Anyone who has taught writing knows that sometimes the hardest part about teaching writing is getting students to write at all. 

What we sometimes forget, Kelly Boswell reminds us, is that every writer is reluctant to write at some point. It’s the conditions––not the kids––that determine success. In Every Kid A Writer, Kelly provides six field-tested... more

“I’m the kind of kid who builds things,” reflects seven-year-old Jude. “I’m a builder, a doer, a maker of things.” How does Jude possess such a clear sense of self at this tender age? And what viable actions might teachers take to awaken, nurture, and develop learner identity and a sense of agency that lives within Jude and every child?

Debbie Miller and Emily Callahan... more

"Writing With Mentors is one of the best books I’ve read on harnessing the power of mentor texts to spur authentic student writing." --Kelly Gallagher, author of Write Like This

"Writing With Mentors has transformed the way I think about using exemplar pieces." --Christopher Lehman, coauthor of Falling in Love with Close Reading

"I... more

Writing instruction stands at a crossroads. Efforts to define and then assess the key qualities of writing have helped pinpoint what outcomes matter most and how to measure them, yet they threaten to become an end in themselves. Meanwhile, high-quality instruction seeks to create a safe environment that applauds risk taking by supporting students through strategies that... more

Think for a moment about the last time you held a book in your hands and thought, “I need to share this book with… well, with everyone I know!” Those books, the ones where you want to grab every copy off the bookstore shelf to begin your “book love” campaign, those are the books in the Every School collection. These twenty picture books invite readers to gasp at their beauty,... more

Master teacher and education consultant Patricia Vitale-Reilly has a deep understanding of  what engagement strategies look like and how to integrate them into classroom practice. “Regardless of age, grade level, geographic location, type of school, discipline, or curriculum,” she writes, “A student needs to be engaged in his or her learning in order to excel and succeed.”... more

“I can’t write.”

How often do we hear this every day from students at all different skill levels?  What is it about writing that causes such self-doubt, disabling procrastination, and fear of failure? 

“So many students do not identify writing as a positive experience or identify themselves as writers,” Liz Prather says. “We rarely talk about the social-emotional... more