Answers to Your Biggest Questions About Teaching Elementary Writing: Five to Thrive [series] (Corwin Literacy)

"True this is a book for teachers, but ultimately it is a book for students. This is a book about using every avenue possible ―whole group instruction, small group instruction, partner work, charts, thoughtful language (just to name a few!) to discover all that students know and are able to do and to invite them into co-crafting the instruction that matches their goals and their aspirations. Melanie Meehan has written the book that maps out bit by bit how to become a writing teacher worthy of the children we are privileged to teach."

- Shana Frazin, Co-Author of Unlocking the Power of Classroom Talk

Promote Authentic Writing Through Student-Centered Instruction

Writing instruction continues to shift with the onset of new digital resources, demanding a constant reevaluation of best practices. Student-centered, responsive instruction helps build authentic writing opportunities while allowing room for choice and creativity.

Part of the Five-to-Thrive series, Answers to Your Biggest Questions About Teaching Elementary Writing serves as a go-to desk companion designed to meet you at the moment you need answers about writing instruction. The just-in-time approach makes accessible: 

• Practical teaching strategies on essential topics, such as building a classroom community of writers, deciding on instructional approaches, and using assessment to inform instruction
• Online printables for planning and in-class note-taking
• Suggestions for seminal readings and resources to go deeper into each topic area
• Classroom examples, strategies, and tips to put into practice right away

Designed for early career teachers to learn the five most important things to put theory into practice, this guide is also timely for veteran teachers to discover up-to-date practices in the field of writing. By infusing equity and cultural relevance throughout instruction and using assessment data in service of students, educators can value and reinforce the identities of young writers.

Having begun her teaching career as a special education teacher, Melanie has been the Elementary Writing and Social Studies Coordinator in Simsbury, Connecticut since 2012, and her passion for writing has led to several books and publications.

Melanie’s first book, Every Child Can Write, was published by Corwin Press in October 2019. With a foundational belief that all students can learn to write, this book provides strategies and resources that teachers can use, duplicate, and gather inspiration from. The Responsive Writing Teacher, co-written with Kelsey Sorum, was published in February 2021 and emphasizes the importance of knowing and understanding students across many platforms in order to teach them powerfully. Melanie’s most recent book,  Answers to Your Biggest Questions About Teaching Elementary Writing, is part of Corwin Press’s Five to Thrive Series.

Melanie is also a co-author of  Two Writing Teachers, a blog dedicated to the teaching of writing. Additionally, she co-hosts the companion podcast. Melanie’s past conference presentations and additional blogs and articles can be found  here.

Melanie holds a BA from Cornell University, an MA in Special Education from the University of Hartford, and a second MA in Educational Leadership from Central Connecticut State University. Melanie also has her Masters of Fine Arts in Creative Writing through the Solstice MFA Program of Pine Manor College.