A Teacher's Guide to Organizational Strategies for Thinking and Writing

(Paperback)

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A Guide to Organizational Strategies for Thinking and Writing offers teachers and students ten patterns for arranging ideas that will expand their repertoire of organizational skills. Each pattern is illustrated by passages that model the strategy, and each is accompanied by an assignment that invites application and practice. Models that encompass a wide range of subjectsliterature, history, science, mathematicsare provided for students in the early grades, in middle school, and in high school or college. Teachers will find the first part of the book helpful in planning writing instruction, not just for language arts but for any subject that requires English exposition. Students, from emerging to accomplished writers, will benefit from reading the passages and completing the assignments. The strategies include six basic approacheschronological, spatial, topical, comparison, contrast, comparison contrastand four less well-known patternstraditional narrative, point counterpoint, question-answer, and extended analogy. The book concludes with a lesson in modeling rhythm and rhyme in poetry. Some other key features of this book include: Ready-to-use assignments A bonus lesson on modeling rhythm and rhyme Leads to additional resources An introduction to modeling prose passages

Reviews

Dr. Billie Birnie incorporates the natural way we learn into her carefully structured steps for teaching writing. I cant think of any other book which actually teaches organizational strategies. As teachers, we all know the terms: chronological, spatial, topical, comparison, comparison-contrastbut wait! There are more: question-answer, traditional narrative, point-counterpoint, and, amazingly, my favoriteextended analogy. Point-counterpoint A strategy for organizing an essay Brilliant! In fact, this entire guidebook is not only brilliant; it gives teachers precise guidelines for teaching multiple kinds of essays. I commend Dr. Birnie for providing this balanced approach to teaching these organizational strategies for writing. We are all used to texts that promote one theory or another but never give us the bedrock. Thats what Dr. Birnie does in this guidebook: gives teachers of all grade levels (designated in the text) models for developing interesting, provocative, well-structured essays. What I especially value in Dr. Birnies approach is that she does not limit young writers. She does not proclaim that the five-paragraph essay is essential. What she does do is allow for that model, if it is appropriate, along with many others. There is room for the innovative, creative student as well as for the student who needs the secure structure that is always provided. In fact, this guidebook provides a complete lesson plan which utilizes the strategies in the book to teach modeling rhythm and rhyme; this one lesson can be adapted to any age level. I hope that this guidebook will be widely used in teacher training as well as in workshops at every level, from department to district to writing projects nationwide. I commend Dr. Birnie for providing this balanced approach to teaching these organizational strategies for writing. -- Fran Claggett, Sonoma State Universitys Osher Lifellong Learning Institute, author of Teaching Writing: Craft, Art, Genre; coauthor of the Daybooks of Critical Reading and Writing
Billie Birnies Guide to Organizational Strategies for Thinking and Writing helps students to understand the different ways in which good writing is organized. Students often learn by emulating, and the mentor texts found in this book provide students with rich practice. A great addition to any writing teachers toolbox. -- Kelly Gallagher, teacher of English at Magnolia High School in Anaheim, California, and author of Write Like This: Teaching Real-World Writing Through Modeling and Mentor Texts
What a gem! Written with clarity, precision and perceptiveness, A Teachers Guide to Organizational Strategies for Thinking and Writing presents ten exquisitely crafted teaching strategies for teaching writing, set in a framework for understanding how clear thinking and skillful writing are developed and nurtured! In her guide, Dr. Billie Birnie reveals the power of structure and models for helping students become mature writers and thinkers. At the same time, her guidance artfully balances direct instruction with reminders to teachers to honor student preferences and individual needs so that one never forgets who owns the writing. A Teachers Guide to Organizational Strategies for Thinking and Writing is a must-have book for anyone serious about teaching thinking and writing while honing the craft of teaching. -- Stephanie King, 2000 Florida Teacher of the Year
Dr. Billie Birnies book is the perfect blend of theory and practice for elementary, middle, high school, and adult education teachers. Divided into three sections, the book provides an outline of the fundamentals of writing; followed by a list of critical steps to follow for writing success; and organizational strategies to writing. The third section describes how to write in ten different ways, and highly engaging passages are included as examples for writers at each educational level. In addition to the narrative descriptions, Dr. Birnie compiles the organizational strategies into a chart for easy reference. This book makes the teaching of writing approachable with outstanding models to follow. Her book as a smorgasboard of ideas for teachers to use to motivate and empower student writers. I highly recommend this book! -- Jeanne Qvarnstrom, EdD, assistant professor of Education, Sul Ross State University, Alpine, Texas

Author Bio

Billie F. Birnie, PhD, has been teaching writing most of her life, first to students in elementary, middle, and senior high schools, and in recent years, to prospective and experienced teachers. Her published writing ranges from poetry and memoir to professional articles and books on teaching and learning.