Teaching Resources

7 Keys to Research for Writing Success: A Conversation with Mary Jo Fresch and David L. Harrison (and a giveaway!)

 //  Jan 25, 2018

7 Keys to Research for Writing Success: A Conversation with Mary Jo Fresch and David L. Harrison (and a giveaway!)

Mary Jo Fresch and David L. Harrison are co-authors of 7 Keys to Research for Writing Success. They join edu@scholastic to share a conversation about their process for conceiving of and writing the book, as well as why it's so important for educators to understand how to talk about research.

GIVEAWAY!

We are giving five readers the chance to win a copy of 7 Keys to Research for Writing Success. To enter for a chance to win, leave a comment below telling us about the most successful research project you've done with students in your class. One entry per person. All entries must be submitted by 5:59 p.m. ET on February 9, 2018. U.S. residents, 18 and over, please. See the complete legal rules here.

We would like to share our writing journey with you for our latest Scholastic book, 7 Keys to Research for Writing Success. As a literacy expert and educator (Mary Jo) and children’s book author (David), we have collaborated for several years, and knew that we could grow this work into a resource that will help educators teach students how to get ready to write. And as writers, both of us know from lots of trial and error that in order to craft something powerful, you have to be prepared. It was in this idea of preparation that we saw an important opportunity. 

We had conversations about writing (and teaching writing) with many writers, editors and teachers, and decided that our book didn’t need to be about the writing process. There are excellent titles about the process but there is not much information about what writers need to do before they are ready to write. Preparing to write—doing the presearch and research about a subject—shapes what we say and how we say it when the time comes to do the writing. Presearch is what writers do to prepare for the real digging for information (research). It’s the time when we think about the task ahead, decide what we’ll need to know, and map out how we’ll go about the process. In other words, presearch is planning for research. When young writers learn to organize their thoughts and questions, as well as the knowledge they bring to a subject, they have a solid foundation on which to tell a compelling story or craft an iron-clad argument. 

We also knew that “doing research” is a skill that needs to be taught in a practical way. It’s not enough to say, “look at books,” or “enlist the librarian.” Students need guidance on how to do these things with purpose: to select a topic, ask the right questions, consult reliable resources (as author Dan Brown says, “Google is not a synonym for research”), take good notes, and prepare to write. When students have these skills, they become independent researchers, which is an important part of the writing process. 

We wrote 7 Keys to Research for Writing Success with help from experienced teachers who provided samples of their students’ work, and David dug into his own research notes for examples to share with students. He shared stories (all in the book!) about how important good research is to his writing. 

David offered this example in particular:

“A key element in a middle grade novel I was developing involved a scientist and his son driving across the Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument to spend a summer researching. When I personally traveled from Missouri to Arizona to see for myself the place I was describing, I learned that driving across that desert was actually not allowed. With this knowledge, I had to adjust: my adventurers had to settle for staying at a campsite! (And I had to make sure that any further plot points reflected the change.)”

Sharing stories like this with students drives home the point that unless we prepare before we start, our writing may have holes or inconsistencies that we don’t even know about! Our writing won’t be true and our readers will be cheated.

The teachers we worked with appreciated the step-by-step, efficient way they could teach good research skills to their students. By presearching a proposed topic, students discover if their idea is too big or too narrow. This saves time later on and helps keep students from being overwhelmed (by too much information) or disappointed (by too little). By putting a laser focus on their topics, students could choose more specific key words, saving time in the search and yielding better results. From there students can get really engaged in their topic. Suddenly, they will realize that research is the same for them as it is for published authors. We believe that if you do the (pre)work, you will wow your reader with a piece full of interesting and relevant facts and details. 

We open the book with an anonymous quote that we will use to close this blog post: “The future belongs to the curious. The ones who are not afraid to try it, explore it, poke it, question it and turn it inside out.”

We wish happy research adventures to you and your students!

