The purpose of this study was to examine a first grade teacher's instruction during interactive and independent writing times as she taught and prompted her students how to go about spelling unfamiliar words and employ various writing strategies while they were composing. I used a qualitative approach to data collection and analysis. Results of the study indicated that the teacher's strategic use of an apprenticeship model across two writing contexts allowed her to make explicit for her first graders the processes involved in spelling and writing from one context to another. Educational implications from the study support an apprenticeship model of writing instruction across contexts in classrooms that fits the needs of learners and addresses important curriculum standards in early literacy. (Contains 4 figures and 1 footnote.)