‘The Being a Writer program is a yearlong writing curriculum for grades K-5 that combines two decades of research in the areas of writing, motivation, and learning theory with social and ethical development. The program has two goals: to develop the creativity and skills of a writer, and to develop the social and ethical values of a responsible person. It uses trade books for genre immersion and author studies. It integrates writing instruction with regular community-building elements and guided partner work that develops in students a sense of autonomy, belonging, and competence.’ — From publisher’s website

The handbook is an interactive, dynamic student tool that supports each week’s lesson with genre excerpts that are used for the development of writing conventions and skills. Each handbook also contains a word bank and a chart for recording proofreading notes and examples.