Writing is more than a skill. It’s a thinking process, a learning tool, and a powerful way for students to make sense of the world. Yet teaching writing often feels overwhelming, especially when time is tight and curricula lack structure. Fortunately, there’s a growing body of research that shows how to make writing instruction more effective, engaging, and connected to content.
This collection of podcast episodes highlights expert voices and real teachers who are putting research into practice. Whether you’re just getting started or looking to refine your routines, you’ll find strategies here that help students write with confidence, clarity, and purpose.
In this episode, Judith Hochman and Natalie Wexler, authors of The Writing Revolution, share how their approach transforms writing instruction by embedding it within the content that students are already learning.
The Writing Revolution method starts with explicit instruction at the sentence level and builds toward sophisticated writing through practices such as outlining, revising, and using academic syntax. Most importantly, this method treats writing not as an isolated skill but as a tool for building knowledge and improving comprehension, especially when embedded across the curriculum.
Invite students to expand a simple sentence by adding detail or using a connector. Reflect on how the change affects meaning.
What does it take to truly improve student writing? In this episode, writing researcher Steve Graham shares insights grounded in decades of research. From the foundational role of feedback and fluency (yes, handwriting and typing matter!) to the benefits of integrating writing across the curriculum, Steve makes a compelling case for why writing instruction needs to be intentional, ongoing, and connected to reading. He also discusses the growing role of interactive writing for young and developing writers and offers his take on how technology may influence writing practices. This episode offers timely guidance for today’s classroom.
Give students time to write a short response connected to the topic of study, then allow time for them to revisit their response with a peer to add clarity or precision.
As educators, you know reading and writing aren’t just connected, they’re interdependent. In this episode, researchers Karen Harris and Young-Suk Grace Kim share compelling insights into how young students develop foundational writing skills and why writing instruction should begin early and be deeply integrated with reading. Young-Suk introduces a memorable “house” analogy to show how reading and writing support each other, while Karen explores the Self-Regulated Strategy Development (SRSD) model: a research-backed approach that combines explicit writing instruction with strategies for self-regulation.
You'll also hear about their latest study with Grade 1 and Grade 2 students and the promising SRSD Plus model, which adds key components such as handwriting fluency, spelling, and oral language. If you're looking for practical, evidence-based strategies to support young writers, you won't want to miss this episode.
Model a strategy such as planning with a graphic organizer, then let students try it with a short piece. Emphasize how planning helps their ideas take shape.
For many young students, writing can feel like a struggle, but it doesn’t have to. In this episode, Grade 2 teacher Laura Stam shares how she shifted from an open-ended, unstructured writing approach to one grounded in research-based routines. Drawing from The Writing Revolution and SRSD, Laura describes how she equips her students to write about rich topics such as the Revolutionary War and ancient China. Through tools such as mnemonics, goal setting, and structured sentence expansion, she’s helped her students become more independent, reflective writers. Her classroom journey offers practical, classroom-tested strategies that prove early writing instruction can be both rigorous and joyful.
Use a mnemonic or sentence expansion routine with a shared text. Celebrate when students move from scaffolded to independent use of the strategy.
Writing instruction can do more than teach structure and skills—it also can deepen understanding. In this episode, Joey Hawkins and Diana Leddy of the Vermont Writing Collaborative share a powerful approach to writing that centers on knowledge. By focusing on three essential pillars—backward design, building understanding through active engagement with content, and direct instruction—this model helps students write with clarity, purpose, and insight.
When introducing a new writing task, start with discussion and content exploration. Consider asking students what ideas they already have that can then help them write with understanding.
Teaching students to write a clear, organized essay doesn’t have to be overwhelming or overly abstract. In this episode, Diana Leddy of the Vermont Writing Collaborative introduces The Painted Essay, a powerful visual tool that helps students grasp the structure of expository writing.
By quite literally “painting” the parts of an essay—introduction, proof paragraphs, conclusion—students learn to understand what they’re writing, why they’re writing it, and how to communicate their ideas with purpose. This simple yet rigorous approach supports all learners in developing strong thesis-driven writing, and it helps teachers demystify the writing process from the start.
Color-code a shared model paragraph together, discussing what each part does. Have students apply the structure to their own writing.
The Painted Essay® is a registered trademark of Diana Leddy. All rights reserved.
What happens when research meets real-world classroom practice? Grade 5 teacher Elise Frank shares how she brought the ideas from “A Path to Better Writing” into her own teaching and made writing more accessible, engaging, and effective for her students. By breaking down the often “invisible” processes behind writing, Elise helps students take ownership of their work, make use of meaningful feedback, and see writing as a tool for learning across subjects. Whether you’re aiming to strengthen your writing instruction, build student independence, or inspire more thoughtful written responses, this episode is packed with practical strategies that turn research into meaningful classroom practice.
Have students reflect on how each part of the writing process helps them make their writing stronger.
Educators looking to bring this research to life in their classrooms can explore programs such as Arts & Letters™ and Wit & Wisdom®. Both programs are built on the belief that writing is a tool for learning and expression, with writing rooted in knowledge-rich content and instruction designed to support all learners.
These conversations reveal a powerful truth: Great writing instruction isn’t about flashy prompts or one-size-fits-all programs. It’s about helping students make meaning, build knowledge, and express what they’ve learned with growing independence. As you reflect on these episodes, consider how one new routine, one strategy, or one change in structure might shift your students’ experience with writing. Start small, stay curious, and keep learning alongside your students.