How to Teach Collection
Expert guidance, real-world teaching. Literacy tools for every primary classroom.
Practical, evidence-based support to lift literacy outcomes
The How to Teach collection is designed to address the critical task of teaching foundational and advanced skills in writing, spelling and grammar for all students, no matter where they’re starting from. This suite of literacy tools for every primary classroom – including books and self-paced courses – brings together the latest literacy research with real-world classroom experience.
Created by Dr Helen Walls and Dr Christine Braid, the collection gives teachers the confidence to deliver effective, adaptable instruction across every stage of literacy learning.
Literacy’s vital role in early learning success
Strong literacy skills unlock learning across all subjects. Getting it right in the primary years lays the groundwork for lifelong educational achievement. The How to Teach collection equips teachers to build this foundation with clear, focused strategies to support growth in students’ writing, spelling and grammar skills.
Transforming teaching, accelerating student progress with literacy tools for every primary classroom
This collection builds teacher confidence and streamlines teaching instruction. With step-by-step guidance and evidence-based methods, teachers can reduce guesswork, deliver consistent lessons and help students achieve measurable improvements in reading and writing.
Designed for today’s classrooms and curriculum demands
Addressing equity, inclusion and curriculum priorities, the How to Teach collection promotes teaching that is both effective and relevant. It supports differentiated learning, helping teachers meet diverse student needs with strategies that align closely to national literacy standards.
Meeting students where they are and moving them forward
Whether students are new to writing, struggling with it or needing further extension, the How to Teach collection caters to and supports learners at every stage.
Practical strategies. Clear structure.
Choose the topic you want to teach with confidence.
The foundational skills of writing are just that – the fundamental learning students need to master before they can progress towards more advanced skills within literacy and across the curriculum. So teaching these skills is high stakes. Yet teachers are faced with a myriad of ‘advice’, much of which lacks a proven track record and fails to empower teachers with the knowledge they need to teach confidently in this vital area.
If students do not get the support they need to establish these foundational skills, they are likely to fall further behind as their peers progress in their writing skills with resources and activities that appear increasingly inaccessible to the struggling learner. More than that, as they move through the school system, they are vulnerable to an ever more frustrating pattern of learning in which they lose their sense of self-belief and motivation to learn.
The How to Teach collection of literacy tools for every primary classroom works proactively to prevent this spiral by meeting students at their level and carefully scaffolding their experiences of success. With the backing of both a clear evidence base and extensive classroom experience, the resources offer practical strategies and tools for teachers to apply and build student success, confidence and love of writing. The collection also supports teachers directly by providing the ‘nuts and bolts’ of writing knowledge that will help them to teach effectively.
After reading How to Teach Writing, Spelling and Grammar, I started fast feedback and having only one goal. This is working so well. Too many goals are overwhelming for both my little learners and me, so I’m really excited to see where this takes us.
Emma Hill, Merrin School
What makes this collection of literacy tools for every primary classroom so effective
Strong foundations in spelling and handwriting
The collection supports daily, structured instruction in core writing skills – giving students the guidance, routines and muscle memory they need to become confident, accurate writers.
Clear modelling and explicit teaching strategies
Teachers value the practical guidance on modelling writing, sentence structure and punctuation – making the writing process visible, step by step.
Goal setting that supports student progress
The strategies promote achievable, focused goal setting, helping students (and teachers) track progress and maintain motivation.
Feedback that is focused and lifts achievement
Teachers use the fast feedback model to give students immediate, actionable guidance – accelerating progress and clarifying the next steps in their writing.
Increased confidence for struggling writers
By breaking down writing into manageable, supported steps, these approaches reduce frustration and build genuine confidence in students who’ve previously struggled.
Extension for students who are ready for it
For students with a strong grasp of the foundations, resources continue to expand and deepen knowledge and inspire even better writing.
Easily integrated with existing programmes
Whether you’re using BSLA, a phonics framework or your own school literacy plan, the strategies in this collection complement and enhance what you’re already doing.
Explore the How to Teach collection of literacy tools for every primary classroom
How to Teach Writing, Spelling and Grammar
Practical support grounded in research for primary educators
An invaluable source of support for primary teachers who want clear, evidence-based strategies to enhance their writing instruction. Whether you’re building your skills or updating your approach, this book provides actionable guidance for the classroom.
