Don't Forget to Write: 54 Enthralling and Effective Writing Lessons for Students 6-18 [Paperback]

Workshop Teachers at 826 Valencia 826La and 826NYC (Author), Tony Millionaire (Illustrator), Todd Pound (Illustrator), Erika Lopez (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 2005 | Age Level: 6 and up | Grade Level: 2 and up

If you're in need of 54 great writing lesson plans, today is your lucky day. Don't Forget to Write has exactly that: 54 great writing lesson plans road-tested at 826 writing labs across the country. These range from goofy fun classes like "Writing for Pets," to more practical workshops like "College Application Essay Boot Camp," and all were written by experts. Our favorite authors pitched in, too. If you're a teacher, we think this book will make your life easier. If you're an aspiring writer, we've got lots of great ideas for you too. And if you're a reader, we offer entertainment and food for thought — 54 lesson plans' worth.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 6 and up
  
• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: 826 Valencia (October 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0977084434
• ISBN-13: 978-0977084432
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,044,054 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Ideal for anyone who wants to expand their writing skills, June 12, 2006

By 

Paul Sas "Paul Whitmore Sas" (Berkeley) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Don't Forget to Write: 54 Enthralling and Effective Writing Lessons for Students 6-18 (Paperback)

826Valencia is the writing program for kids that brought Dave Eggers back to San Francisco (or was it Eggers who brought the tutoring program?). It's an inspiring space, where kids can participate in every kind of writing workshop: Write a guidebook of your neighborhood, make your own jokes, invent your own country, sportswriting, short-short stories, and scores more. Jenny Traig, the comedic voice behind books such as Judaikitsch, contributed significantly, as she's the creator or co-creator of 5 exercises here. Most have been road-tested, and come with very clear guidelines and helpful tricks for staying on-track. Neal Pollack's plan for Bad writing is thinner than most of the others, and reads more like a plan for a plan. This exception highlights how substantial, even crunchy, most of the lessons are. Many include writing samples from earlier participants. I bought this book for my own self-instruction, rather than to share with a young writer. Almost any of the tips, techniques, and tricks offered here would be perfectly appropriate for an adult writing workshop, and I'm sure the accomplished authors who have donated lesson plans here (e.g., Sarah Vowell, Vendela Vida, Meghan Daum) could use these same exercises when teaching at expensive writing retreats.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A winner, March 1, 2009

By 

Warrior Mom "WM" (Illinois) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Don't Forget to Write: 54 Enthralling and Effective Writing Lessons for Students 6-18 (Paperback)

Used this for a homeschool cooperative creative writing class, and it was really great! it is also good for one on one activities for homeschoolers, as well as for classroom teachers in regular classrooms.

There are many creative choices to pick from, and every one provides everything you need for an effective lesson. I had no problem filling an 8-week middle school session, with amazingly little added effort!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent classroom resource..., August 7, 2008

By 

R. Ryan (Wisconsin) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Don't Forget to Write: 54 Enthralling and Effective Writing Lessons for Students 6-18 (Paperback)

As an MFA dropout (and current middle school teacher), I've found it next to impossible to find teaching materials on writing for the 6th-8th grade set that don't make me cringe. This is the first book I've actually used in the classroom. The activities are age-appropriate and easily adapted across grade levels. Sure, some of the suggestions can be a little cheesy or too theatrical (I will NEVER dress up as a character and come into the classroom...), but for the most part, these are suggestions that you could just as easily find in a writing workshop at the college level. I really appreciate the emphasis on novelty and inspiration in the initial stages of the writing process. I also appreciate teaching materials that come from individuals who treat writing as a craft, not as a series of steps to simply achieve a product.
This book provided me with teaching inspiration and helped to inject some fun and humor into the dreary months of late winter when most of my students seemed to run out of steam. I paid full price for my copy (I'm usually a bargain shopper and a big fan of inter-library loan...) and I'm pleased to say that I never regretted a cent of it.