Study Driven: A Framework for Planning Units of Study in the Writing Workshop [Paperback]

Katie Wood Ray (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 3, 2006

No matter what grade you teach, what state your school is in, and what level of diversity is present in your classroom, students have the right to be shown real-world examples of the kinds of writing they’re asked to produce. For Katie Wood Ray, this foundational idea is also the beginning of an important way of approaching rigorous writing instruction.

 

In Study Driven Ray shows you that encouraging students to read closely can improve the effectiveness of your writing instruction. Detailing her own method for utilizing the popular mentor-texts approach, Ray helps you immerse children in a close study of published texts that supports their learning, leads them to a better understanding of the traits of good writing, and motivates them to become more accomplished writers.

 

Study Driven also gives you the ideas and resources for thirty units of study, ranging from genres to punctuation and appropriate across grade levels.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Between her passion for elementary writing instruction and a love of children's literature, Katie Wood Ray found herself asking, "What if children were introduced to key qualities of good writing in the context of illustrations?" This question led to the research behind In Pictures and In Words. The answer was simple yet powerful: "The thinking students do while reading picture books can help them see the connection between what words and illustrations do to make meaning." As an author of bestselling Heinemann books such as Already Ready, Study Driven, About the Authors, and What You Know By Heart and as a member of Heinemann Professional Development Services, Katie has always given teachers resources and PD that transform writing instruction and help children discover a lifelong love of writing. A former Associate Professor at Western Carolina University Katie is now a full time writer and researcher of the teaching of writing. With a particular focus on the study of writing craft, she leads teacher workshops and summer institutes across the nation related to the teaching of writing. Her professional background includes both elementary and middle school teaching experience and two years as a staff developer at The Reading and Writing Project, Teachers College, Columbia University. She was also the coeditor of the journal Primary Voices K-6, a publication of the National Council of Teachers of English. Katie is also the author or coauthor of Spelling in Use: Looking Closely at Spelling in the Whole Language Classrooms (1996, NCTE), Wondrous Words: Writers and Writing in the Elementary Classroom (1999, NCTE), and The Writing Workshop: Working Through the Hard Parts (And Theyre All Hard Parts) (2001, NCTE). A frequent speaker at conferences and summer institutes around the country, Katie also has extensive experience teaching teachers in workshop and demonstration settings. Katie Wood Ray is a Heinemann Professional Development presenter. EC0410

Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Heinemann; 1 edition (August 3, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0325007500
• ISBN-13: 978-0325007502
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 8.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #40,310 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #62 in Books > Education & Reference > Words, Language & Grammar > Study & Teaching

More About the Author

Katie Wood Ray is the author of the Heinemann titles Already Ready (2008), Study Driven (2007), About the Authors (2004) and its DVD companion The Teaching Behind ABOUT THE AUTHORS (2005), and What You Know by Heart (2002). A former Associate Professor at Western Carolina University Katie is now a full time writer and researcher of the teaching of writing. With a particular focus on the study of writing craft, she leads teacher workshops and summer institutes across the nation related to the teaching of writing. Her professional background includes both elementary and middle school teaching experience and two years as a staff developer at The Reading and Writing Project, Teachers College, Columbia University. She was also the coeditor of the journal Primary Voices K - 6, a publication of the National Council of Teachers of English. Katie is also the author or coauthor of Spelling in Use: Looking Closely at Spelling in the Whole Language Classrooms (1996, NCTE), Wondrous Words: Writers and Writing in the Elementary Classroom (1999, NCTE), and The Writing Workshop: Working Through the Hard Parts (And They're All Hard Parts) (2001, NCTE). A frequent speaker at conferences and summer institutes around the country, Katie also has extensive experience teaching teachers in workshop and demonstration settings.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

37 of 38 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Book for Writing Teachers May 15, 2007

By T. D.

