Written by teachers of elementary school students, the 30 articles in this collection are designed to provide insights into the way children learn to write and to encourage teachers to examine their own theories and perceptions of writing and writing instruction. The articles are grouped in six sections, covering beginning writing, collaborative learning, the reading writing relationship, student assessment, textbook selection, and teacher's role. The essays and their authors are as follows: (1) "A Child Composes" (Kathy Matthews); (2) "Labeling to Beginning Narrative: Four Kindergarten Children Learn to Write" (Judith Hilliker); (3) "Oscar's Journal" (Siusan S. Durst); (4) "Reading to Mr. Bear" (Elizabeth Chiseri-Strater); (5) "The Rhythm of Writing Development" (Ellen Blackburn Karelitz); (6) "Beyond Storyland: Young Writers Can Tell It Other Ways" (Sandra Bonin); (7) "Second-Graders Can So Write" (Victor D'Ambrosio); (8) "Six Questions Teachers Ask about Invented Spelling" (Susan Sowers); (9) "The Writer's Chart to Discovery" (Joan Simmons); (10) "Letting Children Lead the Way" (Sharron Cadieux); (11) "Squeezing from the Middle of the Tube" (Susan B. Bridge); (12) "Note Writing: A Neglected Genre" (Ellen Blackburn Karelitz); (13) "A Special Writer at Work" (Nancie Atwell); (14) "Reflect, Expand, Select: Three Responses in the Writing Conference" (Susan Sowers); (15) "Children Responding to Children: Writing Groups and Classroom Community" (Suzanne Brady and Suzanne Jacobs); (16) "Young Writers as Critical Readers" (Thomas Newkirk); (17) "The Write Way to Read" (Paula Flemming); (18) "A Writer Reads, a Reader Writes" (Mary Ellen Giacobbe); (19) "The Written Report: Old Wine in New Bottles" (Jack Wilde); (20) "The Fox in Possum's Clothing: The Teacher Disguised as Writer, in Hot Pursuit of Literacy" (Mem Fox); (21) "Reading and Talking: 'Special' Readers Show They Know" (Susan Stires); (22) "Using Writing Folders to Document Student Progress" (Anne Bingham); (23) "Send Your Writing Folders Home" (J. Timothy Rynkofs); (24) "Making the Grade: Evaluating Writing in Conference" (Nancie Atwell); (25) "The Bundle" (Hasse K. Halley); (26) "Choosing a Language Arts Textbook" (Mary Ellen Giacobbe); (27) "How To Cover a Language Arts Text: Sit on It" (Carol J. Brennan); (28) "Time and the Taking of It" (Deborah Sumner); (29) "Split Images: Teacher and Learner" (Marna Bunce); and (30) "Safety" (Elizabeth Parillo). A selected bibliography compiled by Ruth Hubbard is included. (JG)