When Writing Workshop Isn't Working: Answers to Ten Tough Questions, Grades 2-5

Have you tried writing workshop, but your students just aren't turning into writers? Are you ready to give up and resort to worksheets? Then this is the book for you! It is full of concrete, do-able activities and includes lots of great strategies for reluctant writers and ELL students. Mark's instructional style focuses on the positives and the belief that every child can be a writer. After reading this, I felt ready to tackle writing workshop!

It's nice to know that everyone deals with the same roadblocks when teaching children to write. This book addresses those difficulties and provides support that is relavant and easy to transfer into whatever program or style of teaching writing you are presently using.

Very strongly recommended reading for teachers whose young students don't seem to be benefiting from their writing workshop assignments and experiences, When Writing Workshop Isn't Working: Answers To Ten Tough Questions Grades 2-5 by Mark Overmeyer (Literacy Coordinator for Cherry Creek Schools near Denver, Colorado) is an invaluable reference for teachers in attempt to aide them in their teaching of students struggling with writing. Introducing readers to an easy-to-follow and "user-friendly" format, When Writing Workshop Isn't Working answers questions like; how do I help students who don't know what to write about?, how do I help students develop stronger vocabulary and word choice?, How do I prepare my students for standardized tests without compromising my writing program?, how should I assess student writing?, and how can I help my students use revision effectively? When Writing Workshop Isn't Working is an invaluable compendium of information and studies on bringing ease to the education and writing abilities of young people between grades two and five.

This book is an excellent resource for teachers and parents who are involved in helping elementary students develop their writing skills. And while it is specifically written for helping students in grades 2-5, the concepts Overmeyer presents are sound writing practices for all ages. More than a textbook, this book is a joy to read. The examples of actual student writing that he liberally peppers throughout each chapter are well-chosen, pertinent and endearing. I found myself drawn to each new chapter not only for the information and the how-to, but also to find out what else the students had written. Overmeyer does not limit the examples to the best and the most polished pieces, but shows students' works in progress so that we can see the process. And with Overmeyer it is all about the process! He suggests that recopying isn't writing and he teaches students to edit and improve their writing rather than spend time recopying. Overmeyer is sensitive to all learners and learning styles and you will see your elementary student reflected within the pages of this book. I have a 2nd grader, Danny, who absolutely hates to write, and since he wants to be an artist when he grows up, he believes that when it comes to writing, all he'll need to do is sign his name to his pieces of art! One technique Overmeyer suggests with reluctant writers is to draw pictures first and then arrange them in sequence and discuss them before starting to write, so I asked Danny to draw pictures and then tell me the story. After that I reiterated the story to Danny, reflecting what he already told me and giving him a chance to hear it again. It was amazing! Not only was Danny excited to create the story, but he pushed ahead, working to get sentence after sentence down on paper. In this book you get Overmeyer's 20+ years of experience in teaching writing to students and helping teachers teach writing. Furthermore, Overmeyer is a writer himself and a member of the Denver Writing Project. He models writing right along with the students. They see him struggling with word choice and editing, just as they do. Not only is this book is an important resource for both teachers and parents, but you will also actually enjoy reading it.