How I Wish I'd Taught Writing
Will be published approx. on 18. June 2026
Book
Paperback/Softback
224 pages
978-1-0360-1410-0 (ISBN)
Description
There are four myths that hinder the teaching of writing. First, that it is so cognitively complex that there can be no established pedagogy that captures that complexity in a rational and teachable progression. Second, that the research on teaching writing is so thin as to be almost irrelevant. Third, that reading and writing are inverses and so long as we teach reading we are per se teaching writing. Fourth, that writing is a creative form and is therefore a divine gift rather than a teachable social necessity. Through analysis of the substantial and growing research into writing, this book aims to dispel all four myths and offer a clear, research-led and unambiguous companion to the DfE Writing Framework on how writing is best taught in primary schools.
Reviews / Votes
This book starts with the simple but enormously important insight that writing is hard - one of the most cognitively challenging tasks we teach children. From that basic premise flow so many implications which are explored brilliantly in this book. Progress depends on secure sentence structures, fluent transcription, and sustained practice. The authors make a compelling case for building writing capacity gradually, focussing on the fundamentals so that pupils are not overwhelmed, and so that self-expression can emerge from growing competence. -- Daisy Christodoulou Writing is much harder than reading, but teachers rarely get effective training in how to teach it-and far fewer books have focused on writing instruction than on reading instruction. This volume goes a long way toward rectifying that situation, providing a thorough but accessible overview of the scientific research on writing and key takeaways. From the connections between both oral language and reading to writing, to the importance of explicitly teaching students how to construct sentences and plan paragraphs and essays, every page is brimming with valuable information and insights, delivered by two educators who aren't afraid to share their own past missteps. If you're one of the many teachers and school leaders who desperately want to help their students write clearly and coherently but aren't sure how to go about it, How I Wish I'd Taught Writing is for you. -- Natalie Wexler Somehow, Clare and Tim have written a deep dive into writing research which is also a very practical how-toand an exploration of some of the history of writing instruction (and its lack), peppered additionally with entertaining - often rueful - anecdotes. I will be recommending this to every English lead and Head Teacher - everyone interested in the writing process - that I know, for its engaging, easy-reading deluge of useful information. I'm loathe to use the term 'common sense' but I don't know how else to describe the balanced approach best summed-up by the authors themselves thus:"Teaching the technical without it feeding into the creative is pointless. Teaching the creative without building technical competence is futile." -- Lindsay PicktonMore details
Language
English
Place of publication
United Kingdom
Target group
College/higher education
Interest Age: From 18 to 99 years
Dimensions
Height: 210 mm
Width: 148 mm
Thickness: 16 mm
Weight
300 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-0360-1410-0 (9781036014100)
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Schweitzer Classification
Persons
Tim led the expert panel and was lead drafter of the DfE's Writing Framework and is currently a DfE RISE Advisor. He was previously Executive Director of Primary Education for STEP Academy Trust and helped build the Trust into one of the highest performing in the primary sector. His doctoral study focused on teaching phonics in KS2 with the published research building on the growing understanding of 'decoding threshold' - how much phonics is enough phonics. He is a visiting professor at the University of Coventry and has published a number of academic peer-reviewed papers. Prior to working in education, Tim was a feature writer for the London Evening Standard, wrote the award-winning Channel 4 short film 'Sunny Spells' and in 1985 was booed off stage at London's Comedy Store. Clare Sealy works as head of education improvement for the States of Guernsey. Previously she was a primary headteacher for over 22 years in Tower Hamlets, East London. During the latter part of that time, she also worked on a consultancy basis as a school improvement partner.
Clare writes about curriculum, assessment and pedagogy. She was a member of the Ofsted reference group for curriculum, teaching and assessment, having also previously been on the Ofsted reference group for maths. She was part of the sector panel for the recently published DfE Writing Framework and was previously on the DfE panel for the revised Early Learning Goals. In 2018 she was named by the TES as one of the ten most influential people in education and in 2022 she received an OBE for services to education.
Clare writes about curriculum, assessment and pedagogy. She was a member of the Ofsted reference group for curriculum, teaching and assessment, having also previously been on the Ofsted reference group for maths. She was part of the sector panel for the recently published DfE Writing Framework and was previously on the DfE panel for the revised Early Learning Goals. In 2018 she was named by the TES as one of the ten most influential people in education and in 2022 she received an OBE for services to education.