4 of the Best Books About Teaching Writing

Hi Teacher Friend! 

We know that you are always looking for effective strategies to help your students become stronger writers. In this post, we’ll share four helpful books on writing instruction that will give you practical approaches and research-backed methods to enhance writing instruction in your classroom. Don't miss links to Melissa & Lori Love Literacy™ podcast episodes where we interview the authors!  

Writing for Understanding by The Vermont Writing Collaborative 

A few years ago, we discovered Writing for Understanding by The Vermont Writing Collaborative, and it’s fantastic! We don’t want students to write just for the sake of writing, and this book will help you plan purposeful writing assignments. Students will deepen their understanding of both the craft of writing and content they are learning. The book emphasizes using writing across all subjects, with a clear guide for creating meaningful tasks and tools to help you plan effectively—perfect for any grade or content area.

Listen to the authors of this book in episode 43: A Knowledge-Based Approach to Writing.

Best Practices in Writing Instruction by Steve Graham, Charles A. MacArthur, & Michael Hebert

Best Practices in Writing Instruction is a great read if you are looking for research-based strategies that truly make a difference in the classroom. Each chapter, written by different experts, is packed with valuable insights, so it’s worth taking your time to read this one. The chapters cover everything from setting up a writing classroom and motivating writers to sentence construction, planning, revising, and assessing writing. This is the kind of book you’ll find yourself returning to again and again.

Coming in January: We interview Steve Graham about research-based writing practices. 

Powerful Writing Strategies for All Students by Karen Harris, Steve Graham, Linda Mason, & Barbara Friedlander

If you’ve been curious about SRSD (Self-Regulated Strategy Development) and want to understand how it works, Powerful Writing Strategies for All Students is the book for you. It provides a clear breakdown of what SRSD is, the research behind it, and practical guidance for implementing it in your classroom. Packed with strategies, lessons, mnemonics, and graphic organizers, this book is an incredible resource for teaching different types of writing, as well as for improving and revising students' work. Whether you're new to SRSD or looking to deepen your understanding, this book offers everything you need to get started.

LISTEN TO EPISODE 213 WITH KAREN HARRIS AND YOUNG-SUK KIM: EVIDENCE-BASED WRITING INSTRUCTION FOR YOUNG LEARNERS.

The Writing Revolution by Judith Hochman & Natalie Wexler

The Writing Revolution is a must-read if you are looking for a practical, step-by-step guide to teaching writing. It focuses on building and expanding sentences, teaching the writing process, and helping students become more confident writers. The because-but-so activity is an easy but powerful way to teach students how to use conjunctions and expand their writing! It’s not a curriculum; it’s an approach that works across all grades and subjects—and the appendix is packed with helpful tools, checklists, and outlines!

Listen to the authors of The Writing Revolution in episode 117 of the podcast.