One of my critique partners recently told me that one of her favorite things about writing is the way you get to create something out of nothing. With our minds and our words, we produce something that didn’t exist before.
As a writer myself, I love teaching writing. I feel a thrill when students get excited about putting their words to paper, and I love reading their stories and perspectives.
Like everything else, my favorite way to teach writing involves curiosity, awe, and play. I’m always on the lookout for an inspiring mentor text or a curiosity-promoting writing prompt.
But what about books that facilitate teaching the writing process itself?
This summer, I discovered two books that address different elements of the writing process, and they are the perfect addition to your classroom library for this year.
Are you ready to meet them? I sure hope so because here they are!
The Books
By Rebecca Gardyn Levington & Kate Kronreif
What to love about this read:
- Lovely, lyrical language
- Whimsical illustrations
- An invitation to reluctant writers
- Play and wonder as the foundation for creativity
- Writing prompts included in the back matter!
Where to use it in your writing lessons:
As you may have guessed, this lovely, lyrical book is all about discovering and cultivating ideas, and it is perfect for a beginning of the year lesson on “brainstorming.”
To introduce the idea of brainstorming, tell your students it looks like a storm is coming. Pull out your umbrella, pop it open, hold out your hand as though catching a raindrop, and ask students if they feel it coming too.
They may protest and tell you it’s ridiculous—bad luck, even!—to open an umbrella inside. There’s no way rain could fall in your classroom, right?
Redirect the conversation and introduce the idea of brainstorming. Tell students you are expecting a flood of ideas today. Look at the cover of Brainstorm! and tell the class that this book is about a student who doesn’t know what to write about. Ask students what they think might happen. Then, read the book and invite your students into a playful brainstorming session that’s focused on the fun of generating ideas.
If your students use a writing journal, have them designate the first or last 5 pages of their journal as an “Idea Pantry.” Encourage them to make a list of words, phrases, questions, and story ideas that they can “pull out of the pantry” when it’s time to write.
By Deborah Underwood & Hannah Marks
What to love about this read:
- General hilarity
- Adorable illustrations
- Kid-friendly introduction to story problems and solutions and plot structure
- Pandas
Where to use it in your writing lessons:
This book is a perfect introduction to plot structure for young writers.
Before reading, tell students that many stories have a problem that the main character or characters have to solve. Ask students to share examples of problems and solutions in stories they have read, watched, or listened to.
Then say: “One way to plan a story is to think of a problem that our main character needs to solve. The main character’s problem usually shows up at the beginning of the story. The rest of the story tells the steps the character takes to solve the problem.”
Introduce The Panda Problem and ask students what they think the problem in this story might be.
Read the story and review: Who were the main characters? What was the narrator’s problem? What did the narrator do to try to solve the problem? What happened as the story went on? (The problems got more and more out of control.) What was the solution at the end of the story? How was the narrator’s problem solved?
After reading, show students a graphic organizer of a story arc. Work together to fill in the graphic organizer as a class by identifying a main character, the main character’s problem, the steps the character takes to solve the problem, and the solution.
Extend this activity by using your class-created story arc as a writing prompt for students to complete independently or as a model for them to create their own story arc using a graphic organizer.
And seriously, who doesn’t love pandas? Especially pandas playing the Banjo Burp song in the jellybean rain? Believe me when I say you are NOT going to want to miss this one.
What are you still doing reading this? Now is the time to go buy these from your local bookstore or check them out from the library if you haven’t already!
But if you’ve already done that and want to stick around for a few minutes, I’d love to hear from you. Take a look at the question below and tell me about the books you use to teach writing in your classroom!
Your turn! What are your favorite books to use to teach the writing process?
P.S. Celebrate life!