Kristen D. Ritchey

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.

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.

An essential "how-to" primer, this book examines the process of learning to write and shares evidence-based instructional strategies for the primary grades. With an emphasis on explicit instruction and scaffolding students' learning, the authors explain when and how to teach handwriting, spelling, foundational skills such as sentence formation and editing, and composition in specific genres. They present clear-cut techniques for assessment, differentiation, and supporting struggling writers. The Common Core State Standards (CCSS) for Writing are used as a framework for setting instructional goals. Reproducible assessment forms, checklists, and rubrics are provided; purchasers get access to a Web page where they can download and print the reproducible materials in a convenient 8 1/2" x 11" size.

An essential "how-to" primer, this book examines the process of learning to write and shares evidence-based instructional strategies for the primary grades. With an emphasis on explicit instruction and scaffolding students' learning, the authors explain when and how to teach handwriting, spelling, foundational skills such as sentence formation and editing, and composition in specific genres. They present clear-cut techniques for assessment, differentiation, and supporting struggling writers. The Common Core State Standards (CCSS) for Writing are used as a framework for setting instructional goals. Reproducible assessment forms, checklists, and rubrics are provided; purchasers get access to a Web page where they can download and print the reproducible materials in a convenient 8 1/2" x 11" size.