pee 32 Linda Rief What’s Right with Writing “Writing today is nota frill for the few, but an essential skill for the many.” “The National Commission on Writing in America’s Schools and Colleges [eprToR's NOTE: In September, 1994, Voices from the Middle made its debut. Under the able leader- ship of coeditors Linda Riefand Maureen Barbieri VM quickly became a staple of middle school lan- guage arts teachers. In their firstissue, Linda and Maureen explained that their goal for the journal ‘was to “go beyond the tried and true, to dare to be innovative.” Without doubt, many of us recog- nize Rief and Barbieri for their stead fast commit- ment to always showing us how to be innovative in the classroom. Taking aver the editorship from these two women was both humbling and horti- fying. “Will I ever live up to the high standard they had created?” I wondered daily. I’m not sure ever measured up to the standard they set for VM, but I do know that for the past seven years, atevery step of the way, both Linda and Maureen were always available to answer my questions. We all appreciate the work they have done for the pro- fession, and Iam most gratefull to Linda for re- turning to VM for the past five years to share her vision and her voice with our readers once again,] ore than twenty years ago, Don M Graves and Jane Hanson invited me to accompany them to the NCTE Annual Convention in San Antonio to give a presentation with them focused on writing, It was my first national conference and my first presentation. My talk centered on the research 1 had done oa audience in writing in a course I had taken with Don, After our presentation, I said to him, “In ten years, every teacher and student in this coun- try will be so engaged in writing, I don’t know what you'll talk about.” Don looked at me, shook his head, and said, not unkindly, “Linda, Linda, Linda...” ‘Hoow smart my professor was, and still is, and how much I have learned, and am still learning. about teaching, about kids, about writing. I still have more questions than answers. No matter how Jong I teach, I will never be where I want to be, nor will I get the students as far as I think they could beas writers T was especially excited about all I heard at that first NCTE conference, not only from Don and Jane, but from so many other teachers and researchers looking at writing. It was so different from the way I had been “taught” writing. Book reports, essays, analyses of literature were never taught; they were assigned. I did well because I 100k careful notes on everything the teacher said about an issue, a piece of literature, ora topic, and then wrote it back, carefully documented by “ex- petts,” footnoted, edited according to standard conventions, and, of course, all very neatly writ- ten. To this day, I can’t find a single piece of writ ing I did before college that was grounded in my thinking. Ihave an autobiography I wrote in sev- ‘enth grade—two bland and meaningless pages, but the cover is lovely if you like greeting card babies. No comments or questions from the teacher, just an A+. I did very well on all my writing, none of which included my beliefs, feelings, discoveries, opinions, or stories. Covers counted more than thinking. “T” was never present in my writing. ‘My current thinking is grounded in the work of John Dewey, Donald Murray, Peter Elbow, Donald Graves, Tom Newkirk, Shelley Harwayne, “Tom Romano, and Nancie Atwell. These are only Voices from the Middle, Volume [3 Number 4, May 2006Rief | Whae’s Right with Writing a few of the fine educators from whom I have earned, in pursuit ofa better understanding of all it means to teach writing. As teachers, what we do must be based on sound philosophical, theoreti- cal, pedagogical, and humanitarian underpinnings. What do I believe and why? How do I shape those beliefs into sound practices in the classroom? Who are the students with whom I learn and teach, for ‘whom [ care and have a responsibility? ‘What have I learned from educators, philoso- phers, researchers, my students, and my own prac tice? P've learned that we need to know wbo we are and how we behave as researchers in our own class- rooms. When we ask questions of ourselves, when we think about what is working and what isn't working, when we gather the data of student work over time as evidence to support or contradict our suspicions and wonderings, when we continually ask the students to. describe. the strengths and weaknesses of all we are doing, and when we use all this evidence to inform our instruction, we are researchers. It is our responsibility to act on our findings, and it is the responsibility of the educa- tional community to value this information from classroom teachers. Itis meaningful, valuable, and valid research. What have we learned about writing and the teaching of writing? Writing is thinking. Writing is not about memo- rizing facts and reiterating them on a multiple- choice test or a contrived essay question to be forgotten the moment the testis over. Writing lets us communicate what we know and helps us think of things we didn't know we knew untill we began writing. Writing is one way of communicating our understandings and misunderstandings of our- selves and the world, Writing is about represent- ing our experiences, our knowledge, our opinions, our feelings. ‘There is no one process that defines the way all writers write. Writing is a recursive process in which che writer considers