ABSTRACT
The cognitive aspects of composing extended written texts are the focus of this chapter. It is not concerned with the perceptual-motor aspects of handwriting or typing except insofar as they affect cognition during composition. It is concerned only with extended, serious composition of at least several paragraphs, as opposed to the use of writing to create, for example, lists, notes, text messages, or brief e-mails. Serious composition poses unique cognitive challenges. Gaining expertise as a writer moves through stages of development taking nearly two decades and extensive practice, as we will show. We begin by defining the concept of writing expertise. Next, the cognitive demands of written composition are documented, followed by a presentation of the three major stages of writing skill development. We finally focus on the relationship between deliberate practice and writing skill development before discussing the pedagogical implications of our conclusions.