Comments

<a href=" https://247loans

<a href=" https://247loans.icu/ ">fast cash</a> - loans with bad credit cash advance online - <a href=" https://247loans.icu/ ">quick cash</a> https://247loans.icu/

<a href=" https://speedycash

<a href=" https://speedycash.icu/ ">pay day loans</a> - payday loans payday express, <a href=" https://speedycash.icu/ ">payday loans online</a> https://speedycash.icu/

<a href=" https://247loans

<a href=" https://247loans.icu/ ">quick cash</a>, personal loans for bad credit same day loans, <a href=" https://247loans.icu/ ">loans direct</a> https://247loans.icu/

gsn casino games <a href=

gsn casino games <a href="https://onlinecasinoslotsmaxx.com/">casino games free online</a> free online casino games <a href="https://onlinecasinoslotsmaxx.com/">free slots games</a> | https://onlinecasinoslotsmaxx.com/ - chumba casino https://onlinecasinoslotsmaxx.com/ - parx online casino

<a href=" https:/

<a href=" https://paydayloansbadcredit.icu/ ">payday loans for bad credit</a>, long beach bad credit payday loans dallas bad credit payday loans, <a href=" https://paydayloansbadcredit.icu/ ">bad credit payday loans</a> https://paydayloansbadcredit.icu/

world class casino slots <a

world class casino slots <a href="https://freeslots24.icu/">free casino slots</a> slot games <a href="https://freeslots24.icu/">casino slots free games</a> | https://freeslots24.icu/ - free casino slots https://freeslots24.icu/ - buffalo gold slots

<a href=" https://speedycash

<a href=" https://speedycash.icu/ ">cash advance</a>, payday loans payday loans - <a href=" https://speedycash.icu/ ">cash advance</a> https://speedycash.icu/

<a href=" https://speedycash

<a href=" https://speedycash.icu/ ">payday loans</a>, payday express payday loans online, <a href=" https://speedycash.icu/ ">personal loans</a> https://speedycash.icu/

spy on cell phone without

spy on cell phone without touching it <a href="https://spyphoneapps.us.com/">spy software</a> cell phone spy without touching target phone <a href=" https://spyphoneapps.us.com/">phone tracker</a> | https://spyphoneapps.us.com/ - free phone tracker exact location https://spyphoneapps.us.com/ - spy apps

<a href=" https://speedycash

<a href=" https://speedycash.icu/ ">cash advance</a> - pay day loans payday loans, <a href=" https://speedycash.icu/ ">cash advance</a> https://speedycash.icu/

<a href=" https://cashloans

<a href=" https://cashloans.icu/ ">quick cash loans</a> - cash advance loans online quick cash loans - <a href=" https://cashloans.icu/ ">speedy cash loans online</a> https://cashloans.icu/

<a href=" https://cashloans

<a href=" https://cashloans.icu/ ">fast cash loans</a> - quick cash loan cash advance loan, <a href=" https://cashloans.icu/ ">cash advance loans</a> https://cashloans.icu/

<a href=" https:/

<a href=" https://paydayloansbadcredit.icu/ ">los angeles bad credit payday loans</a>, payday loans for bad credit dallas bad credit payday loans - <a href=" https://paydayloansbadcredit.icu/ ">payday loans bad credit</a> https://paydayloansbadcredit.icu/

<a href=" https://speedycash

<a href=" https://speedycash.icu/ ">payday loans</a>, payday loans payday loans, <a href=" https://speedycash.icu/ ">cash advance</a> https://speedycash.icu/

<a href=" https://speedycash

<a href=" https://speedycash.icu/ ">payday express</a>, payday loans pay day loans - <a href=" https://speedycash.icu/ ">payday loans</a> https://speedycash.icu/

<a href=" https://speedycash

<a href=" https://speedycash.icu/ ">payday loans</a>, pay day loans payday loans online, <a href=" https://speedycash.icu/ ">pay day loans</a> https://speedycash.icu/

<a href=" https://247loans

<a href=" https://247loans.icu/ ">payday loans direct lender</a>, cash advance online loans bad credit, <a href=" https://247loans.icu/ ">quick cash</a> https://247loans.icu/

<a href=" https:/

<a href=" https://paydayloansbadcredit.icu/ ">houston bad credit payday loans</a> - bad credit payday loans guaranteed bad credit payday loans, <a href=" https://paydayloansbadcredit.icu/ ">orange county bad credit payday loans</a> https://paydayloansbadcredit.icu/

