`Jeni Riley and David Reedy share excellent examples of how primary school children worked on a non-fiction text format.... A well-informed book with a welcome dose of humour' - Nursery World

`The theoretical underpinning to this volume is rigorous and the case studies are both endearing and informative' - Early Years

`One of the insights of social theories of language which is now taken for granted is that language varies as the social context varies' (Kress, 1997)

This is a book that operationalizes this insight: it charts young children's early attempts to write as they struggle to communicate meaning for a variety of purposes. Each section deals with the appropriate research evidence on the development of children's competence in literacy, and their growing awareness of genre, and uniquely, with a clear approach to teaching children from three to seven years. The text combines the necessary theoretical underpinning plus the day-to-day practical experience of working with young children in order to develop their understanding of the different forms and language of texts.