Seven Steps to Writing Success — Professional Learning

Seven Steps to Writing Success is an award-winning, research-based writing program created by Australian author and teacher Jen McVeity OAM in 2004 that breaks writing into manageable, teachable steps through explicit instruction. The program's professional learning offerings include free webinars, on-demand training videos through Teacher Hub membership, and comprehensive whole-school implementation support. Since its founding, Seven Steps has trained more than 45,000 teachers across half of Australian schools, with 40% of top-performing NAPLAN schools using the program as part of their literacy teaching. The seven steps—Plan for Success, Sizzling Starts, Tightening Tension, Dynamic Dialogue, Show Don't Tell, and Ban the Boring—are underpinned by the principle of chunking writing into discrete elements that students master through repetition and practice. The program aligns with the Australian Curriculum: English, the NSW English Syllabus, the Victorian Curriculum Version 2.0, and the New Zealand Curriculum, and is compatible with multiple teaching approaches including explicit instruction, inquiry learning, and the science of learning. Seven Steps offers a practical, proven framework that gives teachers confidence and consistency in writing instruction across all year levels.