‘One of the insights of social theories of language which is now taken for granted is that language varies as the social context varies' (Kress, 1997) This is a book that operationalizes this insight: it charts young children's early attempts to write as they struggle to communicate meaning for a variety of purposes. Each section deals with the appropriate research evidence on the development of children's competence in literacy, and their growing awareness of genre, and uniquely, with a clear approa