's work on the Internet. Furthermore, he emphasizes the importance of collaboration--child and parent, child and sibling--to help avoid computer abuse and establish good computer practices. Finally, he integrates discussion on computers through the text, and also offers writing exercises and samples for children to obtain from Oxford's website.

Children Want to Write is a collection of Donald Graves most significant writings paired with recovered video-tapes that illuminate his research and his inspiring work with teachers. See the earliest documented use of invented spelling, the earliest attempts to guide young children through a writing process, the earliest conferences. This collection allows you to see this revolutionary shift in writing instruction-with its emphasis on observation, reflection, and approaching children as writers. Read Chapter 3: Follow the Child

Full of both inspirational and practical advice, Writing Children's Fiction: A Writers' and Artists' Companion is an essential guide to writing for some of the most difficult and demanding readers of all: children and young people. Part 1 explores the nature, history and challenges of children's literature, and the amazing variety of genres available for children from those learning to read to young adults. Part 2 includes tips by such bestselling authors as David Almond, Malorie Blackman, Meg Rosoff and Michael Morpurgo. Part 3 contains practical advice - from shaping plots and creating characters to knowing your readers, handling difficult subjects and how to find an agent and publisher when your book or story is complete.

Pie Corbett’s ground-breaking Talk for Writing approach has been successfully used by thousands of schools to teach writing creatively in an engaging way that motivates children. Now Pie and Julia take this multi-sensory approach to Early Years settings introducing a simple way to inspire young children’s language development through storytelling. Children learn language through memorable, meaningful repetition. The Talk for Writing approach enables children to internalise the language of story so that they can imitate it, innovate on it and create their own effective stories independently. Talk for Writing in the Early Years will show you how to put rhyme and story at the heart of your work with children and parents so that young learners language development and creativity flourishes. This multimedia resource shows you how to:•Select a story or rhyme the children will enjoy and tell it engagingly, encouraging the children to join in•Use a story map so they can picture what happens •Use actions to reinforce meaning and emphasise key language patterns•Help children build a bank of tales, developing their linguistic repertoire The 2 DVDs contain: •Footage of Pie Corbett conferences with EY teachers showing Talk for Writing in action •Clips of nursery children engaged in the Talk for Writing approach •Advice on how to use the DVD and handouts to train all staff in the approach •Interviews with parents and nursery school teachers on the impact of Talk for Writing•21 stories with story maps