If You’re Trying to Teach Kids How to Write, You’ve Gotta Have This Book!

by Marjorie Frank

Incentive Publications/Kids’ Stuff

Yes, that is really the title. This is a “teacher’s manual” to be used as a resource book, not a student text. It is good for about fourth grade level through high school.

Although it is a little confusing at first glance because of the overwhelming graphics, this book contains a gold mine of ideas for helping your children develop a love for writing. It covers the writing process briefly, talks about methods that turn children on to writing, then presents a zillion (almost) ideas to try.

The emphasis is on creative writing of all sorts. Once children can write sentences, you can begin using ideas in this book, choosing ideas that are age appropriate. This book is one of my personal favorites for creative writing.

Those who prefer organized lesson plans rather than ideas will appreciate Frank’s two books, Complete Writing Lessons for the Primary Grades and Complete Writing Lessons for the Middle Grades. In these books she turns ideas from If You’re Trying... into lesson plans with accompanying activity sheets.