ABSTRACT
This chapter explores what is meant by Writing For Pleasure and how it translates into a classroom pedagogy. Children’s historical underachievement and indifference to or active dislike for writing is explored. The relationship between children’s affective dispositions and effective writing performance is also considered. For example, the authors share their theory of writing as a pleasurable activity and that we also write for the pleasure and satisfaction of producing a final written product. This is followed by an examination of the reasons children are most moved to write, including: to teach, persuade or influence, entertain, ‘paint with words’, reflect, and make a record. Finally, a formal definition of a Writing For Pleasure pedagogy is offered and there is a brief description of Young’s 2019 research study What is it Writing For Pleasure teachers do that makes the difference?
