Wondrous Words: Writers and Writing in the Elementary Classroom [Paperback]

Katie Wood Ray (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 317 pages
• Publisher: National Council of Teachers of English (January 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0814158161
• ISBN-13: 978-0814158166
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.3 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.9 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #50,785 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

38 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If you want to teach writing to children, read this book!, July 30, 2005

By 

Mary Owen "Old dog with new tricks" (Salt Lake City, UT) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Wondrous Words: Writers and Writing in the Elementary Classroom (Paperback)

I've taught for 21 years, but I always felt like there must be a better way to teach writing to children. This book tells how. Katie Wood Ray gives specific techniques for teaching structure, ways with words, and teaches you to teach your students to read like writers. For all of this, she uses the most marvelous children's books, most picture books but some young adult novels. I have worked on increasing my library under her direction, and I'm having a ball watching my students learn to love to write.

48 of 52 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Katie Ray's book is outstanding!, August 10, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Wondrous Words: Writers and Writing in the Elementary Classroom (Paperback)

Katie Wood Ray's book, Wondrous Words, not only informs us as educators but it also pushes us to be better teachers and to strive to reach the level of excellence Katie has obtained. Her examples and detailed explanations of the study of writing craft are wonderful (wondrous?) and they are also embedded within her own writing, so you see it in many contexts!! Katie does not tell us what we should do, she walks next to us and points out what she sees, what she thinks, and shares what she would do. This is a book that every educator who loves teaching and writing and reading and learning alongside their students, should definitely have. Bravo Katie!

36 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Should be in every reading teacher's professional library, January 4, 2003

By 

Susan Busch (Buffalo, New York United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Wondrous Words: Writers and Writing in the Elementary Classroom (Paperback)

Katie Wood Ray has made a very readable, very usable book to help teachers teach students to 'read like writers'. I use the ideas when I am reading and reviewing new children's literature and each time I begin writing instruction with my elementary remedial students. Truly shows how to integrate student writing and good children's literature.