From poetry to social networks, writing affects us all. Having taught the art of writing for years while producing literary works of national renown, Larry Woiwode thus explores the mysterious power of language, offering readers a diverse collection of thought-provoking essays on the meaning and significance of writing. In teaching the art of putting words on a page, Woiwode highlights the crucial role that writing plays in communicating with others and fashioning meaning for our lives. The book's 21 essays will help Christians grasp the foundational importance of writing and to be more intentional about how they use words to express their emotions, desires, and beliefs.

Reading-Writing Connections: From Theory to Practice is an extraordinary language arts methods text that enables elementary and middle school teachers to create classroom environments where all students can become lifelong readers and writers. Focusing on developmentally appropriate methods and materials, this remarkably readable book empowers a new generation of teachers to integrate reading, writing, listening, and speaking in K-8 classrooms. Heller's highly accessible writing style makes this book suitable as a primary text for undergraduate and graduate courses in language arts, reading, writing, and literacy. Special features of this second edition include: * a vision of how to transform cutting-edge theory and research into classroom practice that utilizes integrated language arts instruction; *a unique developmental perspective with separate chapters on teaching methods and materials for kindergarten, primary (1-3), intermediate (4-6), and middle grades (7-8); * instructional guidelines that offer generous, detailed suggestions for applying theory to practice, plus "For You to Try" and "For Your Journal" exercises that encourage critical thinking and reflection; and * a wealth of classroom vignettes, examples of students' oral and written language, illustrations, and figures that accentuate interesting and informative theory, research, and practice. In addition, Reading-Writing Connections offers expanded content on the impact of sociocultural theory and the whole language movement on the teaching of reading and writing across the curriculum; greater emphasis on cultural diversity, including new multicultural children's literature booklists that complement the general children's literature bibliographies; and current information on alternative assessment, emerging technologies, the multiage classroom, reader response to literature, and thematic teaching.

"Word study is an approach to teaching phonics, vocabulary, and spelling that is based on a developmental model described by Henderson and his students. Given the reciprocal nature between reading and writing, phonics, spelling and vocabulary are integrated in instruction. Teachers understand that this word study approach integrates phonics, spelling, and vocabulary, and have challenged us to share concrete examples of how teachers organize and implement word study and how literacy educators in universities and school districts conduct professional learning for word study. The primary goal, then, is to make word study work for our students. The authors of each chapter show how literacy leaders and teacher educators guide others in a wide variety of educational settings. Stories in this volume capture classroom conversations, describe professional learning communities, and present coaching scenarios that will resonate with reader's experiences"--

In this practical guide to teaching beginning language learners of all ages, Calhoun encourages us to begin where the learners begin--with their developed listening and speaking vocabularies and other accumulated knowledge about the world. Engage students in shaking words out of a picture--words from their speaking vocabularies--to begin the process of building their reading and writing skills. Use the picture word inductive model (PWIM) to teach several skills simultaneously, beginning with the mechanics of forming letters to hearing and identifying the phonetic components of language, to classifying words and sentences, through forming paragraphs and stories based on observation. Built into the PWIM is the structure required to assess the needs and understandings of your students immediately, adjust the lesson in response, and to use explicit instruction and inductive activities. Individual, small-group, and large-group activities are inherent to the model and flow naturally as the teacher arranges instruction according to the 10 steps of the PWIM. Students and teachers move through the model and work on developing skills and abilities in reading, writing, listening, and comprehension as tools for thinking, learning, and sharing ideas.

"The most common words for teaching reading, writing, and spelling."--Page 4 of cover.

A complete road map for word knowledge instruction in PreK-2, this book focuses on developing the word recognition and phonics skills identified in the Common Core standards for foundational skills. It offers clear-cut instructions for assessing students' stages of word knowledge development--emergent, beginning, or transitional--and their specific instructional needs. Chapters on each developmental stage are packed with effective learning activities and strategies, plus guidance for fitting them into the classroom day. Of special value, online-only appendices provide purchasers with more than 50 reproducible assessment and instructional tools, ready to download and print in a convenient 8 1/2" x 11" size.

Making Words Stick shows you how to move beyond spelling lists and rote memorization to make words both meaningful and memorable for all your students. It builds on the connection between vocabulary and comprehension and guides teachers in their most important task-- building a strong literacy foundation. Full of efficient, effective, and engaging strategies, this useful guide explores innovative ways to organize vocabulary instruction in the grade 1 to 8 classroom. It demonstrates how to: create a positive, student-centered environment for the concept-based, multi-layered learning of words;teach vocabulary during shared reading, guided reading, and independent center time;incorporate visual displays of read aloud/picture study vocabulary to develop important conceptual knowledge;introduce think-and-search prompts and stretch charts to expand word knowledge during shared reading;build reading and writing independence with a wealth of fun small-group, and word-play challenges. From the role of semantics and syntax to original classroom-tested activities, this imaginative guide helps you give your students the lifelong gift of words and language.