"Writing is a core skill for living, not just for school," writes high school English teacher Penny Kittle. Although it's important to teach students the conventions of grammar, punctuation, and sentence structure, teachers don't need to approach this task "like scolds, red pens in hand, stamping out sin, and punishing errors." Rather, they can lure students into crafting artful sentences through systematic and playful practice. Kittle describes six strategies she uses to help her students develop into savvy, independent writers: helping students build rich reading lives that expose them to skillful writing in large doses; letting students write about what captivates them; building a routine of daily, ungraded practice; having students analyze well-written passages and model their own writing after the craft they observe; giving students practice in combining sentences; and allowing students to observe the teacher's own writing process. In combination, these strategies encourage students to view writing conventions as tools they can use to create meaning, not just as rules to memorize.