Essential Ingredients

Looking for ways to make the teaching of writing fresh? This book offers suggestions for writing that are appropriate across the curriculum and for students in grades K-12. Sandra Worsham treats experienced and new writing teachers to a feast of ideas for enlivening students' writing experiences, including an innovative use of the helping circle. Explore the differences between what the author calls "school" writing and "real" writing and learn to make both forms work for students.

Worsham distills the qualities of successful writing, which she says must

- appeal to the senses,
- make use of the author's locale and sense of place,
- spring from memory and stories, and
- experience revision and expansion.

To authenticate the suggestions, Worsham's book includes several of her mother's recipes and stories from her childhood—giving us a chance to experience the qualities of successful writing as we learn to teach it to our students. Student writing samples from actual assignments illustrate key points. A chapter on creating a warm classroom atmosphere gives practical tips on enhancing writing in a collaborative setting. In addition, writing assignments that work across the disciplines guarantee that Essential Ingredients is useful not only for writing teachers, but for all teachers who use writing as part of their curriculum.