purpose and audience while shifting back and forth to find and develop ideas and clarify thinking in order to produce the strongest, clearest meaning through intentional revision and editing. Different writers use differ- ent processes and composing styles to develop their pieces of writing. Welearn to write by reading extensively and writ ing for real audiences. We need to give students ample opportunities to write on a continuous ba- sis. They need ch about topics and genres if they are to engage with content that interests them. When that hap- pens, they do write, and they do read, thoughtfully and thoroughly; in the process, they begin to rec- ognize and craft more ef- fective pieces of writing Writers need constructive response. Comments such as “Here's what I noticed you did well” or “These are the questions that came to mind as T was reading what you wrote” or “What if you put this here?” or "Here’s a suggestion ...” are genu- ine and far more helpful than the “awkward” or “frag” many of us might have once jotted in the margins. Offering constructive comments while students are in the midst of writing—not after a paper has been completed and turned in—helps students become better writers. Evaluation of writing should bighlight the strengths of process, content, and conventions, and give the writer the tools and techniques to strengthen the ‘weaknesses. Understanding the process in which students engage while crafting a piece of writing is as important as the final product, Asking stu- dents to verbalize that thinking through a process paper (How did this writing come to be? Where did you get the idea? What did you do, and why, as you went from one draft to the next? What problems did you encounter? How well did you solve those problems?) shows teachers the mul- tiple strategies writers use and teaches students to pay attention to that process so they become more independent as they develop skills as writers, Evaluation should move the writer forward, Voices from the Middle, Volume 13 Number 4, May 2006 We have forgotten that a S person can read without without reading. If we ing our attention almost eae writing, but cannot write neglect writing, while focus- exclusively on reading, it is also at the expense of reading,helping him or her to grow by identifying the strengths of the process and the product, as well as those elements or conventions that need work. In particular, we should remember that: + Good writing is not defined by one set of criteria, but differs depending on the kind of writing Cn Comments for this sidebar come from Because Writing Matters: Improving Student Writing in Our Schools by the National Writing Project and Carl Nagin. This one resource gathers the research into writing over the last thirty years and presents it succinctly, clearly, and efficiently. It cites the work of such eminent scholars as, Arthur Applebee, James Britton, Lucy Calkins, Charles Coaper, Lisa Delpit, John Dewey, Anne Haas Dyson, Janet Emig, Peter Elbow, Linda Flower, Toby Fulwiler, Donald Graves, Shelley Harwayne, George Hillocks, Jr, Judith Langer, James Moffett, Luis Moll, Lee Odell; Tom Romano, Mike Rose .. . just to name a few. “Studies of how writers actually work show them shuffling through phases of planning, reflection, drafting, and revision, though rarely ina linear fashion. Each phase requires problem-solving and critical thinking.” (p. 20) experiments over the last fifty years have shown negligible improvements in the quality of student writing as a result of grammar instruction. Research suggests that the finer points of writing, such as punctuation and subject-verb agreement, may be learned hest while stutents are engaged in extended writing that has the purpose of communicating a message to an audience.” (1985, Becoming a Nation of Readers, p. 22) “If you provide frequent occasions for writing, ther the students start to think about writing when they are not doing it. I call it a state of constant composition.” (Donald Graves, writing researcher and professor emeritus, University of New Hampshire, p. 23) “We cannot build a nation of educated people who can commun’ cate effectively without teachers and administrators who value, understand, and practice writing themselves.” (p, 60) “Many state writing assessments run the risk of undercutting good writing by scoring only for focus, organization, style, and mechan- ics without once asking judges to consider whether the writing is powerful, memorable, provocative, or moving (all impact-related criteria, and all at the heart of why people read what others wite). (Grant Wiggins, Educative Assessment, p. 67, P. 78) —_—SSe Riet}) Whats Right with Writing * Process (the evidence of thinking shown through drafts of writing) and product (as exhibited through a polished, best draft) are equally important. * Writers need places to collect their ideas: writer’s notebooks, working folders, portfo~ los * Teachers must know their students well enough to identify their distinct strengths, interests, and needs. Writing is reading. ‘There has been so much focus on literacy as reading over the last ten years that we have forgotten, even abandoned, writing. Atan irreplaceable loss. At the expense of think- jing. At the expense of reading. We have forgotten that a person can read without writing, but can- not write without reading. If we neglect writing, while focusing our attention almostexclusively on reading, it is also at the expense