Growing Up Writing: Mini-Lessons for Emergent and Beginning Writers [Paperback]

Connie Campbell Dierking (Author), Sherra Ann Jones (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 2003

Introduce the effective power of the mini-lesson format into your classroom and discover the skills you need to teach your young writers. With fifty-nine mini-lessons organized by the function they serve in the kindergarten classroom, and calendars that outline skills expectations for your students' first year of writing instruction, this resource helps you customize the power of writers' workshop so you can meet the needs of your emergent writers.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Finally, mini-lessons that allow all my students to be successful with writing! -- Paula Smith, Kindergarten Teacher

This book is jam-packed with strategic mini-lessons that teachers have been desperately searching for. -- Tawnya Powers, Early Childhood Staff Developer

About the Author

Connie Dierking is originally from northeast Kansas. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Elementary Education and a Master's degree in Special Education, both from Kansas State University. During the past 24 years, Connie has experienced the joys of teaching kindergarten, second grade, third grade, and exceptional education students. She is involved in the Pinellas County Center for Learning Student Achievement Institute, a research and development program that supports classroom research in Best Practices. She is also a writing demonstration teacher for Pinellas County Schools.

Sherra Jones earned a Bachelor's Degree in Elementary Education from the University of South Florida. She is a charter member of the Classroom Learning System Cadre which trains teachers in Best Practices for classroom implementation. She conducts writing training for teachers and parents on reading and writing strategies. Her 20 years of teaching includes preschool, kindergarten, and first grade. She teaches first grade at Curtis Fundamental Elementary in Clearwater, Florida, where she lives with her husband and two daughters.

Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Maupin House Publishing (July 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0929895711
• ISBN-13: 978-0929895710
• Product Dimensions: 10.6 x 8.3 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #115,993 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Educators Recommend, February 19, 2004

By 

Education Oasis "Education Oasis" (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Growing Up Writing: Mini-Lessons for Emergent and Beginning Writers (Paperback)

The research is clear concerning writing workshops: They are the most effective way to teach the craft and process of writing. This being the case, they should not, contend the authors, be reserved for the upper grades. Rather, all writers-including kindergartners and older emergent writers-should have the opportunity to experience the writer's workshop.

If you are interested in incorporating a writing workshop into your kindergarten or first grade curriculum, this book will serve as an excellent starting point and guide. In addition to answering your questions, it provides nearly sixty mini-lessons as well as a year-long calendar which can serve as your framework.

In their introduction, Dierking and Jones write that "kindergartners-and emergent writers of any age-should be treated like genuine authors and taught in a manner that respects their abilities while empowering their advancements." This is not merely a flowery sentiment. The entire book flows from this belief.

In Section 1, the authors discuss in detail their framework for teaching a workshop. The three parts are: the mini-lesson (5-10 minutes), independent practice with conferencing (20-30 minutes), and sharing (5-10 minutes). Also included is a chapter on "Connecting to Parents." Here the reader will find sample parent letters, information about homework, and a discussion of student journals.

The "meat" of the book is found in Sections 2-5. Section 2 comprises operational mini-lessons. That is, direct instruction of skills related to the "management of classroom process, materials, and spaces." Section 3 concerns print awareness mini-lessons. Here readers are provided with lessons that address the mechanics of writing: punctuation, capital letters, temporary spelling, and such. In Section 4 the authors include twelve foundational mini-lessons: setting, character development, choosing a topic, etc. Section 5 is devoted to craft mini-lessons. Here the lessons focus on using transition words, active verbs, color words, compare and contrast, word choice, elaboration and so forth.

Appended are a literature list and a bibliography. The literature list contains the titles of children's books and suggestions as to which mini-lesson the book is good for modeling. would be good for modeling. The bibliography is a list of recommended professional literature. The choices are excellent and will provide the reader with a firm foundation concerning the workshop process.

Highly Recommended.

Reviewed by the Education Oasis Staff

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A superbly organized and idea-packed resource, September 13, 2003

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Growing Up Writing: Mini-Lessons for Emergent and Beginning Writers (Paperback)

Collaboratively developed and compiled by Connie Campbell Dierking and Sherra Ann Jones, Growing Up Writing: Mini-lessons For Emergent And Beginning Writers presents fifty-nine abbreviated lessons especially designed and intended for the kindergarten classroom. From teaching young folks to write their first journal, to audience and conference etiquette, to print awareness, learning how to make a brainstorm list, using transition words, describing feelings with all five senses, and more, Growing Up Writing is a superbly organized and idea-packed resource which is very highly recommended for classroom teachers, and ideal for use by home schoolers in developing writing skills with young children.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Finally!, September 24, 2003

By 

Tawnya Powers (Largo, Florida United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Growing Up Writing: Mini-Lessons for Emergent and Beginning Writers (Paperback)

This book is jam-packed with strategic mini-lessons that teachers have been desperately searching for!. Connie and Sherra have done an outstanding job of bringing simplicity to focused instruction.