ABSTRACT
This chapter begins by examining the value of talk in the writing community of the classroom. It explores the crucial role played by dialogic teaching and exploratory talk in effective writing teaching. This is followed by discussion surrounding the kind of talk that would be expected within a Writing For Pleasure classroom, including the vital role direct and explicit instruction has in the development of apprentice writers, making the implicit explicit and the role of metacognition in writing for pleasure. Positive and productive interactions between writer-teachers and pupils are also presented, as is the role of collaborative talk and writing amongst pupil-writers. The importance of specific lessons in how to talk is explored, including how children can productively share their developing compositions with one another. The chapter concludes with examples of effective practice from the classrooms of high-performing Writing For Pleasure teachers.
