Struggling writers those with learning disabilities and those who just need additional help can improve their skills dramatically if they get the detailed, explicit instruction they need. With this informative, research-supported handbook, elementary and middle school teachers will learn why and how to make systematic writing instruction a part of their classroom. Educators will get in-depth descriptions of strategies that help students navigate every phase of the writing process examples of step-by-step action plans and mnemonic devices that teach students new skills short summaries of field-testing results that show how the strategies succeeded in real classrooms before-and-after samples of student writing that illuminate the real difference these strategies can make With these scientifically validated ideas and exercises adaptable for use across grades teachers will have the solid foundation they need to help struggling students both improve their skills and change the way they feel about writing.