<a href=" https://speedycash

<a href=" https://speedycash.icu/ ">payday express</a>, payday loans online loans for bad credit, <a href=" https://speedycash.icu/ ">cash advance</a> https://speedycash.icu/

<a href=" https://247loans

<a href=" https://247loans.icu/ ">quick cash</a> - same day loans quick cash advance online - <a href=" https://247loans.icu/ ">cash advance online</a> https://247loans.icu/

<a href=" https://247loans

<a href=" https://247loans.icu/ ">loans with bad credit</a>, quick cash payday loans direct lender - <a href=" https://247loans.icu/ ">fast cash</a> https://247loans.icu/

<a href=" https:/

<a href=" https://paydayloansbadcredit.icu/ ">los angeles bad credit payday loans</a>, houston bad credit payday loans bad credit payday loans guaranteed - <a href=" https://paydayloansbadcredit.icu/ ">long beach bad credit payday loans</a> https://paydayloansbadcredit.icu/

<a href=" https://speedycash

<a href=" https://speedycash.icu/ ">payday express</a> - cash advance payday express, <a href=" https://speedycash.icu/ ">cash advance</a> https://speedycash.icu/

<a href=" https://cashloans

<a href=" https://cashloans.icu/ ">cash advance loans online</a>, cash loans online speedy cash loans online - <a href=" https://cashloans.icu/ ">cash advance loan</a> https://cashloans.icu/

<a href=" https://cashloans

<a href=" https://cashloans.icu/ ">home credit cash loan</a> - cash store loans cash loans - <a href=" https://cashloans.icu/ ">cash advance loan</a> https://cashloans.icu/

<a href=" https://speedycash

<a href=" https://speedycash.icu/ ">payday loans online</a>, payday loans online loans for bad credit - <a href=" https://speedycash.icu/ ">loans for bad credit</a> https://speedycash.icu/

<a href=" https:/

<a href=" https://paydayloansbadcredit.icu/ ">los angeles bad credit payday loans</a>, payday loans bad credit bad credit payday loans - <a href=" https://paydayloansbadcredit.icu/ ">bad credit payday loans</a> https://paydayloansbadcredit.icu/

<a href=" https://speedycash

<a href=" https://speedycash.icu/ ">loans for bad credit</a> - cash advance payday loans online, <a href=" https://speedycash.icu/ ">payday loans online</a> https://speedycash.icu/

<a href=" https://speedycash

<a href=" https://speedycash.icu/ ">payday loans</a>, cash advance loans for bad credit - <a href=" https://speedycash.icu/ ">cash advance</a> https://speedycash.icu/

<a href=" https://speedycash

<a href=" https://speedycash.icu/ ">payday loans online</a> - payday loans personal loans, <a href=" https://speedycash.icu/ ">payday loans online</a> https://speedycash.icu/

bovada casino <a href="https:

bovada casino <a href="https://freecasinogames.icu/">hollywood casino online</a> free online casino slots <a href="https://freecasinogames.icu/">caesars online casino</a> | https://freecasinogames.icu/ - parx casino online https://freecasinogames.icu/ - no deposit casino

jackpot party casino <a href=

jackpot party casino <a href="https://onlinecasinoslots.ooo/">treasure island casino minnesota</a> gsn casino games <a href="https://onlinecasinoslots.ooo/">doubleu casino on facebook</a> | https://onlinecasinoslots.ooo/ - foxwoods online casino https://onlinecasinoslots.ooo/ - three rivers casino

casino online <a href="https:

casino online <a href="https://casinorealmoney.ooo/">casino near me</a> betfair casino online nj <a href="https://casinorealmoney.ooo/">usa online casino</a> | https://casinorealmoney.ooo/ - casinos near me https://casinorealmoney.ooo/ - stn play online casino

free online slots no download

free online slots no download <a href="https://vegascasinoslots.icu/">free vegas slots online</a> free casino slots no download <a href="https://vegascasinoslots.icu/">turning stone online slots</a> | https://vegascasinoslots.icu/ - penny slots https://vegascasinoslots.icu/ - real casino slots

