Responding to Student Writers

Nancy Sommers draws from decades of teaching experience to explore effective methods for responding to student writing. Her book provides concrete strategies for delivering feedback that helps students grow as writers. The text examines common pitfalls in instructor comments and presents research-based approaches for more meaningful responses. Sommers includes examples of student work alongside various types of feedback, demonstrating how different commenting styles impact student revision and learning. This compact guidebook offers practical tools for managing the paper load while maintaining quality feedback. Through sample comments, writing activities, and classroom scenarios, Sommers outlines methods that encourage student engagement with the revision process. The book contributes to ongoing conversations about writing pedagogy and the role of instructor feedback in student development. Its core message emphasizes the need to treat student writers as partners in an ongoing dialogue about their work.

Readers consistently highlight the book's practical, actionable advice for responding to student writing. Teachers appreciate its concise length and clear organization that allows quick reference during grading sessions. Likes: - Specific examples of instructor comments and explanations - Focus on positive, constructive feedback techniques - Tips for managing grading workload - Emphasis on viewing writing as a process - Concrete strategies for different types of assignments Dislikes: - Some find the content too basic for experienced teachers - A few readers wanted more examples from different disciplines - Limited discussion of digital/online feedback methods Ratings: Goodreads: 4.2/5 (89 ratings) Amazon: 4.5/5 (31 ratings) Notable reader comments: "Finally a guide that shows exactly how to give useful feedback without spending hours on each paper" - Amazon reviewer "Changed how I approach student drafts. Less editing, more coaching." - Goodreads reviewer "Would have benefited from more discipline-specific examples beyond composition courses" - Goodreads reviewer

Writing With Power by Peter Elbow This guide presents techniques for giving feedback during different stages of the writing process, focusing on ways to help writers develop their voice and revise effectively.

The Elements of Teaching Writing by Katherine Gottschalk and Keith Hjortshoj The text provides frameworks for responding to student writing across disciplines while addressing common challenges writing instructors face in the classroom.

A Writer's Reference by Diana Hacker This comprehensive handbook combines writing guidance with practical strategies for commenting on student work and managing writing assignments.

Key Works on Teacher Response by Richard Straub This collection compiles essential research and theory about teacher response to student writing, examining how different feedback approaches affect student development.

Engaging Ideas by John C. Bean This resource connects writing instruction with critical thinking through specific methods for responding to and evaluating student writing across academic disciplines.

🎓 Nancy Sommers directed Harvard University's Expository Writing Program for 20 years and pioneered research on student writing development. ✍️ The book emerged from over 30 years of research involving more than 400 students who shared their experiences receiving feedback on their writing. 📝 Sommers discovered that students typically spend only 3-5 minutes reviewing teacher comments on their papers, regardless of how long teachers spend writing them. 📚 The research found that commenting on grammar alone had no significant impact on improving student writing; feedback needed to focus on ideas and organization to be effective. 🔄 The book challenges the traditional "error-hunting" approach to grading papers and promotes a dialogue-based method where teachers act as genuine readers rather than just evaluators.