Drawing on extensive research of the primary and secondary years, Christie and Derewianka systematically chart the developmental changes in writing across the schools curriculum, enhancing a key area of research in applied linguistics.Writing development has been a key area of research in applied linguistics for some time but most work has focused on children's writing at particular ages, for example, at the early primary, late primary or secondary stage. Christie and Derewianka draw on extensive research in both primary and secondary years to trace the developmental trajectory from age 5 or 6 through to 18. Using a systemic functional grammar, they outline developmental changes in writing in three major areas of the school curriculum - English, history, and science - as children move from early childhood to late childhood and on to adolescence and adulthood.The book considers the nature of the curriculum at various stages, discussing the interplay of curriculum goals, pedagogy and developmental changes as children grow older. It also explores how emergent control of the different subjects requires control of various subject specific literacies and considers the pedagogical implications of their findings. It will be of interest to anyone involved in the writing performance of children in schools, particularly applied and educational linguists.Discourse is one of the most significant concepts of contemporary thinking in the humanities and social sciences as it concerns the ways language mediates and shapes our interactions with each other and with the social, political and cultural formations of our society. "The Continuum Discourse Series" aims to capture the fast-developing interest in discourse to provide students, new and experienced teachers and researchers in applied linguistics, ELT and English language with an essential bookshelf. Each book deals with a core topic in discourse studies to give an in-depth, structured and readable introduction to an aspect of the way language in used in real life.

‘The authors have made a tremendous contribution to our understanding of the paths learners follow in written language development from early childhood to late adolescence. They provide, for the first time, detailed and clearly articulated descriptions of the language students learn to control as they write key genres across the curriculum. The book will be a frequently-consulted reference work for teachers, curriculum developers, and writing researchers.' - Professor Mary J. Schleppegrell, School of Education, University of Michigan, USA.
School Discourse is an invaluable resource for teachers working with primary and secondary students in educational institutions where the medium of instruction is English. Not only does the book present what genre types students are supposed to make meaning with but it also projects the trajectory of writing development across developmental phases. This might also have implications for improving writing programmes in institutions of higher education, where instruction builds on what has been covered in primary and secondary schools. -- Australian Journal of Linguistics 31:3

Frances Christie is Emeritus Professor of Language and Literacy Education at the University of Melbourne, Australia and Honorary Professor of Education at the University of Sydney, Australia. Beverly Derewianka is Associate Professor in the Faculty of Education, University of Wollongong, Australia.