Synopsis

What are reluctant writers thinking about when they stare down at a blank page before them? Why do so many middle and high school students resort to jotting down whatever comes to mind, or to copying from books or other students? Offering fresh answers to these and other important questions, this book integrates cognitive and cultural considerations to help students who struggle with writing. Author James Collins draws upon extensive research to show that struggling writers are not deficient in language-learning abilities. Instead, he argues, they may prefer strategies for writing that are often suppressed in schools. Subject to cognitive and cultural preference, writing strategies are mental procedures used to solve problems encountered with writing - from spelling a word correctly, to organizing a paragraph, to planning a whole project. Featuring a wealth of real-life examples, the book helps readers to understand the default strategies students bring to the classroom, and to work collaboratively on developing these into strategies for successful writing.

Biography

James L. Collins, EdD, State University of New York at Buffalo.