Educators have long recognized that parental and community supports are important underpinnings for children's success in school. With respect to the teaching of writing, however, little research has been conducted to provide evidence of effective practices teachers use to involve parents and communities. As part of a national Canadian study of the teaching of writing at the middle level of schooling (grades 4-8), teachers discussed their practices and perspectives on how they involve parents and communities in their writing programs. Teachers reported that they encouraged parental involvement by fostering home-school literacy links, communication, and engagement and response to student writing. Teachers also made productive use of community resources, such as author visits, competitions, and young author conferences; while a smaller number of teachers bring the larger community into their writing programs in integral ways.