When learning to write isn’t easy

When learning to write, children need to plan, compose, and record their ideas. The ease with which many children appear to do this often masks the complexities of writing. Each aspect of the process requires deliberate attention and draws across discrete skill sets. Planning and composing are associated with children's developing language skills as they draw on their knowledge of the world, their oral language structures, and vocabulary. Recording requires increasing control over the conventions necessary to convey messages for a given audience. The chapter demonstrates how teachers can build on children's strengths through the use of individualised teaching strategies that provide opportunities for explicit instruction and authentic and purposeful writing. Illustrations of strategies supporting each of the authorial and secretarial aspects of writing are provided, along with scenarios of practice that exemplify an inclusive literacy classroom. Reflection prompts are inserted throughout the chapter, along with recommended readings.