How can teachers listen and use children's questions and statements as a starting point for effective classroom instruction? This refreshing book illustrates how teachers can guide primary students into a deep and meaningful exploration of a wide variety of fiction and nonfiction. It presents a classroom where students progress into eager and independent writers speaking with clarity, voice, and an undeniable understanding of the power and purpose of putting pen, pencil, crayon, and paper to work. Detailed units of study include examples of favorite texts for teaching various craft components and inspiring examples of what children who are empowered to write can and will achieve. Ideas for classroom organization and suggestions for publishing student work are also featured. More than a manual, this book will inspire, challenge, and support a wiser approach to classroom writing instruction.