of reading, If we really want to teach kids to be strong readers, we need to teach them to be stronger writers. ‘When students write, they are engaged in a recursive process of critical thinking: Have I said clearly what I want to say? Is this well organized in developing my ideas? Have I used the sharpest, tightest, most vivid language? Does my lead cap- ture my readers and give them a clear direction and focus? Does my writing make the reader think. or feel or learn something? These questions guide and focus writing, and in the process, they guide and focus thinking. Opportunities for writing take different forms. ‘The short, quick, daily responses to literature push students to ask: What did this reading bring to mind for me? What did I think or feel or learn as ‘I read? What questions came to mind? What in my own experience is similar or different? How does this make me view the world? Longer pieces of writing expand their range and depth, especially when they are given time to read those pieces aloud to their peers and teachers in conference. Why does writing matter? The importance of writing was underscored for me in 1990, when I wasinvited to spend two weeks Voices from the Middle, Volume 13 Number 4, May 2006in the small town of Haapsalu, Estonia, teaching seventh graders. ‘The desks and chairs were bolted to the floor. There were few supplies. Even fewer books. On the first day the students arrived twenty minutes early to find chairs (that I had scavenged) arranged in a circle. They were shocked. They weren’t accustomed to facing cach other, letalone talking to each other. They were used to a teacher delivering information, and understood that their role was to parrot back that information exactly as it was presented. No diversions. No questions. No disagreements. No imagining. Absolutely no critical or evaluative thinking. At least that they dared to voice. ‘They were still under Soviet rule, as they had been for fifty years. It took awhile before this wall began to tamble, It started with a whisper from Trini, “Are you sure we may say what we think?” ‘Then Tivu, then Havel. “You want us to write what we think? Will it not be trouble?” “Lewill not be trouble!” I assured chem. So they talked and wrote. And wrote. I heard their lives, Their disappointments. Their trag- edies. Their wishes. Their belief. Their dreams. ‘Their questions. Now they attived thirty minutes early for class every single day, and stayed later and later. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't get to class before they did. Sitting in a circle, waiting to talk and question, think and write, T knew then, as I know now, that if we want children to become adults who are articulate, it~ erate, and thoughtfil citizens of the world, they must learn co think deeply and widely. They must commit their thinking to paper, learning how to be memoirists, poets, essayists, journalists, play- wrights, activists, speechwriters, novelists, critics, scientists, historians, so they and others can ex- amine, support, debate, challenge, and then re~ fine those beliefs, feelings, and thoughts. T understand that writing is hard. Everyone ‘who has ever taught it or attempted it understands that. It is time-consuming, It is frightening. It is rewarding. It helps us pay attention to the world. Good writing lets writer and reader learn or think or feel something. Putting words on paper gives us voice—allows us to be heard. All the more rea~ Rief | What's Right with Writing son to do it at every opportunity. And then do it some more. ‘The best writing not only gives us voice, but, is filled with voice. ‘Tom Romano says, “Voice is the writer's presence in a piece of writing. My bias as a writing teacher is to teach students to write in accessible, engaging, and irresistible voices. Such voices .. . have certain qualities in common: * They deliver interesting information. * They often employ techniques of narrative. + They exhibit perceptivity. + They offer surprising information and observations. * Quite often, they demonstrate a sense of humor.” (Romano, 2005, pp. 7-8) “The best way to understand what Tom is saying is to look at the writing of students. Figures I and 2 demonstrate that two of my eighth graders un- derstand how to put their voice into their writing. But we mustn't forget, too, that writing is about using ourimaginations, our understandings, our questions, our creativity, our feelings, our humanity to work through our thinking about ourselves, about others, about the world in which wwe live. Surely, this is crucial enough to merit our attention, Ivis, after all, what we are about in our classrooms. In an era of test-mania, we tend to forget, or dismiss, the importance of writing. If wwe allow that, others will do our thinking. The Writing—Drawing Connection (Our class was looking at using drawing to find writing. Ihad asked the students to draw a shoe or boot that held significance for them, Hannah drew a riding boot. We then looked at how other writ- ers used pictures to write, and inspired by their writing, we wrote. What began as a two-minute quickwrite in response to Ted Kooser’s poem “Abandoned Farmhouse,” which he had written in response to a piece of art, became a polished piece of poetry for Hannah. In the process of thinking about the riding boot, she drafted and redrafted her thinking (see Figure 3). Each one of these students writes compel- Voices from the Middle, Volorne 13 Number 