“A top-notch book that every third-, fourth-, and fifth-grade teacher will want. The book is organized as if the authors were taking teachers through a series of workshops that result in whole sets of lessons, including handouts and other needed materials. The focus on genre instruction and integration into content areas is terrific. This may be the most practical, hands-on, evidence-based guide for teachers I’ve ever seen! All principals should buy multiple copies for their teachers.”

—Jill Fitzgerald, PhD, Research Professor and Professor Emerita, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill


“The CCSS call for students to be knowledgeable and resourceful writers. This book helps them become that, and more. All I had to do was follow the detailed lesson plans, which included engaging stories I used for instruction. Teaching my students strategies through genre instruction made a big difference. They learned how to set writing goals, use motivational strategies to monitor their progress, and reflect on their learning. They wanted to keep on writing!”

—Anna Yiantsos, MEd, third-grade teacher, Odyssey Charter School, Wilmington, Delaware


“Finally, and happily, we have a book that brings together self-regulated strategic writing and systematic, genre-based instruction. The book presents a lucid introduction to principles of strategy instruction for writing. It features detailed, classroom-tested lessons and materials in narrative, informational, and persuasive genres. The goal is to produce students capable of regulating their own writing processes—and the lessons and lesson-planning resources provided by the authors will help teachers achieve this goal. I kept thinking throughout that self-regulation is the key to meeting external educational demands, such as the CCSS.”

—James L. Collins, EdD, Graduate School of Education (Emeritus), University at Buffalo, The State University of New York


“What I love most about this book are the lesson plans that give teachers a clear progression for each of the Common Core genres. The writing samples provide excellent examples of where students should be heading. I also appreciate the emphasis on promoting self-regulated learning.”

—Lillian Fendell, MEd, third-grade teacher, Newark (Delaware) Charter School