How to Use This Guidebook
In an effort to make this a practical resource that will assist K–12 teachers and others in the education field, this publication links research with promising practices developed and implemented by innovative and committed teachers. Interviews with teachers, parents, and students; document study; and classroom observations have been used to gather information on the challenges and successes of elementary and secondary teachers in today's schools.
The practitioner examples are intended to share tried-and-true ideas and spark new ones. We strive to show a variety of strategies—some may be similar to activities you already do while others may stretch your thinking. They are not designed to be used exactly as described, but to be adapted by teachers to fit their students and classroom environment. Teachers are encouraged to take notes on their implementation of the strategies, documenting what went well and what could be improved in their adaptations.
The student samples show the wonderful range of writing that students produce. They are included to illustrate the kind of writing that students engaged in through these activities. Some of the work is excerpted, while other samples are displayed as completed. We have not edited the students' work.
Readers may want to examine the research studies on story and writing in more depth than is offered in the introduction. In addition, further study may be needed to implement some of the suggested strategies and practices and to explore additional ones. There is a wealth of resources available to teachers. In fact, the sheer number of relevant books is overwhelming. For this reason, the appendices that follow the main text include an annotated bibliography of selected resources for teachers, as well as an extensive bibliography of the references cited throughout the guidebook. To further aid in professional study, we have included handouts with study group discussion questions and summaries of relevant guiding research.
The use of frequent headings, sidebars, and bullets allows busy practitioners to quickly find information relevant to their questions and interests. The document is written so that practitioners need not read cover to cover but can pick and choose which sections are relevant to them. The materials are divided into these sections:
Tapestry of Tales: Shared Voices, Shared Memories, Shared Lives
This portion of the book discusses the professional literature and practitioner findings related to:
- The importance of personal, family, and community stories to our lives and to our writing
- Reinforcing the reading-writing connection
- Developing and deepening writing competencies
Many of the quotes and examples are taken from the practitioner examples described in the next section.
Practitioner Examples
The examples are organized into three grade levels: primary, intermediate, and middle/high school. However, we suggest that many of the strategies can be adapted to fit any grade level. Again, the strategies are not meant to be used exactly as described but to spark ideas that can be adapted to fit the teacher's individual context. At the end of each example is a section with a project outline, teacher contact information, and a list of a few of the many picture books or young adult titles that can spur rich conversations on themes related to the example project. These books may be helpful in introducing a similar project to students.
Handouts
- Professional Study Group Discussion Questions—Provides questions for each practitioner example
- Children's and Young Adult Literature To Support Writing About Self, Family, and Community—Includes lists of literature that can be used to introduce and support writing
- The Reading-Writing Relationship—Summarizes seven research-based instructional principles proposed by Timothy Shanahan, National Reading Panel member and chair of the National Literacy Panel and the National Early Literacy Panel
- 13 Core Understandings About Learning To Read—Lists core understandings about learning to read proposed by Jane Braunger and Jan Lewis in their 1997 publication Building a Knowledge Base in Reading, as summarized by Deborah Davis and Jan Lewis in Tips for Parents About Reading
Appendices
- Writers on Writing: Professional Resources—An annotated bibliography that includes descriptions of professional resources for teachers and other educators related to teaching writing and the use of personal, family, or community stories in the classroom
- Writing Project Web Sites—Provides an annotated list of writing project Web sites that offer examples and resources for planning and implementing a project that includes writing about self, family, and community
- Multicultural Web Sites—Offers an annotated list of multicultural Web sites with valuable information for teachers in our increasingly diverse society
