Writing and Growing

In this book, Dr. Timothy Horan presents an original and highly effective writing program whose major goal is to transform high school students into accomplished writers and mature young adults. This writing program is innovative, rigorous, and engaging, and was designed with high school students in mind.This volume contains a total of twenty original writing projects that represent creative (and innovative) interpretations of Common Core Writing Standards. These projects focus on the worlds of contemporary secondary students, exploring such topics as technology, literature, goals for the future, and potential careers. Each assignment in this book is full and complete, and includes a reproducible outline that presents the assignment to students in a simplified graphical format. As students progress through this program, they will encounter engaging writing projects that foster growth and anticipate the changes occurring in students’ lives during this time of development and transition. It will also prepare students for the rigors of writing in college, career, and the unwritten future that awaits all of them. Finally, Dr. Horan issues a call for every secondary school in the United States to create and implement courses singularly devoted to the craft of writing—and this book contains the curriculum for that course.

I especially love the chapters on Arthur Miller's play the Crucible. The writing projects there enable students to experience this play from three different angles: background history; textual analysis; and creative writing. As students write, they will learn to understand and appreciate the power of drama, and the beauty and challenges of dramatic writing. Great stuff.--Maria Radman-Favre, Tony-nominated Broadway actress, and teacher of high school drama and English, In this book, Dr. Horan has created a revolutionary writing program that will engage high school students as it teaches them to write. Perhaps more important, Dr. Horan also calls for the creation of new writing courses in every high school - and for every student - in the nation. This book provides the curriculum for those courses--and it is long overdue.--Dr. Roberta Levitt, professor of education, Long Island University, Timothy Horan has created a unique writing program that will engage students as it teaches them how to write and how to grow into their best selves. This book provides a refreshing update to the literature on secondary writing instruction, and will help prepare students for the rigors of writing in a university.--Stephen Sicari, Professor of English and former chair, St. John's University, Queens, NY

Timothy Horan (BA, MA, MS, MS, DA) is the inventor of the School Library Writing Center, and is widely published in the fields of teaching and writing. He has been an adjunct professor of English, supervisor of a university writing center, and has over twenty years of experience teaching writing, literature, and library science.