Focusing on the early phases of writing and having special relevance to prekindergarten through grade 2 teachers, this book shows how teachers can use interactive writing to teach a range of foundational literacy skills by sharing the pen with young writers. Skill building includes: letter formation, letter names, phonemic awareness, spelling, high-frequency words, concepts about print, early reading, and organizing and composing narrative and expository text. The book features practical advice, suggestions for using children's literature and art in the writing program, examples of children's writing, suggestions for helping children learn to write and read expository text, suggestions for professional development, and specific steps for getting started day by day. Chapters in the book are: (1) What Is Interactive Writing? (2) Language and Literacy Learning: The Role of Interactive Writing; (3) Organizing Space and Materials To Support Interactive Writing; (4) Getting Started with Interactive Writing; (5) Essential Elements of Interactive Writing; (6) Learning about the Writing Process: Composing a Text; (7) Constructing a Text: Learning about Letters and How Print Works; (8) Constructing a Text: Learning How Words Work; (9) Exploring and Extending the Meaning of Literature; (10) Learning about Expository Text through Interactive Writing; (11) Using Expository Writing as a Tool for Inquiry; (12) Knowing Your Learners: The Foundation for Effective Teaching; (13) Making Decisions for Effective Teaching; (14) Adjusting Interactive Writing as Writers Change over Time; and (15) Why Interactive Writing Helps Children Learn Literacy. Appendixes contain specifications for building an easel; an approximately 500-item list of children's literature titles integral to interactive writing; a self-assessment rubric for interactive writing; an analysis of writing form; and 9 murals based on works of children's literature. (RS)