Interesting title using the term "workout" for how to develop Common Core writing skills. This book is a collection of techniques to use while teaching young writers about writing. If you need a formula to teach writing skills and have students effectively work on forming good, cohesive sentence structure, this book has some great ideas on how to do this. There is a formula for what is called "effective" writing that is compacted into five steps. While these are primary focused, they offer foundational concepts for writing effectively. However, the post discussions of many of the examples given would could be strengthened. Perhaps this is the part most concerning about this book - the sharing and collaborative nature that writing can bring could be strongly emphasized. If you need help with teaching writing from a structured point of view, this book has good ideas. Otherwise, work more on the engagement of students regarding the content of their writing and follow it with some structure techniques that help them convey their enthusiasm/passion for the topic.