Making it Write: The Lost Art of Writing Instruction in Teacher Education Programs

Where has all the writing gone? Writing composition is one of the most desired skills by employers, yet PK-12 schools and educator preparation programs spend almost no time teaching it. This has led to a decline in writing proficiency over the past decade. This book critically analyzes writing practices and instruction. Section one, Problematizing Writing Instruction in PK-12 Schools: A Critical Examination of Current Practices, includes five chapters addressing challenges faced by PK-12 schools. Section two, Problematizing Writing Instruction in Teacher Preparation: A Critical Examination of Current Practices & Outside the Box Solutions, highlights four chapters, which begin to unearth the challenges of teacher preparation. Section three, Teaching Writing Pedagogy in Coursework, includes seven chapters that interrogate practices in preservice teacher coursework. This text forges a path forward for teacher preparation programs looking to change how writing and writing instruction is addressed.

Bethany M. Rice is an Assistant Professor of Elementary Education and Literacy at Towson University. Her research interests include inclusive education, preservice teacher preparation, literacy assessment, and critical reflection. Her work is featured in journals such as Action in Teacher Education, Teaching Education, and The Teacher Educator.

Stephanie M. Moody is an Associate Professor of Early Childhood Education at Towson University. Her research interests include preservice teacher preparation, writing instruction, children’s literature, and translanguaging. Her work is published in journals including The Reading Teacher, The New Educator, and Literacy Research and Instruction.