"Journaling to Learn provides sustainable and scalable practices for writing across the content areas. Schools consistently grapple with how to grow writers. While children need exposure to genre-based units like those provided in the Units of Study, they also need frequent on-demand writing tasks to be able to fluently communicate their thinking through writing. What's more, standardized tests are more frequently asking children to construct on-demand written responses after reading a text or analyzing a source. Genre-based writing units are not going to address this need. These units tend to take weeks and are overly scaffolded, whereas on-demand writing requires consistent, repetitive practice in short bursts"--
Practical and sustainable writing practice in every classroom
Teachers consistently grapple with how to make writing fun and engaging. While long-form writing has its value, research shows that balancing genre-based units with frequent, on-demand writing tasks to help children communicate effectively and reflect on their learning might be the key to success.
My Kids Can't Write provides sustainable and scalable practices for writing across all content areas and shows teachers how to develop structures and rituals for sustaining a journal-based approach to instruction and assessment in classrooms. Inside, you'll find
- Scaffolds and strategies that systematically support students in strengthening their skills while simultaneously writing to learn
- Ways to embed foundational skills like spelling and grammar to help students become stronger communicators
- The purpose of cognitive writing and how to properly set up journaling within the classroom
- Numerous student journal samples and informative vignettes
Now is the time to embed writing into all subjects and emphasize accurately interpreting information, effectively communicating needs, and making learning visible to students and educators alike.
Chapter 1: Three Reasons to Begin Cognitive Writing
Chapter 2: Cognitive Writing Essentials
Chapter 3: Finding the Right Open-Ended Task
Chapter 4: Scaffolding Independence through Cognitive Writing Rituals
Chapter 5: Assessing through Cognitive Writing
Chapter 6: Scaffolding Language Acquisition for All Learners
Chapter 7: Embedding Foundational Skills
Chapter 8: Lesson Planning with Cognitive Writing
Chapter 9: Analyzing Cognitive Writing in PLCs
Paul Emerich France is a National Board Certified Teacher, Reading Specialist, and author of five books on teaching, including Reclaiming Personalized Learning: A Pedagogy for Restoring Equity and Humanity in our Classrooms and Make Teaching Sustainable: Six Shifts Teachers Want and Students Need. He is also the author of Educational Leaderships monthly column, Make Teaching Sustainable. France has authored well over 40 articles and blogs for various publications, including EdSurge, Edutopia, the International Literacy Association, and The Learning Professional.
Paul spent ten years as an elementary school teacher, working with students in grades transitional kindergarten through fifth grade. He has experience in both public and independent schools, and now serves as a consultant and coach, working with teachers to both humanize their teaching and make it more sustainable, finding practices that benefit students, meanwhile helping teachers find sustainability in their workloads. In 2023, he founded Make Teaching Sustainable, an organization committed to helping schools find sustainable practices. Paul also hosts the Make Teaching Sustainable podcast, which can be found on all major streaming platforms.
You can reach out to Paul by visiting http://www.maketeachingsustainable.org, emailing him at paul@maketeachingsustainable.org, or by following him on Instagram and Twitter at @sustainteaching.
