Stronger Writing Skills for Teens: Modes, Methods, and Materials That Work

Stronger Writing Skills for Teens offers middle and high school teachers strategies, techniques and materials for teaching adolescent writing in a variety of modes. A practical and useful resource for classroom teachers, the book focuses on quality writing instruction within the modes of writing as defined by Common Core State Standards. Examples of student work are included to illustrate effectively designed assignments and strategies for writing and revising. It includes methods for teaching vocabulary and academic language to help students improve word choice and use of language in their writing. Tools for assessing and grading student writing are also included, as well as suggestions and resources for effectively using writing rubrics and scoring guides. Narrative, expository/explanatory, argument, and research writing are discussed, with specific strategies, suggested materials, and ways to approach the modes. Teachers will also find suggestions for helping students learn to incorporate multimodal text into their writing and successfully write in digital contexts, as well as methods for helping students master timed and on-demand writing.