Mastering Short-Response Writing

Build confident, capable writers who own the concrete skills necessary to excel at composing evidence-based expository or argumentative short responses. In order to succeed on a wide range of writing assignments and assessments that call for writing to a prompt, students must control the content and mechanics of a logically structured, grammatically correct paragraph. California Teacher of the Year award winner and celebrated trade author Alan Sitomer outlines the Triple C writing system-- CLAIM IT! CITE IT! CEMENT IT! - a sequence of instructional steps that helps students concisely and convincingly respond to an on-demand prompt. Mastering Short-Response Writing is a particularly effective instructional tool for raising the skill sets of low-performing writers in grades 3 and up.

“Through humorous examples, easy-to-follow steps, and gate-keeping tips, Sitomer skillfully demonstrates how teachers can go beyond simply teaching writing skills to teaching critical thinking skills. This book demystifies writing instruction for novice and experienced teachers alike. --Christy Mock-Stutz, English Language Arts Instructional Coordinator, Montana Office of Public Instruction”

"""Mastering Short Response Writing"" is an interesting book directed mostly at teachers but I think quite useful for parents. Alan Sitomer, a California Teacher of the Year, has developed a method of teaching students to write effective, concise, and pithy essays. With students taking so many tests these days, many of which are essay exams, they need to be able to address a topic, review the pertinent facts, apply the rules to the facts, and reach a conclusion without writing an encyclopedia length exposition. Get in, write what's necessary, and get out. As Sitomer posits, the three C's. ""Claim It! Cite It! Cement It!""

Sitomer is absolutely right, and if teachers and parents can get their students and kids to write utilizing this method, they all will be winners. Sitomer lays out examples of what to do, using well-defined moves, and helpful hints to get the job done. His original plan was to develop a plan to help low-performing students improve their writing skills, but the method he lays out works for everyone, not just those who are lagging behind. The book is not hard to implement, and I think, most parents will be able to use the book to help their kids. No matter the skill level of the students, using Sitomer's method will improve their writing abilities and give them life-long skills.

I think this is one of the more important teaching books to come our way and will be of benefit to almost every student." --Resips

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"This text is aimed at helping teachers help students write clear well structured short responses which is a foundational skill for essay writing. The author uses a simple model - Claim it, Cite it, Cement it - that even weak writers can use to start building their competence and confidence. The author uses a very methodical programmatic pedagogical style that gradually builds on previous lessons that is very effective and teachers will find easy to implement." --Mike

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Imagine having a professional writer whisper in your ear inside trade secrets about the art of writing--and how to teach it. That's what Mastering Short-Response Writing is like for me. Sitomer, who is both an educator and a professional writer, shares his own writing process and teaching toolbox. He shares what he thinks about when he's writing and what he thinks about when he's teaching writing. Best of all, he delivers explicit instruction on short responses, which are the stepping stones to full-blown masterpieces. Because of this book I'm a better teacher of writing and my students now have the tools they need to guide their thinking and writing. -- Terry Kaldhusdal, Wisconsin State Teacher of the Year, 2007
Wisconsin State History Teacher of the Year, 2011
Lowell Milken Center Fellow, 2014

Alan Lawrence Sitomer is a California Teacher of the Year award winner and the founder of The Writer's Success Academy. He's a former inner-city high school English teacher and professor in the Graduate School Of Education at Loyola Marymount University. Sitomer is an inspirational keynote speaker who specializes in engaging underperforming students. He has authored 16 trade books with works ranging from hard-hitting YA novels like Caged Warrior and Homeboyz to humorous and warm children's picture books such as Daddies Do It Different and Daddy's Zigzagging Bedtime Story. He's also the author of several professional books and curricular resources for educators including The Alan Sitomer Book Jam.

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