7 
Sheena Cameron, Louise Dempsey 
The Writing Book is a teacher-friendly guide for teaching writing at emergent, early and fluent levels. It includes practical information that will support primary and middle school teachers to plan and deliver an effective writing programme.
This book aims to empower students with the skills and knowledge they need to become successful writers. This book uses the analogy of two tool kits: a knowledge toolkit (what good writers know), and a skills toolkit (what good writers do). These toolkits help students understand the generic features of different text types and the specific features they need to select and use to match their writing purpose. The seven skills help students to recognise the range of skills they need to develop and use in order to express their ideas logically and effectively.
Chapter 1 includes an overview of the writing process, the teaching approaches in a balanced writing programme, and the traits of effective teachers of writing. This chapter also introduces the idea that effective writers draw on two toolkits: a Knowledge Toolkit (what good writers know) and Skills Toolkit (what good writers do).
This chapter offers information on establishing an effective classroom environment for writing. This includes developing a positive learning culture as well as a supportive and purposeful physical environment. The chapter introduces the support material available to both teachers and students, and provides suggestions on a variety of ways to set up students’ writing books.
Chapter 3 focuses on planning. This chapter provides guidance on planning a writing programme and includes a step-by-step guide to translating curriculum guidelines into actual writing lessons. A suggested lesson structure is also included.
Chapter 4 unpacks the skills in the Skills Toolkit. Once you are familiar with the content, use the mini-lessons to explicitly teach students these skills. This is a useful chapter to dip in and out of, depending on your writing focus and the needs of the students.
This chapter includes examples of lesson plans and ideas for writing topics. There are thirty ‘Quick Writes’ lessons (short writing activities), which could be used as starter activities or as one-off lessons. The rest of the chapter is divided into the most common text types. Each text type section includes: a detailed lesson plan; an annotated exemplar; a blank student planning sheet; a completed planning sheet; and a list of suggested ‘Quick Writes’ and writing topics appropriate to the text type.
A longer generic list of writing topics is provided at the end of the chapter. Like Chapter 4, this chapter is also useful to dip in and out of, depending on your writing focus and the needs of the students.
Chapter 6 offers guidance on how to teach reviewing and editing skills.
There is also detailed information on effective ways to respond to students’ writing, and ideas for celebrating and publishing student writing.
Chapter 1: Introduction - guiding principles and practices
Chapter 2: The writing classroom
Chapter 3: Planning a writing programme
Chapter 4: Teaching the Skills Toolkit
Chapter 5: Teaching writing
Chapter 6: Reviewing editing and celebrating writing
Content of Downloadable material
"As a literacy coach working in many schools, I use The Writing Book and The Oral Language Book as my ‘go to’ resources for improving teacher engagement with literacy pedagogy. These engaging and informative books are just brimming with practical classroom applications that teachers love."
- Alexandra Newbold, Literacy Coach, Adelaide, Australia
"This book is exactly what it says it is in the title, and it certainly lives up to its promise. It is a writing book that is full of practical advice, strategies, and ideas. The strength of this book lies in its underpinning premise of writing as a complex process, not to be undertaken without a sound understanding of just what is involved. The colour coding of the various sections is particularly helpful. Basing their work on their own profound realisation of the pedagogy involved, the authors present material that is carefully considered, well informed, and eminently useable. This is one book that any teacher of writing really ought to have."
- Dr Margaret Zeegers, Associate Professor, School of Education and Arts, Federation University, Victoria, Australia