4, May 2006 page 35age 36 ‘A Season to Remember This year in the NHL was definitely one of the most memorable in a long time. This is the first year in the history of the NHL that every single goalie had a Goals Against Average (GAA) of 0.00 and no players scored any goals. Not even one. Oops, maybe I forgot to mention the fact that ‘the NHL didn’t happen this year, and that it was officially cancelled a few weeks ago, when Gary Bettman, the commissioner of the league, announced that the players association couldn't come to an agreement with the NHL about the salary cap limit [At the point ofthe cancellation there had been a total of 155 days missed because of the lockout, and there had been 1,161 games can- celled, During that time, the average person would have taken 3,100,000 breaths, slept for 1300 hours, watched 600 hours of television, and gone #2 about 150 times. Personally, I think the league should have been cancelled along time ago, right around the 20th trp to the john. After canceling over 160 games, I gave up all hope and decided that the NH had absolutely no chance of making i. But seriously, lets take a minute to stop and figure out what these people are having such 2 grueling debate about. The NHL proposed a ‘ejected salary cap of $44.7 million Ifthe money was distributed evenly throughout the team, each player would earn somewhere in the area of 1.9 million dolars a year. 1.9 MILLION dollats! I would die fora salary like that. I'd be blowin’ my nose in Benjamin’s and wipin’ my butt with Grant's if I was rakin’ in that kind of cough! (Thatd be pretty sweet, huh2) Anyways, after the players rejected that offer, they suggested @ $49 million cap. With $49 million per team, each player would get about $2.1 million. Wait! What?! This entire debate has been over 0.2 million dolars! Woy Well, at least we Americans can say that the athletes of our era aren't getting greedy. I mean, that would be jest so horrible if they were so greedy as to not play for an entre year because they want $0.2 million more on their contracts. The average player makes around $2 million, So it's great that our athletes are mature enough to play hockey instead of arguing over the measly sum of $200,000, 1 mean $200,000 {is only like the salary of five Americans in one year. Gut that’s nothing to the pro hockey players of our day. Adding $200,000 to their salary is only adding 10% to the total. Basically, 10% of a pro hockey player's salary 's worth as much as the salary of five Americans. Gee, I sure am Glad there’s not a massive debate over that kind of money! T can't wait until I get older, and I have a chance to pursue my hockey career by joining the players’ association, Maybe by the time I'm there we can debate over $250,000 when each player is making about $8 million a year. That'd be great! And then everyone in the U.S. would think so highly of me, and I be a star! ssh! Who am I kidding!? The NHI is afoke! This year has probably been the most pathetic year in the history of our sports. The athletes, are getting s0 amazingly greedy that the entire Great Wall of China would be needed to stop the landslide of greed our athletes created, IF 1, or any of my children, grow up to be athletes, TU definitely make sure that our minimum salary is $20 mil and I wouldn't stand for anything less. I mean, that's not greedy or anything, is it? Figure 1. Alden’: voice in writing Rief | Whae’s Right with Writing: Tm not really sure how it started, but Iremem- ber looking in the minor one day and hating what I saw. I saw an imperfect body looking back at me, As a runner, T thought that if Iwas thinner, I would be faster. I began to stave myself... (after six months) my pants barely held on to my bony hips, and my shirts hung loosely around my curled in shoulders. My par- ents were worried, yet I denied everything. My ‘mom finally confronted me about how thin T was getting and how little I was eating, so T gave in Once Istarted talking, Fjust couldnt stop. 1 cried, and cried. I cried for the pain T had gone through, and I cried out of relief, because I knew that my pain was going to end... . 1 talked about how this voice in my head told ime what to do, and I never dared to disobey. {thought that voice would bring me to a point in my life where T would always be happy, be- cause Twas thin. . . . L was scared of what was doing. I was scared of that voice... I wanted to stop letting it control me Your book Life without Ed helped me through a really hard time in my life. My year long battle with anorexia was difficult and pain- ful, You helped me separate mysetf from my eating disorder Z teamed, like you did, to call this monster Ed, using the acronym for “eating Aisorde,” E.D. It helped me realize that it wasn’t ime beating myself up over food. It was Ed... T was starving myself to become thin, But I ‘immediately recognized that voice as Ed's. AF ter Thad established that, I began to see what kind of person I realy was, I realized T wasn't the person whose only goal was to become ‘emaciated. I wanted to live, and Ed wanted me to starve myself to death. I want to become an Olympic runner, and I know that he wouldn't make that possible. Tread your book as a recommendation fom my therapist... . it changed the way I look at myself. J think if I hadw’t read it, T wouldn't believe the things my doctors told me, All 1 would be inis denial... You have helped me leave the most controling and abusive person ve ever