Side by Side

In this sequel to In the Middle, the award-winning best-seller about her experiences as a teacher of writing and reading, Nancie Atwell explores the conditions that make it possible for children-and their teachers-to become writers and readers. In two key chapters she reconsiders In the Middle itself, in light of the experiences of other teachers and their correspondence with her, and she proposes some intriguing revisions of the workshop mode. Other topics address in Side by Side include the teaching of poetry, contexts for teaching critical thinking skills, making a place for special education students in writing and reading workshop, the significance of teacher research, and implications of reader response theory for literature-based approaches, and the parallels between the literate behaviors of Nancie's adolescent students and those of her young daughter.