Living Between the Lines [Paperback]

Lucy Calkins (Author), Shelley Harwayne (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 15, 1990 | ISBN-10: 0435085387 | ISBN-13: 978-0435085384

Living Between the Lines is a heartening invitation to bring new life into reading-writing workshops. Calkins has woven insights, practical suggestions, references, and anecdotes into this inspirational story of a community of educators who have pushed back the frontiers of what we know about teaching writing and reading.

Personal in approach and comprehensive in presentation, this book includes: 08538

• the story of how writers' notebooks and a new attention to rehearsal have led to important revisions in many writing workshops
• major chapters on establishing courses of study in which children read and write memoir, nonfiction, and picturebooks
• a new look at the qualities of good writing and ways we can help children grow into them
• references to the best of children's literature and to ways these books can enrich our classrooms
• an invitation to pioneer new ideas about conferring, record keeping, mini-lessons, and organizational structures for the workshop.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Lucy Calkins is the author of the popular firsthand classroom materials Units of Study for Primary Writing and Units of Study for Teaching Writing, Grades 3 - 5, as well as several companion resources for literacy coaches and principals. Most recently, Lucy has published a curriculum for the reading workshop, Units of Study for Teaching Reading, Grades 3-5, and she has written the Common Core Reading & Writing Workshop series for Grades K - 8. In addition, Lucy is the author of numerous foundational professional texts with Heinemann, including The Art of Teaching Writing and One to One. She is also the author of The Art of Teaching Reading. She is the Founding Director of the Teachers College Reading and Writing Project at Columbia University's Teachers College. For more than twenty-five years, the Project has been both a think tank - developing state of the art teaching methods - and a provider of professional development. In these capacities, the Project has supported hundreds of thousands of educators. As the leader of this world renowned organization, Lucy works closely with policy-makers, superintendents, district leaders and school principals to instigate and sustain school-wide and system-wide educational reforms. But above all, Lucy works closely with teachers and with their classrooms full of wise and wonderful children. Lucy is also the Richard Robinson Professor of Children's Literature at Teachers College, where she leads the Literacy Specialist program. Lucy and her husband John are the parents of two sons, Miles and Evan.

Shelley Harwayne was affiliated with the New York City public schools for more than thirty years as a teacher, staff developer, codirector of the Teachers College Writing Project, founding principal of the Manhattan New School, and superintendent of District #2 in New York City. She has worked as a consultant and keynote speaker throughout the world and has published numerous books and videos with Heinemann including Learning to Confer (2004), Writing Through Childhood (2001), Lifetime Guarantees (2000), Going Public (1999), Lasting Impressions (1992), Living Between the Lines (1990), and The Writing Workshop: a World of Difference (1987). In addition, Shelley has published two children's books: Jewels and What's Cooking?.

Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Heinemann (November 15, 1990)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0435085387
• ISBN-13: 978-0435085384
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 7.4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #619,902 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

47 of 47 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Expands the possibilities of writing workshops, March 11, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Living Between the Lines (Paperback)

Living Between the Lines is a great book for people who have some experience using writing workshops in their classrooms and are looking for ways to help students find interesting and meaningful topics for writing. Calkins' explains her use of notebooks to get students to become more aware of their surroundings and more sensitive to the importance of daily events. She includes great questions to use when having students review their notebooks. Although the students in the book are elementary children, the questions and activities are helpful for my high school classes. If you have read her earlier book, The Art of Teaching Writing, you will notice that she indicates dissatisfaction with some of the ideas from that book. It's interesting to see how her thinking has evolved. If you've done much work with writing workshops, your thinking has probably been evolving too. This book will help you refine your workshop practices and lead you to keep thinking of ways to keep your students growing as writers and individuals.

5.0 out of 5 stars Must-have for writing teachers, June 13, 2011

By 

PMacLady (Wisconsin) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Living Between the Lines (Paperback)

Living Between the Lines is a must-have reference for teachers implementing the reading/writing workshop. Ideas apply for students from grades 3-12.