This updated edition of the best-selling book Because Writing Matters reflects the most recent research and reports on the need for teaching writing, and it includes new sections on writing and English language learners, technology, and the writing process.

The National Writing Project (NWP) is a nationwide professional development program for teachers begun in 1974 at the University of California, Berkeley. Through its extensive network of teachers, the NWP seeks to promote exemplary instruction of writing in every classroom in America.

Carl Nagin is a journalist, editor, and teacher. He has worked for the PBS series Frontline, and his articles have appeared in such national publications as The New Yorker, the New York Times, and Art and Antiques where his writing was nominated for a National Magazine Award. He taught writing at both the high school and college level for more than fifteen years as a faculty member at Harvard University and the New England Conservatory of Music.