Here’s valuable help for improving students’ writing through a sound, illustrative combination of research-based authentic writing samples and positive coaching conversations. A guide, an incentive, and a model for success, this resource uses real classroom writing and pedagogical elements that provide specific context, research connections, teacher talk, and most importantly, students’ writing examples to help teachers teach writing to preschool through grade 6 students.

Writing Is Like Real Talk! encourages teachers to reflect on how they teach writing–and to use what they learn from students’ writing to inform their instruction. In addition to the outstanding pedagogical aids, each chapter includes authentic writing samples and coaching conversations specific to students’ needs. Armed with these classroom-based scenarios, instructors can enhance the development of teacher talk that acknowledges students as writers, facilitates students’ meaning making, and enables students to move toward writer consciousness.