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Writing That Works: 5 Evidence-Based Practices for Literacy Success
Tuesday, February 10, 2026 @ 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm EST
Presented by Dr. Steve Graham, Regents Professor, Mary Emily Warner Professor, Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College, Arizona State University
Moderated by Pam Austin, Director of Instructional Technology, Voyager Sopris Learning
Sponsored by Voyager Sopris Learning
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Join internationally recognized literacy expert Dr. Steve Graham for a dynamic edWebinar that translates decades of writing research into practical classroom strategies. Drawing from multiple meta-analyses and studies of exceptional literacy teachers, Dr. Graham presents a comprehensive framework built around five essential practices: students need to write regularly, they need support while writing, writing must be explicitly taught, reading and writing must be connected, and educators must encourage risk taking and creativity.
This first edWebinar of The Science of Writing Week: Research-Based Approaches for Confident, Capable Writers is designed for educators and education leaders who want to move beyond buzzwords and toward measurable impact. Dr. Graham shares actionable strategies—such as goal setting, feedback, pre-writing routines, and collaborative learning—that can be implemented immediately to strengthen writing instruction across grade levels. Whether you’re refining your literacy block or designing a districtwide writing initiative, this session helps you build classrooms where writing truly works.
Viewers learn:
- The five evidence-based practices that form the foundation of effective writing instruction
- How to integrate writing with reading and learning to deepen comprehension and critical thinking
- Practical strategies for supporting students as they write, including feedback, goal setting, and collaboration
- Why fostering risk taking and creativity is essential for building classrooms where writers flourish
- How to apply research findings to daily lesson structures that accelerate student growth
This recorded edWebinar is of interest to K-12 teachers, school leaders, and district leaders.
This edWebinar is part of The Science of Writing Week: Research-Based Approaches for Confident, Capable Writers.
About the Presenter
Dr. Steve Graham is a Regents Professor and the Warner Professor in the Division of Leadership and Innovation in the Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College, Arizona State University. For 45 years, he has studied how writing develops, how to teach it effectively, and how writing can be used to support reading and learning. In recent years, he has been involved in the development and testing of digital tools for supporting writing and reading through a series of grants from the Institute of Educational Sciences and the Office of Special Education Programs in the U.S. Department of Education. His research involves typically developing writers and students with special needs in both elementary and secondary schools, with much occurring in classrooms in urban schools.
Dr. Graham is the former Editor of Exceptional Children, Contemporary Educational Psychology, Journal of Writing Research, Focus on Exceptional Children, and Journal of Educational Psychology. He is the co-author of the Handbook of Writing Research, Handbook of Learning Disabilities, APA Handbook of Educational Psychology, Writing Better, Powerful Writing Strategies for all Students, and Making the Writing Process Work. He also is the author of three influential Carnegie Corporation reports: Writing Next, Writing to Read, and Informing Writing.
Dr. Graham has served as an advisor to a variety of organizations, including UNESCO, National Institute of Health, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Zuckerberg Initiative, National Writing Project, Institute of Educational Sciences, the College Board, and the What Works Clearinghouse. He was Chair of the What Works Clearinghouse Practice Guides for both elementary as well as secondary writing. Dr. Graham is a fellow of the American Educational Research Association, the Division 15 of the American Psychological Association, and the International Academy for Research in Learning Disabilities.
About the Moderator
Pam Austin, Director of Instructional Technology for Voyager Sopris Learning, has over 35 years of experience as an educator. She has worked as a Professional Learning Facilitator Manager with over 17 years of experience in training and supporting districts in various literacy and numeracy interventions for Voyager Sopris Learning in addition to delivering LETRS professional development sessions. She has also shared her love of proven VSL solutions as a Product Marketing Manager when she began her role as an EDVIEW360 podcast host in 2019 and continues to this day. Her goal is to aid teachers in changing the lives of students so that they not only become proficient and successful learners but also individuals confident in pursuing personal and professional life goals.
She previously held the role of Literacy Specialist at the Center for Development and Learning (CDL) now the Center for Literacy and Learning. As an educator in the New Orleans Public Schools for 14 years, she served as an elementary teacher, a reading interventionist, a school-based reading coach, and a central office field literacy facilitator. These varying roles allowed her to gain a myriad of experiences that has enhanced her ability to work in collaboration with other educators, schools, and districts for impactful professional learning. Pam’s first steps into a lifelong career as an educator began as a fourth-grade teacher in a small school in the Archdiocese of New Orleans. And the journey continues…
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Voyager Sopris Learning® is the specialist in reading, writing, and math intervention. Fully focused on intervention, we have established four decades of results that demonstrate the efficacy of our solutions. Providing a holistic offering of reading, writing, and math interventions and assessments, our solutions help educators create strong, sustainable foundations to ensure academic success for all students.
