Anyone who has taught writing knows that sometimes the hardest part about teaching writing is getting students to write at all.
What we sometimes forget, Kelly Boswell reminds us, is that every writer is reluctant to write at some point. It's the conditions—not the kids—that determine success. In Every Kid A Writer, Kelly provides six field-tested strategies to get everyone in the classroom writing with energy and enthusiasm:
Use mentors and modeling to fuel engagement
Create a safe and daily space for writing
Expose writers to real readers
Offer choice
Maintain a healthy perspective on conventions
Shape writing identity through assessment
Chapters provide moments to pause and reflect, samples of student work, clear explanations of how these strategies and ideas support state and national standards, and practical, powerful ways to try out strategies in your own classroom.
As Kelly writes: "We want kids to know, deep in their bones, that writing has so much to give and so much to teach. It starts with us."