ABSTRACT
This chapter begins by exploring how teachers can, through mini-lessons, effectively deliver explicit and direct instruction within the context of a community of writers. The authors first share the theory, research, and practice which has looked into increasing children’s knowledge and understanding of writing through writing-study. This includes learning about craft, process, genre, transcriptional and technological knowledge as well as knowledge about readership, positive writerly environments, and the affective dispositions and behaviours of writers. Next, the authors focus their attention on research which has looked into effective grammar instruction including functional grammar lessons and sentence combining. The authors share their own conception of self-regulated strategy development instruction and how this relates to writing study and functional grammar teaching. Towards the end of the chapter, the authors examine the role of the writer-teacher in effective instruction, the profound link between writing goals and writing instruction, and the importance of responsive teaching and daily writing time. The chapter ends with the authors sharing examples of effective practice from exceptional teachers of Writing For Pleasure.
