Although growing numbers of children engage in transnational literacy practices in their homes and communities, these practices are rarely invited into the early literacy classroom, where teachers face increasing pressure to standardize instruction. In this qualitative, participatory case study, we examined how one early literacy teacher created…

Writing is a mighty way to communicate, express, question, synthesize, persuade, and teach (Fletcher & Portalupi, 2001). Hence, growing strong writers is crucial for all students. A writing workshop approach allows teachers and students the essential elements needed to perfect their writing. The author seeks to provide relief to teaching…

In this paper, I use narrative methodology to examine and interpret the experiences of Shaun, a 4th grade student in the United States, navigating his own reluctance and disaffection with writing in school -- in a writing workshop that sought to foster language experimentation, choice, and agency. From the perspective of a participant-observer and…

This paper shares the stories of Latina mothers and daughters as they participarted in Somos Escritoras, a creative space, that invites them to write and perform stories from their lived experiences. At workshops, girls and their mothers crafted writing and created artwork that examines and critiques the many ways to express and define themselves.…

During dissertation writing, PhD candidates face challenges engaging with academic writing, among other things, which leads to their participation in writing retreats with their peers. Developing a better understanding of PhD candidates' needs to optimize engagement with writing is important for improving the overall doctoral experience and reduce…

The author examines guided play among students in a South African classroom using a play-and-write workshop constructed by her and her students. She determines that the workshop displays the characteristics of playful learning, lies on the playful learning spectrum, and fits the criteria for guided play. She concludes that, given the benefits of…

The article considers the beliefs and practices of elementary-aged children who write for personal fulfillment. Mobilizing Lips-Wiersma's (Lips-Wiersma & Morris, 2011) notion of "meaningful work," I examine the ways in which these children experienced writing and sharing their work in a voluntary after school writing workshop and at…

Undergraduate science degrees in South Africa seldom offer explicit courses focussing on improving the disciplinary writing skills required for effectively communicating scientific research. Similarly, most students entering the 'Honours' degree in Molecular Medicine at a South African university have not commonly been afforded opportunities to…

Writer's workshop is a popular curriculum opportunity in most US schools. This case study of two Black boys engaging in a Kindergarten writer's workshop richly contextualizes their writing identities and practices. A critical childhood studies framework was used to show how Black boys and their White teachers improvised writing-related…

This comparative, mixed-methods study illustrates the impact of weekly facilitated peer review ("Writing Circles") in STEM courses across time: 1) in a lower-division course, Circles improve all learning outcomes for writing and critical thinking, and most significantly, writing; 2) in an upper-division course, Circles are most effective…

This paper describes a research project conducted with international doctoral students documenting student and faculty members' experiences in a writing workshop. The purpose of this study was to understand the complexities associated with international students' academic writing competencies and develop a supportive culture as they pursue their…

In this article, we will describe the design of a diagnostic orientation session offered to university academics by a faculty-based academic writing center. The session can serve as a model for identifying academics' needs in mastering English for Research Publication Purposes. We aim at sharing practical activities that successfully worked as a…

The focus on formulaic approaches to writing in today's classrooms can be problematic, for it may inadvertently cause the quality of students' writing to decline. The National Writing Project (NWP) provides teachers with professional development to learn how to effectively incorporate evidence-based practices into their writing instruction. The…

This article outlines a writing study circle aimed at enhancing the writing instruction practices of teachers working with adult learners. The study circle focused on professional development, collaboration, and reflection as key components to improve both the quality and quantity of writing produced by adult learners. The study circle's design,…

As an experienced participant in academic writing retreats, I became aware of conflicting feelings during retreats between ideas of restorative practice and the pressure to produce outputs. Through autoethnographic inquiry, I examined this conflict. I wrote a reflective journal to describe my lived experience of a recent retreat and analysed the…