In Writing Through Childhood, Shelley dares us to rethink our beliefs about how we design writing workshops, use writer's notebooks, choose appropriate genres, teach spelling, help students connect their reading to their writing, and even edit and publish students' writing. Filled with stories and work samples of real children in a diverse urban setting, the book will inspire rich conversations in which educators ask essential questions about their own practice.

1. Meet Some Childhood Writers
2. Designing Writing Workshops with Children in Mind
3. Revising Our Use of the Writer's Notebook
4. Responding to Student Writing
5. Reading to Inform Your Writing
6. Working with Our Youngest Writers
7. Spelling: An Essential Ingredient in the Early-Childhood Writing Workshop
8. The Writing Workshop: A Place to Experiment, Improvise, and Invent
9. Focusing on Particular Genres: Poetry
10. Editing, Publishing, and Other Ways to Make Parents Smile

Bibliographies:

A. Favorite Poetry Collections
B. Poetry Anthologies That Can Help Students to Understand Notebook Writing
C. Picture Books in Which the Style of Writing Can Inspire Notebook Writing
D. Informational Texts That Demonstrate the Potential of Notebook Keeping
E. Professional Books That Highlight the Needs of Childhood
F. Picture Books That Contain Characters Who Write
G. Picture Books Written in Letter Format
H. Children's Books About Being an Author or Illustrator
I. Autobiographical Works by Children's Authors
J. Biographical Material About Children's Authors
K. Biographical Material About Authors for Adults Written in Child-Friendly Formats
L. Children's Writers on Writing
M. Starter Shelf of Picture Books to Inspire Teacher Talk About Crafting Techniques
N. Professional Books That Support Teachers Learning to Confer
O. Professional Books That Support Teachers Learning Crafting Techniques
P. Professional Books That Inspire Teachers to Work on Their Own Writing
Q. Professional Books That Explore the Reading-Writing Connection
R. Books for a Jonathan London Author Study

Appendixes:

A. Worksheet on Schoolwide Rites of Passage in the Teaching of Writing
B. Questionnaire on Carving Out Time for Regularly Scheduled Writing Workshop
C. Worksheet on Implications of Broad Goals
D. Joanne Hindley Salch's Worksheet for Learning from Conferences
E. Conference Practice Sheets--Our Youngest Writers
F. Mattie's Writing Folder--Illustrating a Variety of First-Grade Genres
G. Editing/Publishing Checklist H. Blank Spelling Study Sheet
I. Professional Development Scenarios in the Teaching of Writing
J. Calendar Project Directions and Planning Sheets