Sigmon, Cheryl M. & Ford, Sylvia M. (2004)
Just-Right Writing Mini-Lessons, Grade 1: 75 Mini-Lessons to Teach Your First Graders the Essential Skills and Strategies Beginning Writers Need.
New York: Scholastic.
This practical writing guide, written in the form of a Writing Workshop, is full of mini-lessons for first grade teachers that were compiled from the curriculum standards of 11 states. Explicit instructions are given on how to teach writing, not just assign writing. Examples are demonstrated throughout the book for clarity.
This wonderful guide is divided into six sections based on the purposes for writing. The six sections include Teaching Basic Concepts, Planning for Writing, Making Writing Cleaner and Clearer (Conventions), Making Writing Better (Revisions), Writing for Real Purposes and Audiences, and Publishing our Writing. The authors encourage teachers to “pick and choose appropriately based on your students’ needs and on opportunities to integrate lessons with other content you’re teaching” (p. 8). Although the lessons included in this book encompass all of the necessary writing components, teachers will appreciate the flexibility and creativity allowed within the lessons presented.
Excellent reproducible worksheets are included in the appendix. These include blackline masters of different types of paper to encourage different levels of writers, instructions for sequence books, little books, and full-page books, as well as instructions for making envelopes.
Overall, this is an outstanding resource for primary teachers as well as special education teachers who want to make writing fun for their students. Teachers will easily follow the 75 lessons and completely enjoy themselves while teaching!
Pages: 128
Price: $15.99
ISBN: 0-439-43116-6
Reviewed by Melinda R. Pierson, Associate Professor of Special Education at California State University, Fullerton. Dr. Pierson was a classroom teacher for 8 years prior to becoming a teacher trainer. Her research focus areas are effective teaching methods in all subject areas and affective characteristics of students with mild/moderate disabilities.
