The Science of Writing: A Beginner’s Guide eBook

While the Science of Reading has received significant attention, the crucial role of writing development and instruction has often been overlooked in wider discussions about literacy. To help address this imbalance, the Science of Writing has recently emerged as a separate, yet related, area of study. This field combines knowledge from cognitive science, linguistics, and educational research.

This free eBook by Savvas is designed to provide an overview of the Science of Writing, exploring its important key elements and how it’s changing in our technological world. With expertly written articles, we break down the research so you don't have to. Our eBook includes practical tips that can be applied in the classroom today.

Writing instruction isn’t easy. Let us support you with up-to-date research and evidence-aligned practices.

Fill out the form on this page to get your free copy of this eBook, or keep reading for a summary of what's inside.

Contents of The Science of Writing: A Beginner’s Guide eBook

Below is a quick guide to what you’ll find inside The Science of Writing: A Beginner’s Guide eBook:

• Section 1: What Is the Science of Writing?
• Section 2: The Reading and Writing Connection
• Section 3: Writing Across Disciplines
• Section 4: AI and Writing Instruction

Keep reading to get a sample of each section.

Section 1: What Is the Science of Writing?

The Science of Writing is a body of research that explores how writing skills develop and how they can be effectively taught. Beyond its connection to reading, the Science of Writing examines writing as a complex process that extends beyond simply getting thoughts onto paper. Effective writing requires the development of many components, including:

• Transcription skills: handwriting, spelling, and typing fluency
• Syntax: grammar, sentence structure, and complexity
• Vocabulary: word choice, precision, and depth of language knowledge
• The writing process, text structure, and executive functioning: planning, organizing, writing, revising, and self-regulation in the writing process
• Content knowledge: understanding and applying subject-specific information in writing

Because writing is a cognitively demanding task, students must develop automaticity in foundational skills to free up mental resources for higher-level composition. Research underscores that effective writing instruction must systematically and explicitly address all these components to help students become confident, proficient writers.

In this section, we examine the Science of Writing more closely — why it matters, its core components, and practical implications for teaching practices — in order to better support writing instruction in the classroom.

Section 2: The Reading and Writing Connection

In many classrooms today, it’s common to hear transitions such as, “Okay class, we’re finished with reading for today, now let’s move on to writing.”

While this may seem like a simple shift in focus, it actually reflects a broader pattern in how literacy instruction is often compartmentalized.

Reading and writing are frequently treated as distinct subjects, scheduled into separate parts of the day. In some cases, writing may receive less instructional time or less emphasis overall. These instructional structures can limit students' opportunities to see the deep connections between reading and writing, which are both essential and interconnected components of literacy development.

The reciprocal relationship between reading and writing is one that research consistently shows is essential to developing strong, literate thinkers. When these skills are kept separate, students miss out on opportunities to reinforce their learning, deepen comprehension, and apply language in meaningful ways.

In this section, we dive into the research supporting the reading-writing connection, explore why it’s vital for literacy development, and offer practical strategies teachers can use to integrate both skills in effective and engaging ways.

Section 3: Writing Across Disciplines

While writing touches almost all areas of our lives, in schools it is often confined to the English Language Arts classroom. However, decades of literacy research suggest that writing is a powerful cognitive tool that supports learning across all disciplines, not just in language arts, but in science, math, social studies, and beyond.

In fact, when students write to explain a scientific process, justify a mathematical solution, or analyze historical sources, they are not just demonstrating what they know; they are constructing deeper understanding. Writing allows learners to slow down, organize their thinking, and make sense of complex ideas in discipline-specific ways.

So what does it mean to incorporate literacy — especially writing — across subjects, and what are the benefits of doing so?

In this section, we explore the differences between content literacy and disciplinary literacy, the role of writing within disciplinary literacy, what writing can look like in non-ELA classrooms, and how professional development can help non-ELA teachers confidently incorporate writing.

Section 4: AI and Writing Instruction

The Science of Writing is a newly emerging focus in research that examines all aspects of writing and writing instruction. It includes best practices for teaching writing, the cognitive processes involved, and the connection between writing and other components of literacy, such as reading and oral language development.

Yet, with generative artificial intelligence (AI) coming to the forefront, the Science of Writing must now also consider how this technology is impacting writing and writing instruction at all levels of education. Stakeholders — including teachers, parents, administrators, policymakers, and students — are grappling with a pressing question: Is AI making writing and writing instruction obsolete?

In this section, we dive into the world of AI and writing instruction, addressing questions like: How does AI-generated writing compare to human writing? Is AI replacing traditional writing and writing instruction? How can teachers and students use AI responsibly to support, rather than replace, the essential process of learning to write?

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