Writing Voices: Creating Communities of Writers

The perspectives of children, teachers and professional writers are often absent in the pedagogy of writing. Highly Commended for the UKLA Academic Book Award 2013, Writing Voices: Creating Communities of Writers responds to such silent voices and offers a text which not only stretches across primary and secondary practice, but also gives expression to these voices, making a new and significant contribution to understanding what it means to be a writer.

Drawing upon recent research projects undertaken by the authors and others in the international research community, this fascinating text considers the nature of composing and the experience of being a writer. In the process it:

• explores the role of talk, creativity, autonomy, metacognition, writing as design and the shaping influence of literature and other texts;
• examines young people’s composing processes and attitudes to writing;
• considers teachers’ identities as writers and what can be learnt when teachers engage reflectively in writing;
• shares a range of professional writers’ practices, processes and perspectives;
• gives prominence to examples of writing from children, teachers, student teachers and professional writers alongside their reflective commentaries.

This thought-provoking text offers theoretical insights and practical directions for developing the teaching and learning of writing. It is an invaluable read for all teachers and trainees, as well as teacher educators, researchers and anyone with an interest in the pedagogy of writing.

Teresa Cremin (Grainger) is Professor of Education at the Open University, UK.

Debra Myhill is Professor of Education at the University of Exeter, UK.