The Writing Strategies Book: Your Everything Guide to Developing Skilled Writers

by Jennifer Serravallo

The Reading Strategies Book made the New York Times Best Seller List by making it simpler to match students' needs to high-quality instruction. Now, in The Writing Strategies Book, Jen Serravallo does the same, collecting 300 of the most effective strategies to share with writers, and grouping them beneath 10 crucial goals. "You can think of the goals as the what , "writes Jen, "and the strategies as the how ." From composing with pictures all the way to conventions and beyond, you'll have just-right teaching, just in time. With Jen's help you' She even offers suggestions for stocking your writing center, planning units of study, celebrating student writing, and keeping records. Whether you use Writing Workshop, 6+1 Traits, Daily 5's "Work on Writing," a scripted writing program, the writing exercises in your basal, or any other approach, you'll discover a treasure chest of ways to work with whole classes, small groups, or individual writers. "I am convinced that helping kids to articulate clear goals for their work," writes Jen Serravallo, "and supporting them with strategies and feedback to accomplish those goals, makes a huge difference." With The Writing Strategies Book you can make that kind of difference with your writers every day.

Genres: Education, Teaching, Professional Development, Writing, Nonfiction, School, Read For School

424 pages, Paperback

Published January 27, 2017

Reviews

[Shari (Shira) · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm lukewarm about this offering. I think the publisher pushed for the book due to the sales success of the reading strategies book. Many of the strategies seemed contrived, created and added just to make it to 300.

[Julie Peffley · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Writing Strategies book is a great resource for teachers in grades K-8 (although a savvy teacher could adapt some of the strategies to upper grades). Like in her reading strategies book, Serravallo shares 300 strategies and classroom activities from all components of the writing process. The lessons are organized and indexed so they are easy to find.

[Kady · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found a lot of great (mostly creative) writing strategies. I think there were quite a few strategies that were pretty much repeated, but overall the book is very useful. I will definitely refer back to this when teaching writing a personal narrative next school year.

[Natalie Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm a second year teacher and read this start to finish. It is easy to read, well organized, and a must have for any teacher!

[Nikki Baker · Rating 5 out of 5]

This might be the greatest writing resource book I have come across! Often books claim to cover K-8 and then kindergarten gets brushed over. Not the case here! After my first read, it is full of sticky notes, highlighted passages and tabs. This is will a go to for me for years to come.

[Joyce Yattoni · Rating 5 out of 5]

Writing is a difficult skill. Teaching writing is even more difficult. This book has 300 strategies, mini lessons, writing activities to work on skills related to all types of writing. Quick, easy and most low prep.

[Maranda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really like using this professional resource book in my classroom to help my writing instruction. The author, Jennifer Serravallo offers over 300 writing strategy mini lessons as well as example anchor charts you can create to go along with each. This resource has been especially helpful to me because my school does not currently have a writing curriculum or program so it has been difficult to teach writing skills with nothing to go off of. This book has really helped me to develop the writers in my classroom. I also really love the sister book to this, The Reading Strategies Book by Jennifer Serravallo.

[Skye · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an amazing resource!! I will admit to just skimming most of it because it needs individual students to match the skills to and I am on summer vacation. But it is chopped full of useful teaching ideas to improve students writing. I feel most of the activities can be scaffolded up or down depending on what students need and do not necessarily need to be tied to their specified grade levels. I can see this becoming a holy grail teaching program/resource in the coming years. I am dying to get my hands on the reading strategy book now!

[Katie Elmer · Rating 4 out of 5]

"...this is not a read-every-single-page kind of a book (unless you want it to be)." Too late, Jen. I done did it. And now I have amassed the world's largest army of post-it note markers, ready for battle at any time. There are also multiple battle plans for student teaching. Look out world, my BigBrain is coming.

Jen makes teaching writing go from terrifying, abstract chaos into visible, concrete, and possible. Thanks girlfriend :)

[Jessica Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is another great resource from Jennifer Serravallo. Lots of great strategies that address the whole writing process and are easy to implement. This book has definitely become one of my go-to resources.

[Angel Boucher · Rating 3 out of 5]

Similar to the reading strategies book, I felt like this was directed more toward elementary school than any middle or high school level. There were some useful strategies that were new and I never would have thought of, but not many. There are great uses for anchor charts though.

[Melissa Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love using this book to help plan my writers workshop!

[Brooke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another amazing resource from Jennifer Serravallo!

[Nicole Cruz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent resource for my ESL students.

[Cindy Wise · Rating 4 out of 5]

lots of good ideas/strategies to help kids think about different aspects of writing from early to middle grades.

[Ems Loves to Read · Rating 5 out of 5]

I feel like this book will help change the way I teach writing. I'm very excited to put these strategies into practice.

[Lara Ruark · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book contains hundreds of strategies to teach writing with K-8 students. A valuable resource.

[Stacy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full of lots of practical strategies to help teachers effectively teach writing.

[Saundra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent, practical classroom use. I've been excited to see the progress we are making with choice writing using these strategies.

[Charity · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding ideas and direction for the teaching of writing. I reread it frequently. It is a go to book.

[Melanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I use this book regularly in my class to give students individual goals to work towards in their writing. Great poster examples too.

[Marriah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is full of great practical information for any writing teacher. It has over 300 strategies to use in an easy to read format.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book will be essential as I begin Writer's Workshop this year!

[Liz · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you teach, and especially if you teach reading and writing, you need this book.

[Pamela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just like the sister book with reading strategies, this is an excellent resource. The ideas are easily adaptable to fit my classroom, and the students like them and remember what they learned.

[Jezire C Akin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great teaching tool.

[Sandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

3-4 stars? I have to sit on it for a while to decide.

I didn't find this to be as informational, creative, or fun as The Reading Strategies Book, but there are some things to try in here.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not as strong as the reading strategies book but as a companion it’s very very good.

[Annette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great resource from Jennifer.

[Liz Bauer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a great resource for K-8 writing curriculum and lesson planning!