"They're All Writers"

“They're All Writers” will help teachers explore the power of writing centers. In elementary school classrooms across the country, writing instruction (not grammar worksheets or spelling drills) is still the neglected “R.” In this book, classroom teachers will find foundational information about the writing process with everything they need to begin and facilitate a peer tutoring writing center. Student-led writing centers harness the social and instructional power of students working and learning together, and this book includes specific lessons to teach students how to be effective peer tutors and how to be better writers.

Book Features:

• A new, research-based approach to writing pedagogy that integrates both writing process theories and writing center pedagogies.
• Complete lesson plans to help teachers implement a writing center curriculum that meets Common Core and other quality standards.
• An approach that harnesses the power of social learning, develops students as leaders in their schools, and facilitates generative conversations around writing.

Jennifer Sanders is an associate professor of literacy education at Oklahoma State University.

Rebecca L. Damron is a former associate professor of English and writing center director at Oklahoma State University.

"By bridging the worlds of academia and practice, Sanders and Damron have provided teachers with a roadmap that not only helps children realize their potential as effective writers, but also helps them realize their powerful potential as citizens."

—Teachers College Record

"Sanders and Damron provide a guide for us—applicable across grades and developmental levels—for apprenticing children into authorship. Through the framework of peer tutoring they show us how children can improve their own writing while also appreciating listening, differing perspectives, and the satisfaction of doing good." —Anne McGill-Franzen, The University of Tennessee

“They're All Writers provides the world of writing centers with what it has long needed: a fully functional text on developing and implementing an elementary writing center. With lesson plans on preparing peer tutors, the authors have established a flexible framework for teachers interested in implementing writing tutoring in their schools.”
—Rebecca Babcock, University of Texas of the Permian Basin

"They’re All Writers!" sheds new light on the concept of implementing a schoolwide writing center. From building the background knowledge of teachers to planning the center and providing authentic writing experiences, this book has it all. Sanders and Damron brilliantly but practically encapsulate the essence of building a community of writers. This is an invaluable resource that should be in the hands of every teacher, instructional coach, and administrator involved in teaching the content and process of writing."
—Jayne Ann Williamson, instructional coach and literacy specialist, Guthrie Public Schools