1. Introduction 2. How Writing Develops 3. Teaching Handwriting 4. Teaching Spelling 5. Teaching Sentence Construction 6. Genre-Specific Writing Instruction 7. Teaching Students to Write Book Reviews 8. Teaching Students to Write Narratives 9. Teaching Students to Write Descriptions 10. Supporting Students with Writing Needs 11. Conclusion: Meeting the Challenges of Early Writing Instruction Appendix A Letter-Writing Assessment Appendix B Sound-Spelling Assessment Appendix C Rubrics for Opinion Texts Appendix D Rubrics for Narrative Texts Appendix E Rubrics for Informative/Explanatory Texts
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.