Re: Atwell's _The Reading Zone_

["Diane Dye" <dededye1@tx.rr.com>]

Of the two, I recommend Rief.  You might even be able to check her out at a 
public library.  Heinemann and Stenhouse also have many of their books 
available to read online.  I also recommend the book When Writing Workshop 
isn't Working by Mark Overmeyer.  He offers some solutions to some of the 
more difficult points of the writing workshop.


----- Original Message ----- 
From: <SommerWind410@aol.com>
To: <middle-lit@interversity.org>
Sent: Saturday, July 07, 2007 6:50 AM
Subject: Re: [middle-lit] Atwell's _The Reading Zone_


> Jenny,
> Thanks so much for these links and suggestions.  Keeping Nancy's  unique
> situation in mind certainly helps put it in perspective.
>
> I will check into Laminack's and Reif's titles but will probably have  to 
> be
> selective. Would you believe I have already spent $450 on  books/school
> supplies for next year?!  (And I thought the rampant  spending ceased 
> after year
> three!)  After reading your review,  I peeked at _Writing on Demand_ over 
> at
> Heinemann and plan to  order that one, for sure.  Looks good.
>
> Thanks again!
> Cathy :-)
>
> In a message dated 7/6/2007 12:33:56 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
> judgejenny@hotmail.com writes:
>
> Just a  couple of comments.  As far as the test driven portions of your
> curriculum, check out a book called "Writing on Demand" published by
> Heinemann.  I wrote a book review of this in our Indiana Writing  Project
> Spring 2007 newsletter.  You can read it at the following  link:
> http://iwp.iweb.bsu.edu/    (click on Spring 2007  Newsletter pdf).
>
> I also keep in mind every time I read a book by Nancie  Atwell that she 
> only
> has 14 students in a private school where she is also  the principal.  She
> lives in a reality of her own making.  Her  students have been doing 
> reading
> and writing workshop for years before she  has them in 8th grade.  I don't 
> in
> any way discount what she  advocates because I find huge success in using 
> her
> ideas with my college  freshman, but for a more practical approach to 
> reading
> and writing  workshop in a public school, check out Linda Reif's books
> instead.   She does advocate shared and whole class reading, but agrees 
> with
> Atwell  in many other ways.  I myself use a whole class novel which we 
> read
> like a reader first--all the way through without interruption except at
> natural breaks (chapter breaks) for questions and some thinking  aloud. 
> Then
> we go back and read the novel again (reading like a  writer) and talk 
> about
> the author's craft in certain excerpts and the  other skills kids need 
> like
> skimming text for information and rereading  for deeper analysis.
>
> I found this link also:
> http://teacher.scholastic.com/products/scholasticprofessional/authors/talkabou
> ts.htm
> Many  of you may be interesting in hearing what these authors have to say
> about  their work.
> Both Nancie Atwell and Linda Reif are on this page.  I  highly recommend 
> the
> Lester Lamanick book on this page as  well.
>
>
> Jenny Smithson
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> ************************************** See what's free at 
> http://www.aol.com.
> ---------------------------------------------------
> Subscribe/Unsubscribe->
> http://interversity.org/lists/middle-lit/subscribe.html