Drawing and writing in response to picturebook read-alouds, elementary children construct varying "visual hooks" in their sketches as effective visual devices for extending ideas for writing: the bubble hook, the zoom hook, and the group hook. This article reports on a 12-week qualitative study in which children in second grade develop as writers…

Don Graves died Tuesday, September 28, 2010. In the early 1980s, Don blew open the door to teaching children to write. His qualitative research and subsequent 26 books transformed the teaching of writing in elementary schools. He showed how much could be learned by the simple, powerful strategy of sitting beside children and asking them about…

Donald Graves's early professional books inspired Koshewa to look more deeply into student writing during the 1980s, and to value all phases of the writing process. Graves's perspective on uncovering and celebrating voice elevated Koshewa's writing instruction to a new plane. In this article, he writes about the impact that Donald Graves's work…

Standards can aid educators as they work to produce strong student writers who can create meaningful and skillfully crafted authentic pieces of writing. This once-a-month, yearlong professional development program, conducted during the school day, shifted a district's kindergarten writing program to a writing workshop model that enabled the…

Clarifies 21 misconceptions about the nature of writing, how writing is learned, the act of writing, and who can teach writing. (HTH)

Discusses the roles that writers must assume during the writing process and offers suggestions to help children prevent these roles from conflicting or interfering with each other during writing. (HTH)

Presents suggestions for teachers to help writing students understand when and when not to revise their writing. (HTH)

Follows the progress of three young boys as they learn to collaborate in school. Shows the importance of allowing students to talk through their writing and reading tasks and to recognize the social and listening skills that develop along with their writing. (MG)

Profiles two children's authors, Marion Dane Bauer and Katherine Paterson, examining the social interactions that have influenced their writing. Looks at the social context of their lives as influences on their writing, including family, friends and acquaintances, literature, research for a novel, editors, the marketplace, and readers. Suggests…

Examines the principles of the writing process and applies them to reading. Discusses the parallels between these components of reading and writing: invention, choice, discussion, revision, and publication. (HTH)

Outlines the stages of the composing process, differentiating between those of skilled and unskilled writers. Provides a list of suggestions for elementary school writing instruction. (HTH)

Reviews research studies on the nature of children's understanding of the writing process and how teachers can better help children learn to write. (HTH)

Reveals the lack of research on children's writing and suitable writing instruction in the last 25 years. Points out the inadequacies in the research that is being done and the need for better research methods that take writing context and environment into account. (HTH)

Describes how a teacher helps children understand that endings do not just magically pop into their heads as they write the final words of their stories. Hopes to provide students with authentic revising sessions and to encourage them to assume the dual role of critical reader and thoughtful writer whenever possible. (SG)

Critiques what learning appears to mean in the typical American school setting and suggests a more appropriate construct of learning. Explains how this construct will enable a clearer vision of how writing fits as a means of enhancing learning. (HTH)