known. . . . Since I've declared my ‘independence from my eating disorder, I have had so many dreams that I know I wouldn't be able to achieve if Ed was still in charge of my lite Figure 2. Kylee writes a literary lewer to Jenni Schaefer, author of Life withour Ed Voices from the Middle, Volume 13 Number 4, May 2006lingly, elling a story no macter the format, con- veying strong perceptions of themselves and the world. There is a sense of play with language in even the most serious of pieces. Their voices are palpable, convincing in their astonishment at the adult world, especially adult behavior, and their recognition of the power of books to let us see and change our own lives for che better. There is poignancy and honesty tucked within all they no- tice about themselves and others. This is writing that makes us think and feel and learn something. ‘This is writing that gives kids voice. What do our students need to help them write well? Time, Although there are times when students must write to deadline, the best writing usually develops when students are given adequate time to consider their topics, draft and redraft their ideas, and receive feedback while engaged in the process of writing. Asking students for less writ- ing so that they have more time to develop their ideas more fully often produces stronger writing. Choice. Writers need to care about, or be in- terested in, their topic in order to craft the stron- gest writing. When writers care, they write with passion and with voice. Even if they are asked to produce a particular gente, they will engage more fully in developing the best piece if they are given a choice of topics within that specific genre. Stu dents rethinie their drafts and edit for the correct conventions when that writing matters to them. Students should be given ample opportunities to write so that choice includes selecting what pieces of writing best represent all they are capable of as, writers, Models. Students need good models of writ- ing—both professional and peer-written—from which to draw their understandings of writing. Using others’ writing to mentor one’s own is read ing asa writer. Each genre of writing exhibits dif- ferent characteristics. Showing students several models from each genre (book reviews, essays, short stories, poetry, memoir, for example) allows them to step inside that genre and draw greater understanding ofits inherent characteristics. Writ Rief | What's Righe with Writing She Rode Often (With thanks to Ted Kooser for “Abandoned Farmhouse”) ‘She rode often say the wrinktes on the black leather. She worked hard soys the dust covering the boots, one folded ‘and follen over to the side. She loved the pony soys the box of pictures ond ribbons sitting next to the boots, She quit says the box by the trash. She ‘made a mistake soy the empty beer bottles cluttering the floor. She left quickly says the empty ‘partment with the phone ringing and the TV still en She's recovering says the car parked at the barn. She's safe say the pony’s eyes as she holds its head and the world with all its troubles melts away. Figure 3. Hannal’s pocm ing co atest isa genre unto itself, We need to show students examples of that kind of writing, as well, and ask them to identify and re-create the charac~ teristics inherent in those models. Response. During the process of writing, writ- ers need constructive response that moves the writing forward and helps the writer grow. Ide- ally, response through conferences is the most helpful, because the writer can read her writing to the teacher and get immediate feedback. Unfor- tunately, large numbers of students and limited time often make a written conference, focusing on the strengths of the paper and offering a few well-placed questions, the best we can do. What stands in the way of powerful writing instruction? Testing. Lack of tls. Without the use of word proces- Voices from the Midéle, Volume (3 Number 4, May 2006age 38 Scripted lessons manda each student in every school is guaranteeing mediocrity. “Writing on Tuesday” for when writing happens. No one wants to write in longhand when composing, revising, and editing areso much more efficient on a computer. Are we providing the tools real writers use? If not, how is that changing the quality and efficacy of writing? ‘And what about the paucity of models of writing in our classrooms? How can students study the craft of writing in different genres without ex- amples to study and imitate—picture books, graphic novels, short stories, poetry collections, nonfiction, and fiction? Testing. Scripted lessons mandated for all students by all teachers at the same time, Where is the knowledge of students as individuals? ‘The acknowledgment that differences can be their strengths? Where is the notion of multiple intelligences? Differen- tiated instruction? The ‘opportunity to take stu- dents from where they ‘are to where they could ing be? Where is the trust in teachers as profession als? Aren't language arts teachers hired because they know books, reading, writing, the conven- tions of language, and the ability to know what to do tohelp each student grow as an individual based on his or her strengths and needs? Scripted les- sons mandating “Writing on Tuesday” for each student in every school is guaranteeing medioc- rity. Testing. Lack of professional development and university courses focused as mauch om writing as on reading. The National Writing Projecthas