“This book as a whole is an amazing tour de force. Every chapter is informative, detailed, and instructive....Essential reading for those in the field, for those who want to know about it, and for those who want to join in.”

—PsycCRITIQUES (on the first edition)


“This handbook, now in its third edition, provides comprehensive knowledge of writing processes, instruction, and assessment for a range of age groups and ability levels. It is an essential resource for graduate students and writing researchers, and is highly appropriate for courses in special education and educational and school psychology. A good portion of the material is also relevant to the preparation of teachers of literacy, both in- and preservice. Many of the chapters promise to provide critically important foundations for future advances, such as understanding the role and use of AI in writing and preparing the workforce to meet the ever-increasing demand for writing skills.”

—Dolores Perin, PhD, Professor Emerita of Psychology and Education, Teachers College, Columbia University


“Teacher educators, researchers, and writing teachers will benefit greatly from the practical and theoretical perspectives in the third edition of this handbook. The volume explicates cognitive, sociocultural, and community-based models of writing, and—especially noteworthy—features a number of chapters that have made progress in integrating these models. The third edition showcases many important studies that collectively reveal what is currently known about writing development and instruction in young children through adults from diverse backgrounds, while also noting the need to look ahead at generative AI and its impacts on writing processes and research.”

—Sarah Warshauer Freedman, PhD, Distinguished Professor of the Graduate School, School of Education, University of California, Berkeley


“Learning how to write well challenges not just students but also their instructors. The third edition of the Handbook provides a comprehensive and up-to-date resource for educators and researchers seeking to understand the complexities of written composition and how to teach it. New to this edition are helpful chapters on integrating the cognitive and social-cultural dimensions of writing and on the common task of writing from sources in secondary and college-level education. I found the chapters on computer-based writing assessment and writing instruction especially timely.”

—Ronald T. Kellogg, PhD, Department of Psychology (Emeritus), Saint Louis University


“Each edition of this state-of-the-art volume is eagerly awaited by writing researchers. The Handbook offers a well-calibrated compass to guide the field toward integration across cognitive and social dimensions of writing, reading–writing connections, and research–practice partnerships. Chapters capture the dynamic and evolving nature of writing and provide a wider understanding of writing difficulties. A 'must read' for literacy researchers, practitioners, and students worldwide.”

—Rui A. Alves, PhD, Faculty of Psychology and Education Sciences, University of Porto, Portugal