Wondrous Words: Reimagining Writers and Writing in the Elementary Classroom

by Katie Wood Ray, Stella Villalba

Overview

So much has changed since 1999 when the original Wondrous Words: Writers and Writing in the Elementary Classrooms was published. The world is a different place, and our classrooms have changed. But, so much of what we learned in Wondrous Words holds true today. In this new reimagined edition of Wondrous Words, Katie Wood Ray revisits some of her original work that has been the grounding for quality writing instruction over the past quarter-century. Along with elementary teacher and EL coach, Stella Villalba, this book takes on new life.

With the addition of new titles, new insights from children’s authors and stories from classrooms today, Katie Wood Ray and Stella Villalba show what is possible when teachers embrace an inquiry-based instructional stance that creates joyful, rigorous, and student-centered writing classrooms

Not only will you learn about books that serve as wonderful mentors for young writers, but you’ll learn practical ideas for how to introduce key instructional concepts in your classrooms. When children see the power in reading like a writer, they grow as writers. Katie Wood Ray and Stella Villalba share the power of quality children’s literature in teaching our young writers. Mentor texts provide the catalyst for quality student-responsive, explicit instruction.

For those who read Wondrous Words when it was first published, this updated work will remind you of the journey you’ve taken as a teacher of writing and give you new ways to think about the ideas that have been embedded in your work with young writers.

For those of you new to this work, it is sure to spark energy and excitement that brings joy and purpose to writing classrooms everywhere.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780814102572
Publisher:	National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE)
Publication date:	08/05/2025
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	5 MB

About the Author

Katie Wood Ray is a former teacher, editor, and the author or coauthor of ten books on the teaching of writing. For many years she worked alongside teachers to develop child-centered methods for teaching writing that were grounded in the beautiful trial and error of classroom practice. Her books are filled with the stories and artifacts of children—mostly in rural Appalachia where she lives—growing into confident writers under the influence of teachers who nurtured that growth in daily writing workshops. As an editor, she helped other teacher-writers share their work in professional books and was the series editor for the dynamic Classroom Essentials series at Heinemann. She has a PhD in elementary language and literacy from the University of South Carolina (1992), and is a longtime member of NCTE. 

Stella Villalba was raised and nurtured in a bicultural and bilingual household. Born in Argentina to parents from Paraguay, she learned that being a multilingual learner is a superpower, and it’s through those lenses that she teaches, listens, and leads every day. She believes that multilingual learners deserve an equitable education that protects and honors their languages, literacies, and lived experiences. 

She has taught in Dual Education schools and in English as a Second Language programs. She is currently a teacher leader and a staff developer, coaching and mentoring educators to be ready for a global education that is rooted in multilingualism, biliteracy, and culturally and community-sustaining pedagogy. She has a BA in foreign language teaching; an MA in language, literacy, and culture; and is currently pursuing a PhD degree at The Ohio State University in equity and multicultural studies. 

Two things that bring her joy are conferring with a child and reading a large stack of picturebooks.