done more for writ- ing than any other group by expecting, support- ing, and teaching teachers how to write for themselves and how to teach writing. Teachers have worked tirelessly, many at their own expense, toattend summer institutes throughout the United | What's Right with Writing States for several weeks to learn all they can for themselves and their students as writers. But I know that even now, twenty years later, not every teacher and student is as engaged in writing as they could be, or should be. University courses and staff development for teachers must offer more oppor- tunities for teachers to write if the goal is to pro duce the best teachers of writing. Testing. Several years ago I met two young teachers who had to sign a clause in their contracts that if they didn’t raise the scores of the students in their classrooms from one year to the next, they under- stood they would be let go. That is nearly impos- ible to accomplish—and unfair. New students being tested against former students. Educators ina position to influence or respond to these man dates need to ask themselves, Is what I am being asked to do, or telling teachers they must do, good for kids? In what ways? Ts this helping students learn? Is what students are learning meaningful, sensible, and valuable? ‘New and veteran teachers are worried, bewil- dered, and angry when what we are told to do does not help the children in our academic care grow as learners. We are concerned when the tests of ‘writing don’t begin to show the rigor with which writers will tackle a project when it allows them to write for real reasons for a real audience. That ay be the most valid and crucial reason for our need to write—with passion, with conviction, with honesty, with voice—to show what does and does not work with our students. Writing gives voice to the educators who know kids best, because we work with them every day. Our own writing lets us understand what we are asking our students to do. Writing puts energy back into our teaching lives because we have real reasons to write for a real audience. I'd like to think it won’t be another twenty years before we and our students are all engaged in writing. Voices from the Middle, Volume 13 Number 4, May 2006Rief | What's Right with Writing age 39 COE a RCTS Angelillo, Janet, 2005. Writing to the Prompt. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann ‘Atwell, Nancie. 2006. Naming the World: A Year of Poems and Lessons. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. ‘Atwell, Nancie, 2002. Lessons That Change Writers. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. Atwell, Nancie. 1998, In the Middle: New Understandings about Writing, Reading, and Learning (2nd ed). Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. Barbieri, Maureen. 1995, Sounds from the Heart Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. Bomer, Katherine, 2005. Writing @ Life: Teaching Memoir. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, Buckner, Aimee. 2005. Notebook Know How. Portland, ME: Stenhouse. Fletcher, Ralph. 1996. Breathing In, Breathing Out: Keeping a Writer's Notebook. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. Fletcher, Ralph. 1993. What a Writer Needs. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. Graves, Donald H., & Kittle, Pery. 2005. Inside Writing. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, Heard, Georgia. 2002. The Revision Toolbox. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, Heard, Georgia. 1995. Writing toward Home. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, Kaufman, Douglas. 2000. Conferences and Conversations. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, Lane, Barry. 1993. After the End: Teaching and Learning Creative Revision. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. Murray, Donald M. 1996. Crafting a Life, Portsmouth, NH: Boynton/Cook. National Commission on Writing. 2003. The Neglected "R": Tte Weed for a Writing Revolution. New York: College Entrance Examination Board. National Writing Project and Carl Nagin, 2003. Because Writing Matters. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. Ray, Katie Wood. 2002. What You Know by Heart, Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. Rief, Linda. 2003, 100 uickwrites: Fast and Effective Freewriting Exercises. New York: Scholastic. Rief, Linda, 1999, Vision and Voice: Extending the Literacy Spectrum, Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, Rief, Linda, 1992, Seeking Diversity: Language Arts with Adolescents, Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann Romano, Tom. 2008. “The Power of Voice.” Sduetional Leadership/The Best of EL. Alexandria, VA. ASCD. Romano, Tom. 2004, Crafting Authentic Voice, Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. Romano, Tom. 2000, Blending Genre, Altering Style. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. Romano, Yom. 1995, Writing with Passion. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, Spandel, Vicki. 2005. The 9 Rights of Every Writer. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. Zinsser, William. 1980. On Writing Well (2nd ed, New York: Harper and Row. Linda Rief teaches eighth grade at Oyster River Middle School in Durham, New Hampshire, and is an instructor in the University of New Hampshire’s Summer Literacy Institute. She can be reached at editlin@comcast.net Voices from the Middle, Volume 13 Number 4, May 2006