free slot machine games <a

free slot machine games <a href="https://casinoslotsplay.icu/">online casino slots no download</a> real casino slots <a href="https://casinoslotsplay.icu/">play free slots</a> | https://casinoslotsplay.icu/ - myvegas slots https://casinoslotsplay.icu/ - casino slots free games

free casino games no download

free casino games no download <a href="https://onlinecasinoplay24.us.org/">hyper casinos</a> winstar world casino <a href="https://onlinecasinoplay24.us.org/">hypercasinos</a> | https://onlinecasinoplay24.us.org/ - online casinos for us players https://onlinecasinoplay24.us.org/ - bovada casino

<a href=" https://speedycash

<a href=" https://speedycash.icu/ ">personal loans</a> - payday loans payday loans online, <a href=" https://speedycash.icu/ ">payday loans</a> https://speedycash.icu/

<a href=" https://247loans

<a href=" https://247loans.icu/ ">loans bad credit</a>, quick cash advance online quick cash advance online, <a href=" https://247loans.icu/ ">loans bad credit</a> https://247loans.icu/

big fish casino <a href=

big fish casino <a href="https://realmoneycasino.icu/">hypercasinos</a> casino real money <a href="https://realmoneycasino.icu/">doubleu casino</a> | https://realmoneycasino.icu/ - real casino https://realmoneycasino.icu/ - chinook winds casino

<a href=" https://cashloans

<a href=" https://cashloans.icu/ ">speedy cash loans</a> - quick cash loans cash advance loans online, <a href=" https://cashloans.icu/ ">cash loan</a> https://cashloans.icu/

<a href=" https:/

<a href=" https://paydayloansbadcredit.icu/ ">los angeles bad credit payday loans</a> - bad credit payday loans orange county bad credit payday loans, <a href=" https://paydayloansbadcredit.icu/ ">bad credit payday loans</a> https://paydayloansbadcredit.icu/

<a href=" https://cashloans

<a href=" https://cashloans.icu/ ">cash advance loans online</a>, speedy cash loans cash advance loan, <a href=" https://cashloans.icu/ ">cash advance loans</a> https://cashloans.icu/

<a href=" https://247loans

<a href=" https://247loans.icu/ ">loans online</a>, loans bad credit loans bad credit - <a href=" https://247loans.icu/ ">same day loans</a> https://247loans.icu/

<a href=" https://247loans

<a href=" https://247loans.icu/ ">loans bad credit</a>, loans direct quick cash advance online - <a href=" https://247loans.icu/ ">quick cash</a> https://247loans.icu/

track a cell phone number <a

track a cell phone number <a href="https://spyphoneapps.us.com/">phone tracker free with just phone number</a> free app for spying on spouse <a href=" https://spyphoneapps.us.com/">spy on text messages</a> | https://spyphoneapps.us.com/ - spy phone https://spyphoneapps.us.com/ - cell phone tracking software free

<a href=" https:/

<a href=" https://paydayloansbadcredit.icu/ ">bad credit payday loans guaranteed</a> - dallas bad credit payday loans bad credit payday loans guaranteed, <a href=" https://paydayloansbadcredit.icu/ ">dallas bad credit payday loans</a> https://paydayloansbadcredit.icu/

<a href=" https://speedycash

<a href=" https://speedycash.icu/ ">cash advance</a>, loans for bad credit personal loans, <a href=" https://speedycash.icu/ ">personal loans</a> https://speedycash.icu/

<a href=" https://speedycash

<a href=" https://speedycash.icu/ ">pay day loans</a> - personal loans personal loans, <a href=" https://speedycash.icu/ ">cash advance</a> https://speedycash.icu/

<a href=" https://speedycash

<a href=" https://speedycash.icu/ ">payday loans online</a> - payday loans cash advance, <a href=" https://speedycash.icu/ ">payday loans online</a> https://speedycash.icu/

<a href=" https://speedycash

<a href=" https://speedycash.icu/ ">payday loans online</a> - pay day loans personal loans, <a href=" https://speedycash.icu/ ">pay day loans</a> https://speedycash.icu/

Pages