Craft and Process Studies: Units That Provide Writers with Choice of Genre

by Matt Glover

If you believe that all students should have opportunities to write in genres of their choice but aren't sure how, Matt Glover is here to help. In Craft and Process Studies, Matt makes a compelling case for raising student engagement and writing quality by allowing students to choose the genre they want to write in. Then he shows you how with 17 possible units, divided into craft and process studies, that teach important writing skills while also providing opportunities for choice of genre. Matt uses a predictable structure for each unit that includes suggestions
- applicable grade ranges
- time of year to try
- key unit goals and questions
- mentor texts
- minilesson topics
- conferring goals. With key teaching points, ideas for how to fit the units into your existing curriculum, and strategies to overcome common roadblocks, Matt gives you all the specific how-to's for implementing the studies even in school settings where writing units are already set. And with 40 classroom videos, you'll see the power of this work in action.

Genres: Education

232 pages, Paperback

Published October 28, 2019

Reviews

[April · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book for those who teach writing. Though this is geared towards elementary level teachers, the general concepts here are adaptable to the high school level—organizing units of study around craft and writing process steps rather than solely genre. I love the idea of letting kids choose the genres they write in while you teach the steps of the writing process or hone craft. This is a very detailed book. I read it through, but you could easily read the first section (to get the basic concept) and then dip in and out of part two, where Glover gives ideas for units of study.

[Ernest Fleming · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a must read for writing teachers! There are many ideas and details in regards to how to teach writing. The last part, the one which details all the types of “units” a teacher can do, follows a similar pattern. I found after a few units some of the areas were a bit similar. Yet, I will be using many of Glover’s ideas with my Writing Workshop next year.

[Kelly Ussery · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent resource for writing teachers!