Writing Strategies
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Marilyn Hersh, Hillside Elementary School, Farmington Hills, MI -- School Library Journal, 7/31/2008
Writing Strategies. DVD. approx. 70 min. Rock ‘N Learn. 2007. ISBN 978-1-934312-02-5. $19.99.
Gr 4-6–Marko the Pencil, with a bow tie and French accent, and his airplane barnstorm a girl trying to write a story in this animated production. He hovers in the air as the girl tries to decide on a topic. Marko offers encouragement, lets the youngster explain her thoughts, and then selects a tool from his tool box to help her sharpen her writing. In each instance, he explains the tool, gives an example of how it works, and then asks the girl to try to incorporate it in her story. Marko explains brainstorming, identifying the audience, finding a hook, and organizing ideas. He suggests using language rich with transitions, dialogue, colorful words, similes, onomatopoeia, and ending with a lasting impression. Marko often talks in rap with a music background. The animation is colorful, creative, and engaging. The girl’s writing is shown on lined paper. Viewers get caught up in the girl’s story about her family’s camping trip. The first part of the program deals with writing content, and the second segment covers proofreading by using writing samples and a multiple choice format to find mistakes. Marko the Pencil fills in the correct multiple choice bubbles after discussing the choices with the girl. This is the perfect vehicle to teach the thought process involved in successful writing, and it does it with pizzazz.
