Language Arts and Writing Textbook

Emerging Writers was created and is currently used for developmental or college prep students. Students with low college entrance scores must take developmental or college prep courses because, for instance, these students cannot get into English 1101 or 1102, which are the required introductory writing and language arts courses for all college students.

Many of these students are ESOL students who speak English as a second language. Others are native American speakers who lack skills in reading, as well as language arts. This is mainly the case for Miami Dade College where Emerging Writers was developed and used by Merlene Purkiss, a 35-year veteran college prep instructor.

MDC has the largest undergraduate enrollment of any college or university in the country, with the largest Hispanic population in the nation.

MDC students represent 179 countries and speak 85 different languages.

More than half of MDC students will be the first in their families to attend college -- 52% are first-generation college students.

The book’s author, Merlene Purkiss, created this textbook with these facts and her extensive experience with these students in mind. She started her instructional career at MDC as College Prep English Department lab instructor. While working in the lab for nearly a decade, she worked one-on-one with the students and created many of her own worksheets to assist them. After years of refining her instructional material and working with all levels of developmental students, she compiled the information into a textbook: Emerging Writers.

Since the Emerging Writers’ widespread adoption at Miami Dade College in 2010, nearly 100% of students passed.

Since its departmental adoption in 2010, either 100 percent or most all students pass both parts (the grammar and writing portions) of Florida’s state exit exam

Student retention has increased 100% in classes that have used the book

Students have also done well in subsequent English courses, not just the college prep or developmental courses

The key to the book’s success has been its unique ability to fill scholastic holes that have caused student learning gaps and deficiencies in writing. In other words, we assume nothing about a students’ ability and begin with fundamentals that every student writer will need for high school and beyond. Thus, the book covers everything from word basics and sentence structure to complex compositions and creative writing.

Emerging Writers Model

Words

Phrases

Sentences

Paragraphs

Compositions

Creative Writing

Mastery at the most basic level (“words”) must be achieved before moving into more complex forms (i.e. “compositions”). We do realize that a student who has problems with reading (the mastery of “letters”) will have to be remediated before mastering or even undertaking writing basics. Using everyday examples, the book begins with an introduction or review of word basics in Unit I and moves into grammar in Unit II. It then introduces the writing process, beginning with the paragraph and culminating the essay in Unit III. Finally, in Unit IV, the book moves to incorporating creative elements into writing.

Other benefits include:

1. The book comes with complete examples to guide students at their own pace.

2. Students can effectively go through the book on their own, working independently from the teacher.

3. The teacher’s edition comes with a recommended syllabus and even suggested answers for open-ended questions and those with several possible answers

Here are the textbooks used at MDC before Emerging Writers:

“Evergreen: A Guide to Writing with Readings” by Susan Fawcett (978-0618397587)

“Real Writing with Readings: Paragraphs and Essays for College, Work, and Everyday Life” by Susan Anker (978-1416056591)

“Writing With Ease: Strong Fundamentals” by Susan W. Bauer (9781933339252)

This book is perfect for high school use because:

• Students who use Emerging Writers early, in high school, will be able to go straight into their required introductory writing and language arts courses rather than developmental course.

• These students will also do better on the SAT and ACT, as well as any other high school end of the course tests (ECOT).

• These students have all the language arts and writing fundamentals, so they will be able to have better mastery in writing across the curriculum.

The book now includes a new section on fiction writing, which is meant to stimulate ideas and creativity, as well as help the student understand the narrative writing form in general. Leah Miranda Hughes contributed the new fiction section for the 3rd edition. She earned degrees in English and American Literature from Oglethorpe University and Georgia State University, and an MFA in Creative Writing from Queens University, Charlotte.

Just like nonfiction writing, in which support isnecessary to establish a point, writing storiesrequires that a “plot” is established andsupported. Thus, Emerging Writers includes andprovides the basic premise in writing:

Most all forms of writing require that you

1. Make a point or establish an idea

2. Support a point or idea

This premise is especially necessary for teachers to understand for writing across the curriculum. Here are some examples:

1. Make a point or establish an idea

The car appears to be new.

2. Support your point or idea

I saw a sticker on the windshield.I saw a dealer tag.The car’s body is flawless.

Math:The answer is 10 because…

Science:Plants grow better in sunlight because…

Literature:According to the author, loves means making a sacrifice for someone, and he shows this by….

Home Economics:Baking a fluffy cake requires that you avoid beating the batter too much, and here is the best way to do it….

Music:You can remember the notes going up on the treble clef by using the acronym FACE, and you can use the acronym for…

Here is the same principle when writing across the curriculum:

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At the end of this session, participants should be able to teach students to write effectively by:

Using Emerging Writers to “Develop a Common Core Writing Plan”

Identifying factors that affect instructional success

Employing formative assessments to determine student readiness

Utilizing student interest surveys to guide writing instruction

Applying EW’s suggested course assignments

A.I.D.E. for

Emerging Writers

Professional Development Workshop

Four critical

components of

writing instruction:

Assessment

Implementation

Development

Engagement

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