Razzle Dazzle Writing: Achieving Excellence Through 50 Target Skills [Paperback]

Melissa Forney (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1, 2001

Get ready to transform ho-hum intermediate-grade writers into mature writers who love to write -- and perform well on assessments.

Razzle Dazzle Writing shows you how to teach narrative and informational writing through mastery of 50 key, target writing skills.

Your students succeed because Razzle Dazzle Writing:
- organizes writing craft teaching into standards-based single-lesson chunks for easy modeling practice, and mastery.
- addresses different learning styles, preferences, and interests with a variety of student-friendly formats to teach writing strategies.
- makes learning easy and fun with student-oriented writing craft lessons, checklists, models, student exercises, and graphic organizers.

Move your students to the next level with Razzle Dazzle Writing!

Editorial Reviews

Review

...Her innovative ideas are sure to...dazzle all your students, including those who think they don't want to write. --Dinah Zike, author and educational consultant

About the Author

Melissa Forney is an author, educational consultant, and motivational speaker based in Florida.

Product Details

• Paperback: 173 pages
• Publisher: Maupin House Publishing (August 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0929895487
• ISBN-13: 978-0929895482
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #14,224 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Melissa Forney's writing workshops combine her enthusiasm as a children's author with her years of teaching experience to bring fresh insights on the writing process. Teachers look forward to her training sessions because of the many practical ideas they take away for their own classrooms. Her workshops involve teachers and administrators in writing, revising, publishing, and presenting. Melissa prepares teachers for state writing assessment, the daily writing workshop, and grade-appropriate target skills. Schools trained by Melissa are enjoying higher test scores and better team planning and organization. She is a popular keynote and motivational speaker.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

32 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Children now enjoy Creative Writing, April 12, 2002

By 

Sandra Beauchamp, Valerie Ceravolo and Dawn G... (Oriole Beach Elementary School in Gulf Breeze, FL USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Razzle Dazzle Writing: Achieving Excellence Through 50 Target Skills (Paperback)

Many teachers realize that writing is such a critical element in the Florida curriculum. As fourth grade teachers who are expected to perfect certain skills in writing we have found that
Razzle Dazzle is an outstanding tool in which to present and perfect these skills. The key to Razzle Dazzle is that this program is extremely well rounded in all subject areas. It pulls in Spelling, English, Writing, and others to engrain them within each other. Therefore, when a student begins to write all the tools have been established in every area and the child is able to produce a beautiful piece that has great vision, higher vocabulary, and sufficient detail.

After working for a year using Razzle Dazzle we have witnessed an amazing amount of growth unprecedented by previous years writings. We were able to improve a greater percentage of students' work with greater ease on the student and the teacher. This was possible because the program breaks the skills down in lessons, repeat concepts, and has them creatively designed. The skills involve teamwork, peer teaching, and allow for several revisions for perfecting thoughts and ideas. Therefore, this allows for children to raise their own standards and build a stronger background of knowledge pertaining to writing.

In conclusion, we have become so amazed at even what the average to low student could produce that we are convinced we will continue to utilize this program and spread the good news to every teacher we encounter. We thank Lissa Forney for giving us the guidance to achieve the goals we so desperately craved to meet.

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Teaching writing has never been more fun!, December 9, 2004

By 

CeCe Balman "Professional Educator" (Niwot, CO USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Razzle Dazzle Writing: Achieving Excellence Through 50 Target Skills (Paperback)

Razzle Dazzle Writing is, by far, the best teacher resource I have ever purchased and used in my classroom. Not only is it "teacher friendly", it has made teaching writing an absolute joy. My students are eager to learn each of the 50 Target Writing Skills presented in Razzle Dazzle because they know that they can easily incorporate the skills into their daily writing. Additionally, each skill fosters creativity and individuality as student drafts are revised through the Writing Process. I have seen reluctant writer's turn into enthusiastic, confident and mature writers as result of Razzle Dazzle Writing. Melissa Forney's approach equips students with the tools and writer's tricks needed to be successful and excel. Razzle Dazzle Writing naturally teaches to the 6-Traits in a positive, practical manner. Melissa Forney takes the guess work out of teaching writing and ensures that all students will be able to celebrate their own quality writing.

21 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars WANT TO RAISE YOUR STATE ASSESSMENT WRITING SCORES?, June 22, 2006

By 

W. Munoz (ARIZONA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Razzle Dazzle Writing: Achieving Excellence Through 50 Target Skills (Paperback)

THE PROOF IS IN THE PUDDING! 94% OF MY SIXTH-GRADE STUDENTS MET OR EXCEEDED THE A.I.M.S. WRITING STATE ASSESSMENT THIS YEAR AFTER USING THIS BOOK! DID I MENTION MY SCHOOL IS A TITLE ONE SCHOOL? MORE THAN THAT WAS THE WRITING THAT MY STUDENTS PRODUCED. THEY USED ONOMATOPOEIA, STRONG VERBS, SIMILES, TAKE-AWAY ENDINGS. MY STUDENTS BECAME AUTHORS AND WERE INCREDIBLY PROUD OF THE WAY THEY COULD WRITE. THIS BOOK MAKES WRITING FUN FOR THE KIDS AND THE TEACHER. THE FIVE-MINUTE PLAYS WERE A HIT TOO! THE LISTS THAT THE KIDS COULD REFER BACK TO FOR STRONG VERBS, JUICY-COLORS, TRANSITIONAL PHRASES, ETC. MADE WRITING A BREEZE. KIDS HAVE AMAZING IDEAS---THEY JUST HAVE TO BE TAUGHT HOW TO GET THEM ON PAPER. BUY THIS BOOK!!!!! I HIGHLY RECOMMEND "GRAMMAR WITH A GIGGLE" TOO. "GRAMMAR WITH A GIGGLE" GIVES KIDS EXCELLENT VOCABULARY TO USE IN THEIR STORIES AND TEACHES GRAMMAR IN A FUN WAY.