Empowering teachers to teach writing with clarity and impact
This resource focuses on developing key subskills of writing, including spelling, handwriting, vocabulary, sentence structure and self-regulation. It guides teachers through the fast feedback method and effective lesson planning so that they can help students build solid writing skills in meaningful contexts.
How to Build Writing Success Sentence by Sentence
Clear guidance and practical strategies for teaching effective sentence writing
With its focus on building strong sentence-writing skills, this resource is ideal for primary and lower secondary teachers seeking accessible technical knowledge paired with classroom-tested teaching ideas.
This book outlines the essentials of sentence structure and useful strategies teachers can use to pass on this understanding to students. It also introduces a range of effective writing techniques, drawing on engaging examples from expert authors to support and inspire students from the earliest years of their schooling.
How to Teach the Foundational Skills of Writing
Evidence-based support for teachers helping struggling writers
Aimed at strengthening the skills of middle to senior primary and lower secondary students who need extra help with spelling, handwriting and/or sentence writing, this book is for teachers looking for a clear, daily intervention programme grounded in research.
The resource equips teachers with the knowledge and planning tools they need to support students to develop sound foundational writing skills. The high-interest writing activities are designed to inspire students in this older age group and get them working with sophisticated knowledge and vocabulary.
The Foundational Skills of Writing Workbook
Workbooks to complement and support foundational writing skills
Student workbooks are available to support writing intervention. These workbooks reinforce foundational writing skills through structured, evidence-based tasks that build confidence and competence. They engage older students by offering age-appropriate content and vocabulary designed to maintain interest and relevance.
With guidance from a teacher, teacher aide or family member, the workbooks also support individual progress, ensuring each learner can develop their writing skills at their own pace.
How to Teach Advanced Writing Skills
Written for primary teachers ready to take writing instruction to the next level
Designed for teachers of middle to upper primary students who are ready to move beyond the basics, this book provides structured, high-impact lessons that explicitly teach advanced writing features. In a classroom of mixed abilities, it can be used effectively in conjunction with How to Teach the Foundational Skills of Writing – Book 1.
Build confident, capable writers through structured, high-interest lessons
This resource guides the delivery of 10 weeks of focused writing lessons. Students will learn to write for a variety of purposes, organise paragraphs, vary sentence structures, use richer vocabulary and include direct speech – all through engaging, content-rich topics. The lessons save planning time while helping students write with confidence and purpose.
How to Teach Reading
A practical guide to teaching reading with confidence
This book gives teachers the knowledge and confidence to teach reading effectively and foster a love of books. This accessible handbook explains the “code” of English, including speech sounds, syllables, the alphabetic principle, and common and irregular spellings. It draws on trusted models of reading development to build a solid foundation for classroom practice.
Evidence-based strategies for real classrooms
This resource translates research into practical methods, with lesson plans for every stage of learning. It offers strategies to build comprehension skills like vocabulary, prediction and summarising, and provides guidance for supporting dyslexic and neurodiverse students. Clear answers to common questions help teachers make the best use of decodable texts, shared reading and links between reading and writing.
Extend your expertise with How to Teach courses
Practical professional learning for confident, effective writing instruction
The How to Teach Writing, Spelling and Grammar Course is self-paced and builds on the book, bringing research to life through video, explanation and demonstration. Presented by Dr Helen Walls and Dr Christine Braid, it goes deeper into the ‘why’ and ‘how’ of teaching writing – from handwriting and spelling to grammar, composition and writing across the curriculum.
You’ll explore real classroom examples and reflect on your current practice. You’ll also gain ready-to-use strategies to strengthen student outcomes – whether you’re new to teaching writing or refining your approach.
The How to Build Writing Success Sentence by Sentence Course is presented by Dr Christine Braid and is designed for teachers who want clarity, confidence and a strong grasp of sentence construction. It provides step-by-step guidance that strengthens teacher knowledge and improves student outcomes.
Self-paced and flexible, the course is ideal for teachers/whole school teams in Years 1–8 as well as beginning teachers, SENCOs and teacher aides/assistants. It’s also a useful tool for lower secondary teachers to support their struggling writers.
Ready to transform your teaching and boost your students’ writing skills?
Explore the full How to Teach range of Literacy tools for every primary classroom!
