Now in a revised and updated second edition, this established teacher guide and course text explains the building blocks of explicit writing instruction for young learners. The authors provide science-based methods for teaching foundational skills in handwriting, spelling, sentence writing, and composition, along with effective strategies to scaffold students’ learning. Illustrated with vivid classroom vignettes and examples of student work in multiple genres, the text presents clear-cut techniques for assessment, differentiation, and supporting struggling writers. Teacher-friendly features include chapter-opening Guiding Questions and reproducible/downloadable forms, checklists, and rubrics.

New to This Edition

• Updated with the latest theory, research, and strategies aligned with the science of writing.
• Chapter on paragraph writing.
• Chapter on strategies to improve sentences.
• Heightened focus on the composition process across genres, in place of genre-specific chapters.

This title is part of The Essential Library of PreK-2 Literacy series, edited by Sharon Walpole and Michael C. McKenna.