THE VERMONT WRITING COLLABORATIVE WAS FOUNDED IN 2007 BY FIVE VERMONT PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHERS. AT THAT TIME, THE FIVE HAD BEEN WORKING, INDIVIDUALLY AND COLLECTIVELY AND AT ALL GRADE LEVELS, WITH AN APPROACH TO WRITING INSTRUCTION WE WERE DEVELOPING. WE CALL THIS APPROACH WRITING FOR UNDERSTANDING, AND IT IS PREMISED ON THE IDEA THAT WRITING IS ALL ABOUT MEANING. IF STUDENTS ARE TO WRITE EFFECTIVELY, IT IS CLEAR THAT 1) THEY NEED TO HAVE SOLID UNDERSTANDING OF THE IDEAS ABOUT WHICH THEY ARE WRITING, 2) THEY NEED TO HAVE A CLEAR STRUCTURE TO BUILD THAT UNDERSTANDING SO THAT ORTHERS CAN FOLLOW THEIR THINKING. IN WRITING FOR UNDERSTANDING, TEACHERS "PLAN BACKWARD", WITH AN OUTCOME CLEARLY IN MIND SO THAT THEY ARE ABLE TO BUILD IN SUCCESSFUL OPPORTUNITIES TO LEARN FOR STUDENTS - AND THEN TO SHOW THAT UNDERSTANDING IN EFFECTIVE WRITING.