This highly practical guide offers a systematic approach to instruction in the three main writing genres--narrative, persuasive, and informative--that students in grades 3-5 are expected to master. Ready-to-use lesson plans and materials are grounded in research on strategy instruction and self-regulated learning, and connect with learning standards. Presented are ways to teach students strategies for planning, drafting, evaluating, revising, editing, and publishing writing in each genre, while making connections between reading and writing. Sixty-four reproducible planning forms and student handouts are provided; the large-size format facilitates photocopying. The Appendix contains a Study Guide to support professional learning. Purchasers also get access to a Web page where they can download and print the reproducible materials.

See also the authors' Developing Strategic Young Writers through Genre Instruction: Resources for Grades K-2.
About the Author: Zoi A. Philippakos, PhD, is Associate Professor of Reading and Elementary Education in the College of Education at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Her research interests include reading and writing instruction for students in the elementary grades, strategy instruction and self-regulation, and approaches to professional development for classroom teachers. A former elementary school teacher and literacy coach, Dr. Philippakos is coauthor of Differentiated Literacy Instruction in Grades 4 and 5 and Effective Read-Alouds for Early Literacy.

Charles A. MacArthur, PhD, is Professor of Special Education and Literacy in the School of Education at the University of Delaware. His major research interests include writing development and instruction for struggling writers, development of self-regulated strategies, adult literacy, and applications of technology to support reading and writing. Currently he is coprincipal investigator of a research project evaluating a curriculum for college developmental writing courses based on self-regulated strategy instruction. He is coeditor of the Journal of Writing Research and serves on the editorial boards of several other journals. Dr. MacArthur has published over 100 articles and book chapters and coedited or coauthored several books, including Best Practices in Writing Instruction, Third Edition; Handbook of Writing Research, Second Edition; and Developing Strategic Writers through Genre Instruction.

David L. Coker Jr., EdD, is Associate Professor in the School of Education at the University of Delaware. His research focuses on writing development, early writing assessment, and effective approaches to writing instruction. A former classroom teacher, Dr. Coker is coauthor of Teaching Beginning Writers and has published articles in leading journals of literacy, educational psychology, and learning disabilities.