Ask successful writers and they’ll tell you, the key to writing well is revision. Ask elementary school teachers and they’ll tell you, the real challenge of writing instruction is teaching kids how to revise. Ruth Culham is both a successful writer and a writing teacher, and she’s discovered how to teach writing and revision in a way that’s accessible to both teacher and students: First read the writing, assess it using the traits of writing, then teach the writers and guide revision decisions using traits as a common language and map.

Read the writing -- Thinking back and thinking forward with the traits of writing -- Formative assessment : the heart of the matter -- Modes of writing : the challenges and rewards -- Tools and talk to guide revision -- Teach the writer -- Rethinking revision : the real work of writing -- Invigorate writing instruction -- Reading like a writer.