Writing involves a complex web of deliberations as writers make specific choices from their repertoire of grammatical resources. However, curriculum and assessment criteria that favour top-down prescriptions of writing marginalise the agency of the writer (Gardner, 2012). Conversely, we posit a bottom-up process that integrates grammar teaching…

The narrow teaching of writing that had been common in schools for hundreds of years was challenged in the 1980s by 'one of the most seductive writers in the history of writing pedagogy'. Donald Graves's process approach to writing, as it came to be known, was popular in Australia, New Zealand, USA and the UK. At the heart of Graves's approach was…

Hattie and Timperley's (2007) model of effective feedback, widely used in teacher professional development, provides an easily-applied framework for thinking about the information contained in feedback. However, the model simplifies a complex phenomenon shaped in practice by interpersonal, disciplinary and institutional aspects. Examining the…

The ancient literary form of commonplace books offers rich possibilities to students and teachers of English in Australian schools in the 21st century. By briefly tracing early uses of commonplace books and examining contemporary approaches to the teaching of writing, this paper re-imagines the 15th century commonplace book as a personal learning…

The production of writing occupies a significant place in English classrooms; it also underpins current assessment regimes. While curriculum policies emphasise the need for students to become proficient writers, scant attention has been given to the position of teachers as writers and the impact that such an omission may have on writing pedagogy.…

Presents a professional writer and writing teacher's ideas on writing and the writing process. (JL)

Recommends drama as a technique to help children make a bridge between thinking and writing. (JL)

Argues that observations and an analysis of 245 letters written by elementary school students support the idea that writers and learners do know how to promote their own self-development. (JL)

By "conferencing" ideas in writing, the teacher involves students in the experiment and invites them to join with the teacher in investigating writing. (HOD)

Argues that English teachers should write and reflect on their own writing process and allow their students to know that they are doing so. (HOD)

Describes the features of a process model of writing and efforts to translate the theory into practice. (JL)

Describes a six-week writing elective during which students become more confident of their own writing and are free of teacher assessment/judgment. (HOD)

Six participants in the Third International Conference on the Teaching of English share their views on the contributions made during the conference. (HOD)

Future directions in the teaching of writing must focus on the classroom and on ways of making the classroom situation more effective. There is a need to consolidate the new insights into writing and the writing process into effective classroom practice. (HOD)

Relates the evaluation of a secondary school writing program that concentrated on three areas: (1) the level of group participation and group feeling generated in the classroom, (2) the level of security felt by students and teacher within the process approach, and (3) the linking of the students' reading and writing. (HOD)