Writing
Explore resources designed to improve writing instruction in elementary school. 
- View a visual diagram of all five practices
- Watch a topic overview and download planning templates
- Listen to an expert
Explore the subtopics below to learn more about the recommended practices:
To learn more about the research underlying these practices, view the IES Practice Guide, Teaching Elementary Students to Be Effective Writers.
There Is a Larger Audience
Writing > Engaged Community > See How It Works
Teachers illustrate what they do to create a community of writers in which their students feel comfortable and safe. Activities such as "Author's Chair" and "Publishing Parties" are important for...
Resource Type
School Example
Giving Students a Choice
Writing > Engaged Community > See How It Works
A teacher discusses the importance of giving students a choice over what to write about, what to write with, and where to sit when they are writing. When given these choices, students are able to...
Resource Type
School Example
Creating a Place Where Students Feel Like Writers
Writing > Engaged Community > Learn What Works
One member of the IES Panel explains why developing a collaborative community of writers is necessary to have engaged writers. She discusses the various ways a teacher can create a safe and...
Resource Type
Expert Interview
Developing a Shared Writing Assignment
Writing > Engaged Community > Overview & Tools
This tool provides a framework for planning lessons in which students collaborate to develop a shared piece of writing. Watch the presentation, Creating an Engaged Community of Writers, to learn...
Resource Type
Tool
Teacher Self-Reflection: Building a Community of Writers
Writing > Engaged Community > Overview & Tools
Teachers can use this tool to reflect on strategies they use to build an engaged community of writers. To learn more about these strategies, watch Giving Students a Choice, There Is a Larger...
Resource Type
Tool
Creating an Engaged Community of Writers
Writing > Engaged Community > Overview & Tools
This recommended practice focuses on how teachers can foster an engaged community of writers by writing together with students, providing choice, and encouraging collaboration and feedback among...
Resource Type
Overview
Learning to Construct Effective Sentences
Writing > Foundational Skills > See How It Works
A teacher talks about using mentor texts to help students learn how to construct effective sentences. She asks the students what they notice in the sentence. Students discuss the features of the...
Resource Type
School Example
Building a Solid Foundation for Writing
Writing > Foundational Skills > See How It Works
Teachers describe how they teach handwriting, spelling, and sentence construction skills. The teachers also use technology in their classroom to explore texts with their students and to teach...
Resource Type
School Example
Not Grammar for Grammar’s Sake
Writing > Foundational Skills > Learn What Works
Listen to a member of the IES Panel discuss the importance of teaching spelling and of supporting students in learning to construct sentences that convey their intended meaning. Teaching these...
Resource Type
Expert Interview
Planning to Teach Sentence Construction
Writing > Foundational Skills > Overview & Tools
Use this tool to plan lessons using mentor texts to teach sentence construction. View the related sample materials and listen to the audio interview to learn more about using mentor text to teach...
Resource Type
Tool
Using Mentor Texts to Teach Foundational Skills: A Planner
Writing > Foundational Skills > Overview & Tools
Elementary school teachers can use this tool for organizing ideas and identifying mentor texts that can be integrated into lesson plans on grammar and sentence mechanics. Using this tool, teachers...
Resource Type
Tool
Self-Reflection Tool: Activities for Sentence Structure Development
Writing > Foundational Skills > Overview & Tools
This tool can be used to identify ideas for focused instruction within three research-based instructional activities for sentence development: sentence framing, sentence expanding, and sentence...
Resource Type
Tool
