We want our young people to grow up knowing that writing is an important and deeply satisfying life skill, one that helps them make more sense of themselves and their world, one that helps them to communicate effectively. Much more than a skill, writing is the creativity of each child making itself known through the role of author. Unfortunately, too often writing becomes merely an exercise in ‘getting words right’, or writing to teacher-prescribed tasks. Authorship is much richer than that, it is a means of describing, pondering on, clarifying, questioning, and celebrating aspects of their lives.
I’ve Got Something to Say is the journey of Gail Loane’s experiences in the classroom as she learned to teach writing in a way that enabled her students to develop and enjoy their own authorship. Between the pages is the journey-map for teachers - and parents - of primary and secondary school students to successfully assist their young writers to authorship. Gail knows that every young child and young adult has something to say, and her skill is in leading her students to know that they have a wealth of experiences and ideas worthy of recording. Gail is well known for her work with teachers. She facilitates teachers’ exploration of their own potential through writing, and then supports the transfer of the process to the classroom. Awarded the Queen’s Service Medal in 2007 for Services to Literacy with teachers and children, Gail and her colleague Sally Muir, present us with inspiration, models and guides to assist young writers. I’ve Got Something to Say will be a well loved companion for every teacher and parent who wants to assist children and young adults in the expression of their inherent creativity.