The Elusive Sentence: Recovering the Rudiments of Writing

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Across our nation, many within our educational system complain that Americas children cannot write well. Hatfield and Young assert that the problem lies at the foundation of our pedagogy for writing, that most elementary writing curricula lack rudimentary instruction at the sentence level. The authors introduce a sentence-level writing intervention that explicitly defines the elements found in great sentences. This intervention forms the foundational framework for writing skills acquisition, helping teachers, students, and writers of all ages to understand how to craft well-written sentences and paragraphs. Research supports that the most effective instruction is skills-based and multisensory; therefore, Hatfield and Young also introduce a cognitively differentiated writing model, which uses arts-integrated instruction to enhance learning and memory for other content areas. This writing model is based on best practice and this sentence-level intervention serves as a precursor for mastering the new writing standards for CCSS. It offers novice writers a precise blueprint for what successful writing looks like and clearly defines the elusive sentence.

Reviews

A landmark book for teachers, parents and writers of all ages! The practical approach of The Elusive Sentence provides explicit instruction strategies that systematically define sentence structure and style with clarity and precision. With a focus on differentiation, the integration of music, and sheltered instruction, the authors provide a sound structure to support Common Core State Standards. -- Colette M. Zea, Assistant Superintendent, Moreland School District, San Jose, CA
When greatbut oldideas are overlooked because of a fascination with the newest progressive pedagogy, it requires both careful and determined research to unearth, dust off, and re-present them to the education world. In The Elusive Sentence, Hatfield & Young have done exactly that for the teaching of writing, and just in time, too, as basic composition skills decline to new lows countrywide! Teachers (and teachers of teachers) will find these ideas not only refreshing in their common sense but truly effective. -- Andrew Pudewa, Director, Institute for Excellence in Writing

Author Bio

Both Leta and Eulalie started teaching in a small private school in Fairbanks, Alaska, yet most of their teaching careers were spent in a one-room school house in North Pole, Alaska. Eulalie earned her Masters in Educational Leadership at Concordia University in Portland, Oregon, and Leta earned her Masters in Cross Cultural Education at the University of Alaska at Fairbanks. Leta retired from classroom teaching to pursue a life-long passion, a three-year training program in French Classical Dressage, and Eulalie works as a private tutor for an international business couple, teaching their young daughter and traveling with them as needed. Both Leta and Eulalie continue to write and to develop multimodal resources for their cognitively differentiated writing workshop.