"Uses for Ralph Fletcher's Live Writing: Breathing Life into Your Words are virtually endless. You could certainly make use of all the chapters and ideas; on the other hand, you might want to select chapters and ideas according to student needs.
Begin with Chapter 1, a toolbox for writers: Ask students what tools are normally in a toolbox. A screwdriver? A hammer? Pliers? Nails? Then see if they can use these tools as metaphors for the tools a writer uses. Might a screwdriver be the 'refiner,' a tool to turn letters into just the right word? Could a hammer be the first draft of something, word after word 'hammered' out on the page? Perhaps pliers could 'pluck' overused words from a draft. And nails could be words in boldface print that 'anchor' ideas. Any reasonable ideas should be accepted, as long as the students realize that figuring out how to use the tools to create a beautiful text is a lifelong challenge." (Alexa Sandman)
Connect writing lessons to other language arts content. The book Dear Deer: A Book of Homophones begins with a short letter from Aunt Ant to Dear Deer, explaining that she has gone to the zoo to live. After reading the book aloud, ask students to write their own sentences with homophones and provide illustrations. They can then put the pages together in a class book that students can browse at the library table.
Looking for more writing ideas? Visit the
"The Writing Process" 3–5 Bookshelf for more ideas on using children's literature to engage students in writing.
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Amelia's Notebook by Marissa Moss (Pleasant Company Publications, WI, 1995) |
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Dear Mrs. LaRue: Letters from Obedience School by Mark Teague (Scholastic, New York, 2002) |
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Oh, Tucker! by Steven Kroll (Candlewick, Somerville, MA, 1998) |
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Hey, Little Ant by Phillip Hoose (Tricycle Press, Berkeley, CA, 1998) |
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The Secret Knowledge of Grown-Ups by David Wisniewski (HarperCollins, New York, 1998) |
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The Hundred Penny Box by Sharon Mathis (Puffin Books, New York, 1986) |
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Brave Irene by William Steig (Sunburst Books, New York, 1986) |
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Thunder Cake by Patricia Polacco (PaperStar Books, New York, 1997) |
Mentor Texts: Teaching Writing Through Children's Literature, K–6 by Lynne R. Dorfman and Rose Cappelli (Stenhouse, Portland, ME, 2007)
Nonfiction Mentor Texts: Teaching Informational Writing Through Children's Literature, K–8 by Lynne R. Dorfman and Rose Cappelli (Stenhouse, Portland, ME, 2009)
Boy Writers: Reclaiming Their Voices by Ralph Fletcher (Stenhouse, Portland, ME, 2006)
Craft Lessons: Teaching Writing K–8 by Ralph Fletcher and JoAnn Portalupi (Stenhouse, York, ME, 1998)
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