NWP Radio sits down with Katie Wood Ray and Stella Villalba to discuss the new edition of Wondrous Words, Katie’s landmark 1999 book on responsive writing instruction. Twenty-five years later, the authors explore how teaching has changed—and why their message about writer agency, teacher decision-making, and the joy of teaching is more urgent than ever. In an era of mandated curricula and scripted lessons, they argue for a pedagogy of listening and kidwatching that treats students as writers making real choices, not just students completing assignments.

A Visit with the Authors of Wondrous Words: Reimagining Writers and Writing in the Elementary Classroom

NWP Radio is a podcast of the National Writing Project that features a wide array of guests discussing education-related topics like teaching writing, Connected Learning, Writing Project site development, out-of-school education, science and writing, maker ed, and more.