Contains a collection of 101 reproducible activities and exercises designed to engage students in the writing process, encouraging children to write and talk about a wide range of text components.

In this book you will read many examples of rich literacy conversations between a teacher and his 8th grade students that never would have occurred face to face in the classroom. These conversations take place online when 8th graders write to their teacher about the books they’re interested in reading and choosing to read independently. Students write about what happens when they read or don’t read, how they feel about reading, how they’re connecting with characters and ideas, why they don’t have enough time to read, and what their reading goals are. And their teacher writes back to them. Every week. After each conversation you will read some “meta-talk” that shines a light on what the conversation has taught us about this language learner and how this “data”is informing our beliefs and practices. Embedded within the chapters are suggested resources (articles, book recommendations, links, websites, blogs, etc.) you can follow should you want to read more in that chapter. What these students reveal about their own literacy development- their successes, their challenges, their lives- and how their teacher nudges them along socially, emotionally and academically, teach us the value and power of one practical, authentic literacy tool- the Reading Conversation Journal.

In the early grades, talking and drawing can provide children with a natural pathway to writing, yet these components are often overlooked. In Talking, Drawing, Writing: Lessons for Our Youngest Writers , authors Martha Horn and Mary Ellen Giacobbe invite readers to join them in classrooms where they listen, watch, and talk with children, then use what they learn to create lessons designed to meet children where they are and lead them into the world of writing. The authors make a case for a broader definition of writing, advocating for formal storytelling sessions, in which children tell about what they know, and for focused sketching sessions so that budding writers learn how to observe more carefully.The book's lessons are organized by topic and include oral storytelling, drawing, writing words, assessment, introducing booklets, and moving writers forward. Based on the authors' work in urban kindergarten and first-grade classes, the essence and structure of many of the lessons lend themselves to adaptation through fifth grade. The lessons follow a consistent format: What's going on in the classroom? What do children need to learn next? Materials needed to teach the lesson Language used in each lesson Reasons behind why certain books are chosen and suggestions for additional children’s books The authors show the thinking behind their teaching decisions and provide a way to look at and assess children's writing, giving us much more than a book of lessons; they present a vision of what beginning writing can look and sound like. Perhaps most powerfully, they give us examples of the language they use with children that reveal a genuine respect for and trust in children as learners.

Yes—we can have our cake and eat it too! We can improve students’ reading and writing performance without sacrificing authenticity. In Read, Talk, Write, Laura Robb shows us how. First, she makes sure students know the basics of six types of talk. Next, she shares 35 lessons that support rich conversation. Finally, she includes new pieces by Seymour Simon, Kathleen Krull, and others so you have texts to use right away. Read, Talk, Write: it’s a process your students not only can do, but one they will love to do.

Using Talk to Support Writing presents a new and innovative approach to the teaching of early writing. The authors discuss both theoretical and practical issues around using talk in the classroom to support children as they learn to write. Set within the context of national concern for achievement in the development of writing ability, it addresses the gap in understanding early teaching and focuses on the exploration of how talk and writing interface. This includes: - Numerous examples of teaching and activities for using talk to support writing - Using extensive data from classrooms; video and audio recordings, and transcripts of children′s talk - Exploring three aspects of talk when used to support writing: talk for idea generation; talk for oral rehearsal and talk for reflection. This book is for students on Primary ITT courses, particularly for English specialists. Students on M-level English and literacy courses will also find it useful.

Talk for Writing, developed by Pie Corbett and supported by Julia Strong, is a proven approach to teaching writing that is engaging and motivating for students and teachers alike. Building on best practice, this practical guide takes you step by step through how to establish quality written communication across the secondary curriculum. It can be used as a handbook by a literacy coordinator to lead the approach as well as being a source of practical ideas for each subject area. Every teacher can help students internalize the pattern of language of their subject through focused talk activities related to exemplar text. This enables students to independently generate the sentence patterns and structures that are key to effective communication in any subject. Julia Strong puts the experience of the learner at the centre. By establishing some consistent approaches across the curriculum, the learner can see how what they learn in one area can be transferred to support learning in another. The approach progressively builds up students' linguistic competence involving them in co-constructing the next steps they need to take to make progress. This practical resource offers: • Wide range of examples from all subject areas with a particular focus on science • Online Learning Centre with training session with teachers showing Talk for Writing in action suitable to use on training days to help introduce and embed the approach • Over 80 customisable handouts downloadable from the Online Learning Centre • Customisable PowerPoint slides to train all staff in the approach Thoroughly grounded in the principles of formative assessment, Talk for Writing if systematically applied across the curriculum really can turn secondary students into powerful communicators. Try it, it works! 'Silent classrooms do not lend themselves to progress, the Foreword to this important new book reminds us. What follows is an exceptionally well-informed and practical guide to how high quality talk can lead to high quality writing. I strongly recommend it for all teachers across all subjects'. Geoff Barton, Headteacher of King Edward VI School, Suffolk, UK, author and speaker

Speaking is the #1 fear among North American adults. Twenty percent of all business communication is designed to clear up the confusion that the last piece of business communication created. Allan is passionate about solving these serious business problems with clear, short, effective communication. As a consultant to international diplomats in world capitals, Allan learned the value of five minute meetings, one sentence directions and one page briefing notes. In his work with the military, he learned how clear communication protects lives and unclear messages can result in death. With chapters on witness preparation, sales, negotiation, media, public speaking and internal presentations, this is a comprehensive guide for anyone who must direct others or ask for help in writing or verbally—and that's everybody.

Your power tools for making the complex comprehensible Now more than ever, our students are being asked to do highly advanced thinking, talking, and writing around their reading. If only there were ingenious new tools that could give our students the space to tease apart complex ideas in order to comprehend and weld their understandings into a new whole. Good news: these tools exist—Mining Complex Text. You’ll learn how graphic organizers can: Help students read, reread, and take notes on a text Promote students’ oral sharing of information and their ideas Elevate organized note-making from complex text(s) Scaffold students’ narrative and informational writing