Simplify Your Writing Instruction - by April Smith (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

Set up your writing block quickly and easily with a simple, research-based framework

Schools need their writing instruction simplified. Most classrooms share writing time with another subject, making it difficult for students to receive the direct writing instruction they need. Between the lack of time, increased gaps in writing skills, and inconsistent writing curriculum, teachers are struggling to bring their students up to grade level.

Simplify Your Writing Instruction provides you with a classroom-tested framework that helps you set up your writing block within the limited time and resources you have. Step by step, this practical guide shows you how to amplify your students' writing skills, employ simple feedback opportunities and interventions, streamline your lessons, use simple differentiation techniques to help reach students of all ability levels, and more.

Author April Smith is a former teacher who has trained more than 50,000 K-12 educators on best practices for writing instruction. While in the classroom, she learned that having simple and consistent systems in place is critical. Accordingly, none of the tasks and strategies will require you to create or prep anything complicated or time-consuming. In Simplify Your Writing Instruction, you will find easy-to-use checklists, implementation tasks, customizable templates, student writing samples, helpful tables and charts, and a simple spreadsheet that you can use to plan your lessons and modify your teaching to meet the needs of each writer.

Be confident and supported in your writing instruction. Simplify Your Writing Instruction will teach you how to:

• Implement the Simple Pre-Assessment Process in your classroom
• Encourage authentic writing practice at home
• Differentiate your lessons to reach your Special Education, ELL, and Gifted students
• Integrate grammar naturally and optimize student output after each lesson
• Split the writing process into efficient and effective 10- to 15-minute mini-lessons
• Make writing a priority by incorporating writing application into other subjects
• Use a simple pre-assessment to get a better overall picture of what your students can do
• Utilize more complex strategies such as small group work and conferring

Packed with expert advice and easy-to-follow strategies, Simplify Your Writing Instruction: A Framework for a Better Writing Block is a must-have resource for all K-12 educators and teachers in training.

From the Back Cover

Create a structured writing time that provides your students with what they really need to succeed

Through her popular writing curriculum, author April Smith has helped thousands of educators develop bite-sized, differentiated writing lessons that can generate opportunities for feedback and support. In Simplify Your Writing Instruction, April shares her trusted system and offers concrete strategies for overcoming the most common struggles that teachers face as they bring writing front and center in the classroom. Even with the limited time you have available to plan, you'll be able to implement this framework with students of varying ability levels. This book is a quick and actionable guide for grade 3-12 teachers who want to help learners meet and exceed grade level writing standards.

"I cannot think of a better title for this book because Simplify Your Writing Instruction is the roadmap to do just that! April has thought of everything. This book is grounded in research, and it goes beyond the 'why' and digs into the 'HOW!' Every page has spectacular insights, useful ideas, and nuggets of knowledge to help simplify writing instruction. The practical tips and FAQs provided for each section make implementing April's ideas easy. This book is a lifeline for new teachers but equally beneficial to any teacher looking to improve and simplify their writing instruction!"
--Deedee Wills, Instructional Coach and Literacy Consultant

About the Author

APRIL SMITH began teaching in a rural school in 2008. Today, she works as an instructional coach and curriculum designer, dedicated to empowering educators with the resources they need to better support their students. April has trained over 50,000 teachers, working closely with school leaders across the country.