"A refreshing break from the rule-obsessed manuals that litter the educational marketplace. What better way to teach students to write than through their own experiences, their own senses, their own feelings of mystery, wonder, and excitement!" -Thomas Armstrong, Author The Multiple Intelligences of Reading and Writing "With pre-writing and observing activities, targeted lessons, and simple strategies that create a desire to write, Levitt shows us that teaching students to write better is not only possible but fulfilling and fun." -R. James Stahl, Founder Merlyn's Pen Magazine and the New Library of Young Adult Writing Develop your students' enthusiasm and ability to write about what is meaningful to them! Elementary and middle school students often struggle with how to choose and develop topics in their writing. In a conversational and humorous style, Marc Levitt demonstrates how to help students write effectively by drawing from their own diverse and rich experiences. This engaging book offers a wealth of easily implemented ideas and activities to encourage a culture of writing in your classroom and teach writing by acknowledging and utilizing what your students already know. Illustrating how teachers can use a multisensory approach and exercise students' observational intelligence, the author emphasizes specific facets of the writer's craft: Beginnings Sequential thinking Observation and description Characters Settings and endings This book offers novice and experienced teachers a myriad of ideas to help them teach writing skills that translate to the general academic setting and foster a love of writing.