This book is written for K-5 educators who are interested in cultivating young writers by designing and facilitating writing instruction that begins with the resources that students bring to the classrooms from their families, homes, and communities. This kind of asset-based and individualized instruction is designed to meet the unique writing needs of each young writer. K-5 educators teaching in shifting contexts encounter an array of challenges daily, from restrictive language policies and mandates to heightened accountability measures that often dictate the design of their writing time and instruction. This book focuses on elementary school teachers working with young writers in varying educational contexts, including dual language, bilingual, and English Only contexts, and in particular students who come from culturally and linguistically diverse settings. Part of the Principles in Practice series.

Part of the Principles in Practice series, this book also includes a robust list of resources for writing teachers, as well as helpful insights for:Getting multilingual students writing beyond the classroom walls
Designing a writing community that works for all your learners
Using writing conferences as a social practice
Inviting the use of all linguistic, cultural, and experiential resources

Tracey T. Flores is an associate professor of language and literacy at the University of Texas at Austin. Flores is a former English language development (ELD) and English language arts (ELA) teacher, working for eight years alongside culturally and linguistically diverse students, families, and communities in K-8 schools throughout Glendale and Phoenix, Arizona. Her research focuses on Latina mothers' and daughters' language and literacy practices, the teaching of young writers in culturally and linguistically diverse classrooms, and family and community literacies. Flores is the founder of Somos Escritoras/We Are Writers, a writing and art workshop for Latina girls (grades 6-12) that invites them to share and perform stories from their lived experiences using art, theater, and writing as a tool for reflection, examination, and critique of their worlds. In addition, Flores is the co-chair of the Latinx Caucus of the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE). She is a member of the 2016-2018 Cultivating New Voices Among Scholars of Color (CNV) cohort and Cohort Three of Professional Dyads and Culturally Responsive Teaching (PDCRT). Recently, she was named the 2019 Promising Researcher by the NCTE Standing Committee on Research.