Teaching and Assessing Writing in the Primary School: A Whole School Approach

The capacity to write well is fundamental to success in school and beyond. Yet many children struggle to become proficient writers. Teaching and Assessing Writing in the Primary School provides a comprehensive guide to the theory, practice and pedagogical research behind teaching children to write. Supported by case studies and real-world examples of teaching and learning writing in the classroom, this practical book proposes a whole-school, research-informed writing framework that engages children while building their writing skills. Readers will benefit from building their knowledge of the theory and research behind learning how to write successfully while discovering how they may apply this effectively to their classroom practice.

Firmly grounded in the theory of writing and with clear links to practical application, chapters explore:

• Effective pedagogies for teaching children aged 4–12 how to write
• The planned and received curriculum for writing, including a whole-school approach
• Formative and summative assessment of writing in the classroom
• Designing and organising a Writing Workshop for pupils
• Practical implementation of ‘mini lessons’ to support writing
• Supporting the needs of diverse writers within our schools

Filled with strategies for teaching, this practical and engaging book will be an essential resource for anyone working within primary schools, including classroom teachers (both new and more experienced), teaching assistants, subject leaders, literacy coordinators and senior leadership.

Eithne Kennedy is a teacher educator in the School of Language, Literacy and Early Childhood Education (LLECE), DCU Institute of Education and leads the DCU Centre for Literacy Research, Policy and Practice. She is a former primary classroom teacher with 14 years of classroom experience (K-12th Grade) in Ireland and the United States. As director of the Write to Read research initiative, she collaborates with schools designated as disadvantaged to create powerful literacy environments that motivate and engage children as readers, writers and thinkers.

Gerry Shiel, formerly a Research Fellow at Educational Research Centre, Dublin, has overseen several large-scale assessments at national level, including the OECD Programme for International Student Assessment and National Assessments of Reading Literacy and Mathematics. He has also been involved in the development of standardised tests in reading Literacy in English and Irish. He continues to collaborate with Eithne Kennedy on the Write to Read Project.