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The Practical Tutor
An invaluable resource for teachers, teaching assistants, peer tutors and parents, The Practical Tutor provides a comprehensive guide to improving composition. It explores typical writing problems and their causes, summarizes recent research and thinking in the field of composition, and
suggests practical strategies for helping writers overcome their difficulties. Equally useful as a course text and as a reference book for teachers and tutors, it includes exercises for getting acquainted with writers and helping them to generate ideas, shape essays, master basic writing mechanics,
write about literature and other texts, and even use computers to improve their work. It also offers suggestions for journal entries, independent writing, class activities, and further reading. Illustrated with representative compositions and sample dialogues between tutors and writers, The
Practical Tutor shows, in the most precise terms, how to formulate questions that will spur students at all levels to make their own corrections and to write critically and independently.
suggests practical strategies for helping writers overcome their difficulties. Equally useful as a course text and as a reference book for teachers and tutors, it includes exercises for getting acquainted with writers and helping them to generate ideas, shape essays, master basic writing mechanics,
write about literature and other texts, and even use computers to improve their work. It also offers suggestions for journal entries, independent writing, class activities, and further reading. Illustrated with representative compositions and sample dialogues between tutors and writers, The
Practical Tutor shows, in the most precise terms, how to formulate questions that will spur students at all levels to make their own corrections and to write critically and independently.
368 pages, Hardcover
First published September 24, 1987
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
June 9, 2011
This book would be of interest to anyone who teaches/wants to teach composition. I got a lot out of it. It discusses theories of how beginning and experienced writers compose (this was especially interesting to me because I recently came off that book which introduced literary theories--how people read, essentially! Now I have in my head lots of ways that people approach generating and analyzing texts). Beyond discussing theories of composition, it gives great sample dialogues between writing tutors and students. These dialogues model the techniques described by the book--how to get your student to brainstorm, analyze the assignment's language, build thesis statements, etc. The dialogues also present successful and not-so-successful interactions between tutors and students.
In terms of theory, I was intrigued by the book's argument--experienced writers know that writing is "dialogical." That is, they are constantly conversing with a "reading self," a sort of interior "other" that offers the kind of feedback that a careful reader might. Inexperienced writers have to learn to dialogue with themselves about their work, and, as the writer develops this other self, the writing tutor can be a helpful stand-in. Cool idea about writing being dialogical, and seems true to me!
(On a sidenote, the book encouraged the tutor to talk to their student about the writing process. Some students might view the writing process as quick, neat, and easy, and get frustrated and think they are doing it all wrong when writing is hard. The book says, tell the student that writing is messy and full of struggles! Give them a realistic model! As a writer I found this reassuring, haha.)
One tutoring tip that hit home for me--don't overwhelm with advice, insights, comments, and feedback! In retrospect, I think I did this as an editor with my authors. The book had a very good point that you want to take your students at their own pace, interests, and styles of learning. In general, I really liked how this book stressed how to help your students learn by leading them further into their own minds and ideas. Ask questions instead of telling what to do!
Other tips had to do with helping students begin to formulate and organize ideas into writing. These tips were all very concrete (various types of list-making, diagramming, idea-mapping, glossing, etc).
I think I'd like teaching composition--I feel like you'd be helping students develop both intellectually and creatively.
This is a clear book with lots of useful information! The edition I read was written in 1987, though, so at times it is rather amusingly dated.
In terms of theory, I was intrigued by the book's argument--experienced writers know that writing is "dialogical." That is, they are constantly conversing with a "reading self," a sort of interior "other" that offers the kind of feedback that a careful reader might. Inexperienced writers have to learn to dialogue with themselves about their work, and, as the writer develops this other self, the writing tutor can be a helpful stand-in. Cool idea about writing being dialogical, and seems true to me!
(On a sidenote, the book encouraged the tutor to talk to their student about the writing process. Some students might view the writing process as quick, neat, and easy, and get frustrated and think they are doing it all wrong when writing is hard. The book says, tell the student that writing is messy and full of struggles! Give them a realistic model! As a writer I found this reassuring, haha.)
One tutoring tip that hit home for me--don't overwhelm with advice, insights, comments, and feedback! In retrospect, I think I did this as an editor with my authors. The book had a very good point that you want to take your students at their own pace, interests, and styles of learning. In general, I really liked how this book stressed how to help your students learn by leading them further into their own minds and ideas. Ask questions instead of telling what to do!
Other tips had to do with helping students begin to formulate and organize ideas into writing. These tips were all very concrete (various types of list-making, diagramming, idea-mapping, glossing, etc).
I think I'd like teaching composition--I feel like you'd be helping students develop both intellectually and creatively.
This is a clear book with lots of useful information! The edition I read was written in 1987, though, so at times it is rather amusingly dated.
December 16, 2008
some useful heuristics and a sound philosophy on improving the *writer* as opposed to a single piece of writing, but super idealist and more than a little redundant.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews