Four Square Writing Method : A Unique Approach to Teaching Basic Writing Skills for Grades 1-3 (Paperback)

~ Judith S. Gould (Author), Evan Jay Gould (Author), Judy Mitchell (Editor), Mary Rojas (Illustrator) "Four square instruction should be done at least biweekly-weekly in the primary grade classroom..." (more)
Key Phrases: feeling sentence, big ending, connecting words, Learning Company, Yankee Stadium, Also Friends (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Teach writing skills using this innovative new approach that has been proven to work in classrooms just like yours. The Four Square method can be used with all forms of writing and will fit any reading or language arts program. This step-by-step approach is built around a simple graphic organizer that first shows students how to collect ideas and then helps them use those ideas to create clear and polished prose. Open-ended reproducibles make the technique accessible to writers of all ability ranges. Also great for content area writing.

About the Author

Judith Gould is an experienced classroom teacher. She is a writing resource teacher for grades K-5 at Windy Hill Elementary School in Florida. As a teacher consultant to the National Writing Project, she has been a frequent workshop presenter on methods to improve writing scores.

Evan Gould has been teaching music and drama for over 10 years. He teaches at Paterson Elementary School in Florida where he has been named teacher of the year. He has had great success integrating the basic subject areas into his hands-on arts program. He is currently enrolled at the University of Florida in a program for Educational Leadership in Administration.

Product Details

• Paperback: 112 pages
• Publisher: Lorenz Corporation (November 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1573101885
• ISBN-13: 978-1573101882
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 8.3 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #66,172 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Useful Tool, February 1, 2001

By A Customer

This is a very practical, useful book for teachers working with writers grades 4-8. The 4-square method offers a simple, yet innovative graphic organizer which my students (7th grade reg. ed. and grades 5-8 learning dis./lang. impaired) found extremely easy to understand and use. The method is also helpful in notetaking from text or narrative, and the authors give some lesson ideas across curriculums.

The graphics are serviceable, but seem more appropriate for younger students.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, visual approach to teaching kids to write reports, March 2, 2007

By	Learning All The Time "It's Never Too Late to... (USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

Amazon Verified Purchase

This approach is soooo much better than the outlining approach I learned over 30 years ago. I have no idea why it is so much easier for kids to fill in boxes than fill out an outline, but for some reason it is. My kids are writing basic reports quickly and easily and without the tears and frustration we had last fall. The method is easy to learn and use, and I highly recommend it.

However, if you are more interested in teaching creative writing, then I wouldn't use this approach - in my view, 4-square is well suited to non-fiction reports and essays, but not for writing adventure stories, etc...

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Four Square Writing Method, October 10, 2005

By	Lisa B. Laborde - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Four Square Writing Method: A Unique Approach to Teaching Basic Writing Skills for Grades 4-6 (Paperback)

I love this method of teaching. I have taught 4th grade for the past 2 years. The school I taught at last year used this method. My class loved this method and their writing improved. I moved to a new school this year and loved this method so much I had to buy my own book. I started using it with my class now, and they love it. It makes writing so much easier. My class always wants to know when it is time to write. I recommend this book to anyone who teaches writing.