"...an excellent starting place for homeschoolers." -- The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine

How to Write: Communicating Ideas and Information by Herbert and Jill Meyer is a small book with big ideas. The 110-page handbook ($6.95 from Storm King Press) for learning how to write any type of material provides a wonderful outline that could be used effectively by anyone. Both authors bring a wealth of experience to the project. Jill Meyer has experience as a teacher of English, English as a Second Language, and writing in various settings. Herbert Meyer has been a journalist for The Wall Street Journal and Associate Editor of FORTUNE magazine, a business executive, an author (he has written three other books), and a government official.

The first part of this handy book covers how to organize for your writing project, which is often the most difficult part of the writing task. The authors emphasize that a carefully chosen topic and good outline are the foundation to a well-written document. I like that they delineated how to choose a topic, something that is often glossed over or neglected all together. For example, imagine trying to write a 10-page paper about the history of civilization. A tad too broad? Or trying to write a 100-page paper on the impact of the invention of the four-slice toaster on firefighters in South Dakota. Perhaps a bit too narrow? A good topic sets the stage for a good writing project. The authors also provided a very straightforward and intuitive guide for outlining projects.

The second part of the book takes the reader through the process of writing the first draft. Again, the format presented is easy to follow and flows from the first step. Examples are used throughout to demonstrate the simple process and make it very understandable. The third section provides several keys to finishing and polishing your document, including guidelines such as: be accurate, be precise, be consistent, and be brief. The authors note that: " . . . a piece of writing is successful only when it does what the writer intends it to do - for instance when the piece of writing informs, or persuades, or convinces, or when it stimulates the reader to take whatever action the writer wants him or her to take. And to be successful a piece of writing must earn the reader's respect through its internal power and credibility."

I found this little book to be a treasure of helpful guidelines, great examples, and overall strategies for producing clear, concise writing. Homeschool families would likely find it very beneficial for several reasons. First, junior high and high school students who are learning to write well-reasoned research papers would find it to be an excellent introduction to the process, and a good preparation for writing college papers. Second, parents can use the book as a guide for teaching their children how to think through and execute a variety of writing assignments. Keep in mind, this handbook provides an overview to the writing process, not an exhaustive dissertation on the topic. It does not go into great detail about the different types of writing, provide extensive grammar review, or provide lengthy samples of writing. But it would be an excellent starting place for homeschoolers. Even students with a good deal of writing experience will find some wonderful gems of wisdom.



-- Dr. Anne Margaret Wright, The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine