This paper discusses ideas which contribute to better understanding of the writing portions of Reading Recovery lessons, emphasizing the importance of helping the student monitor meaning during the composing and recoding process. Topics addressed in the paper are: (1) differences between composing and transcribing; (2) sources from which children may select writing topics, and (3) three strategies used to transcribe text--analyzing new words to be used, knowing the spelling of familiar words, and relating the spelling of a known and unknown word. Contains 7 references. (EF)