Writing Reminders: Tools, Tips, and Techniques

by Jim Burke

Like Reading Reminders , its best-selling companion, Writing Reminders is designed to be read on the run-between periods, while planning, even while teaching-to make every minute count in your classroom, to help you work smarter and more effectively. And like Reading Reminders , it features Jim Burke's best techniques, this time for teaching writing, complete with tools and tips on how to implement them. Every reminder is a result of his daily effort to solve the problems he faces in his classroom. And each one shows how it is possible to teach all students, as long as they make a genuine effort, to write clear, cohesive prose. Look at the table of contents and in thirty seconds get an idea that will help you. Each reminder clearly states a technique in its title and Writing Reminders directly addresses standards-based instruction, too, providing techniques and assignments to hone students' skills in key areas and prepare them to succeed on important state tests. Built on a foundation of recent research into effective literacy teaching, the book offers a wealth of useful resources and processes that result in greater engagement and higher-level performance without "teaching to the test." Regardless of the grade, the ability level, or even the subject you teach, you can find no better way to easily and quickly improve your writing instruction than to use Writing Reminders . And pair it with Reading Reminders for a complete reading and writing curriculum with ready-to-use techniques for effective teaching.

Genres: Teaching, Writing, Education, Nonfiction

416 pages, Paperback

First published August 4, 2003

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database.

A longtime English teacher, Jim Burke is the author of more than 20 books and senior consultant for the Holt McDougal Literature program. Jim has received several awards, including the 2000 NCTE Exemplary English Leadership Award. In 2009, he created the English Companion Ning―the largest online community of English teachers in the world. More recently, Jim has served on the AP English Course and Exam Review Commission and the PARCC Consortium.

Reviews

[Grace · Rating 4 out of 5]

While not quite as valuable as Laura Robb's Teaching of Middle School Writers, Burke's Writing Reminders contains quite a bit of handy information. His chapters are short and sweet -- many are less than 10 pages -- and easy to read. Like Robb's book, Writing Reminders can be used for elementary, middle school, high school, and college education with minimal tweaking. This book is more useful for teachers of other subjects than Teaching of Middle School Writers, as well; Burke talks about incorporating writing assignments into math, social studies, and more. Every teacher should pick this up.

[Juli R · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've found this book useful for my beginning composition students in a community college as well as for my high school students. Burke offers rationales for teaching the techniques, examples from his own students, and graphic organizers and handouts for select techniques. This is one of those books you'll keep on your desk, returning to it often as everything in the book is classroom-tested and classrooom-ready.

[Cassey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has revolutionized the way I approach and teach writing in my courses! The book was packed with excellent ideas as to how to introduce and reinforce writing throughout the curriculum. As a teacher of 8th, 9th, and AP English, I am always in need of ways to teach writing to a large spectrum of students. I filled this book with sticky notes of lessons and materials that i know will be useful in my courses. Any teacher looking to improve their writing instruction needs to read this book!

[Diana Pettis · Rating 4 out of 5]

5.28.12: Need to start this. Started to look at sections today definately has the feel of a more traditional text book. Hope I can find some useful information.

Finished and talked about with the group at the Southern Maine Writing Project.

[Christy · Rating 4 out of 5]

100 Quick Tips

[Mark · Rating 2 out of 5]

Jim Burke is an excellent teacher in the San Francisco Bay Area who offers several excellent ideas in this book.

[Lori · Rating 5 out of 5]

He's always a great resource.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

VERY helpful, will use.