Argues that the process of learning to write should be recognized as a process of learning how to construct different kinds of written texts, each representing a different way of making meaning. (HOD)

Offers a variety of practical writing ideas that can help first-grade teachers encourage writing across the curriculum. (FL)

A synthesis of current research, theory, and professional opinion on how children learn to write, this report begins with a brief introduction followed by a discussion of writing readiness that suggests children's eagerness to learn to write. The third chapter examines children's use of writing to extend the functions of speech, drawing, and play,…