The question I'm most often asked by kids is, "Where do your ideas come from?" I always give a concrete answer, like "Someone suggested that to me" or "It happened in my childhood." And while those answers are true for some of what I write, many of my ideas come from somewhere else. But it's hard to put my finger on just where that somewhere else is.
Teaching poetry? Utilize the TeachingBooks.net Author Name Pronunciation Guide to introduce a new poet to students. By listening to these brief audio clips everyone can learn the correct pronunciation of the poet's name and perhaps get to hear a little bit more about the person behind the poetry being studied.
In the audio clip below, former Children’s Poet Laureate Jack Prelutsky performs a fun poem from his book What a Day It Was at School! (Greenwillow, 2006). Pair this audio performance with an additional read-aloud from Jack’s book, then consider…
Comics editor Françoise Mouly has worked for her entire career to combine visual literacy with enjoyable narratives. From her work as the Art Director of The New Yorker to collaborating with Art Spiegelman and other professional cartoonists, Mouly has gained…
With the Internet at their fingertips, teachers will always have examples of quality writing to share with their students. Use the audio clips featured here to demonstrate the power of opening lines, to explore the use of dialogue, to understand an author’s purpose, and to enjoy wordplay. These multimedia resources are great reasons why educators should infuse technology into writing lessons.
I always groan when people ask about my writing process, because what they are really asking is the more complicated question, “How does your mind work?” Even the word “process” confounds me. It implies a tidy, shrink-wrapped procedure. I wish it was that way–a specific set of steps to get me from that awful first draft to a polished manuscript, which is often thirty rewrites down the line. For me, writing isn’t precise. It is a messy evolution.