Discusses the use of exercises that help students learn to write poetry. (HOD)

Suggested writing projects to stimulate thought-to-theme writing connections involve: (1) haiku based on animals; (2) acronyms as vocabulary builders; (3) aromas and textures as inspiration; (4) writing proverbs and fables; and (5) a "musical chairs" approach to story-writing, with props supplied at intervals to test creative technique. (FG)

Twenty-four writing exercises which have been found successful in challenging gifted children are provided. Among exercises described are having the class write a story about information of their choosing from an almanac and having students write a story about what they usually think about just before falling asleep. (PHR)

Presents seven writing lessons for elementary students: choosing effective words; writing similes; writing paragraphs; writing descriptions; letter writing; comparing and contrasting; and understanding point of view. Some of the lessons have unusual themes, such as pizza, pickles, and hoboes. (SJL)

Describes an activity in which students must invent graffiti that might have been written by one of the characters studied in the class's literature assignments. (HTH)

Insists upon the importance of poetry and provides a procedure for introducing both students and teachers to the writing and appreciation of poems. (JL)

Argues that asking students to write in concrete images about specific events and places serves to emphasize the importance of writing from detailed personal experiences. (RL)

Based on the idea that poetry, like any art, is best mastered through practice, this handbook for poets combines poetry-writing exercises with personal essays by each contributing poet. Some of the poets represented in the handbook are: Maxine Kumin, Rita Dove, Roger Mitchell, Carol Muske, Sydney Lea, and J. D. McClatchy. The exercises in the…

Intended for elementary level students, this book presents 12 writing ideas and several suggestions on how students can make a book using their writing. Each writing idea is presented with a brief description (addressed to the student), several examples of student writing, and a blank page on which to write. Writing ideas include freewriting,…

Discusses length and speed, spontaneity, and discipline as the attributes that affect creative writing assignments, students' development as creative writers, and appropriate methods of teaching creative writing. (RL)

This writing unit with a Halloween theme includes exercises and worksheets to develop prewriting, writing, and rewriting skills. (SJL)

Presents a series of exercises aimed at helping students generate lines and ideas for their poetry. (MM)

Intended for high school and college teachers who are interested in how creative writing can be taught effectively, this book features the ideas of poets, novelists, editors, and playwrights on the fundamental aspects of their craft. The book contains the following chapters: (1) "Notes from a Cell: Creative Writing Programs in Isolation"…

Just as spoken language is intended to be heard by an audience, written language aims to be read by an audience. In helping kids learn to write, teachers have ignored this crucial fact. The article discusses how a high school English teacher on the Navajo Indian Reservation got the students to do poetry and other creative writing. (Author/NQ)

The author, who teaches a multischool writing seminar for K-8 students and their teachers, explains some of the activities of this interschool literary group and presents two writing exercises he has used, one on writing the introductory paragraphs for a novel, and the other on characterization. (SJL)