Format:Paperback

Why isn't this book more widely read? Wood-Ray offers excellent direction to teachers - at all grade levels - who are seeking to improve the instruction of writing. Her central ideas are:
1. Texts should be used to mentor students to write real things in the ways real writers write.
2. Writing needs to be `studied' and not `taught.'
3. Teachers need to be writers and gatherers of mentor texts, but curriculum can not be determined before the students begin to study.
For teachers who want their students to write well, this is a text that lays out options for letting this happen. You'll want to spend a summer reading it and thinking, so that when you return, you'll be ready for superior kind pedagogy. It is rare for a book to speak so compellingly to all teachers, Kindergarten to College, but I believe that Study Driven is the wonderful exception.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars inspiration for great writing October 17, 2007

By S. Salsbury

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

This book is one of the most inspiring professional books I have found for teaching writing. Katie Wood Ray continues to grow her theme of teaching writing in a holistic, authentic manner. She helps the teacher find ways to use mentor texts and authors and inquiry of such to give children examples of how to write. In doing so she guides us to make our classroom a true workshop of writers inspiring and helping each other. Her reference lists of potential resources for a variety of writing is wonderful. She also helps us frame our teaching of dry titled writing styles into more realistically named writing. Pursuasive writing becomes commentary and advice writing. Narative text becomes memoir. In doing so writing topics come alive for students and purposeful in real world context. This book has become my primary resource to guide my writing curriculum this year. The book is useful for all grades. Fantastic book!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Too Many Possibilities? September 19, 2008

By Ken C. TOP 500 REVIEWER

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

I heartily endorse the premise of Katie Wood Ray's STUDY DRIVEN. She thinks kids should only write what's written in the real world (good-bye 5-paragraph essay, which makes its home in the "unreal world" known as "schools everywhere"). She thinks teachers and kids should study genres together, using the techniques as a guide to their own writing. And she thinks teachers should "write a mile in their shoes" by writing everything they assign, then using their experiences to teach the "process" to the kids (or using the KIDS' experiences to teach the "process" to the kids).

This is all good practice. I was just thrown a bit by the number of bulleted "possibilities" that Ray included. In fact, much of the book seemed to be given over to these "possibilities," none of which are explained in any great depth. I would have preferred more of Ray's personal experiences and greater depth in her case studies.

Nevertheless, if you teach workshop, you might want to check this from the library and take a "survey course" of sorts on the possibilities of study before you, thanks to Ray.

7 of 9 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Book for Passionate Teachers of Writing... June 27, 2009

By L Lee

Format:Paperback

Excellent Book for Passionate Teachers of Writing, but it's not a great book for an ordinary teacher who might not be good at writing---let alone teach writing. K.W.R.'s book suggests that teachers, in their spare and professional time, cut out or copy articles that they might find appropriate to include in their classroom Writing Workshop from which children learn. This book is not for those teachers who are looking to get started in the Writer's Workshop.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Ideas December 24, 2010

By JessicaK

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

Katie Wood Ray truly is an inspiring author. I loved the approach she takes to writing workshop through genre studies in this book. Ray advocates for authentic writing instruction, in which students read and create authentic texts, rather than just responding to prompts. The only reason I gave the book 4 stars instead of 5 is because I wish she could have been more clear about the logisics: planning and implementing genre studies. However, it is still a must read for every writing teacher!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Book for Writing Teachers of all Grades June 23, 2008

By Sharon Jones

Format:Paperback

Excellent, practical, "how-to" to enhance any teacher's writing program. Katie Wood Ray continues where she left off in "Wondrous Words" and expands on the technique of giving students concrete examples of writing styles to emulate and improve their writing skills. We will be using the text for a faculty book group in the fall.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars taking writing to the next level October 20, 2008

By J. Stout

Format:Paperback

I'm so blessed to have received this book because I feel like it has opened a new world of teaching and understanding writing. I feel like the author, Ray, is telling me exactly what I want to hear, that it's okay to follow my heart and my curiosity. I'm not used to that. I love her method of developing lesson plans, which she vehemently insists are not lesson plans.

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent! April 28, 2011

By Cindy Lou Who

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

I bought this for an education class and loved it. Very helpful information, well presented. Katie Wood Ray has a passion for writing workshop and it shows in this book.