Coaching is the central activity in the "game" of teaching, and it is an activity that can have a lifetime effect on language learners. This book presents a "coaching approach" to instruction in written language--an approach that is eclectic, pragmatic, synthetic. The approach in the book centers on finding balance--ways of working smarter, not harder--and thus reducing the risk of burnout in teaching. Chapters in the book are intended as resources, not as curriculum sequences. The first chapter discusses the author/educator's work with basic writers and how he came to field test and use sentence-combining exercises. The second chapter provides a research-based rationale for given-language activities and illustrates many activities for connecting such work to instruction in writing and literature. The third chapter explores the issue of error in written language, outlines ideas for securing student involvement, and offers useful methods for teaching proofreading. Other chapters cover everything from paragraphing and "voice lessons" to strategies for peer-response groups, rubrics, self-assessment, and successfully managing the paper load. (Contains 146 references.) (NKA)