We need more evidence on writing 

Students perform less well in writing than in reading, math, and science at Key Stages 1 and 2 (the UK equivalent of the elementary years). A new review from the UK Department for Education synthesizes the existing evidence from the UK and abroad, in and out of school, and for both primary and secondary students. It covers achievement, effective teaching, the gender gap, students' attitudes, and writing as an activity outside of school.

The review looks at "what works" in the classroom. Techniques that have been proven to be effective include teaching students to write for a variety of purposes, teaching the writing process, and providing daily time to write. Approaches that are effective for specific groups, such as boys and students with special education needs and disabilities, are also analyzed. The review also looks at factors outside of the classroom, including that attainment in writing in the early years can be predicted by mother's education, family size, parental assessment of the child's writing ability, and a measure of home writing activities.

However, the review highlights that there are evidence gaps in terms of specific interventions that can help students with writing, and on the effectiveness of teaching spelling. There is also little evidence on writing in studies of international comparisons. A recent issue of Better magazine included an article by Debra Myhill on the importance of teaching grammar, while a recent studyby the Institute for Effective Education has shown how hand-held technology can help to improve primary students' learning of grammar.