Effective Literacy Practice in Years 5 to 8 is a companion publication to the teachers' handbook Effective Literacy Practice in Years 1 to 4. Intended as the key literacy reference for teachers of students in years 5-8, it details instructional practices that are clearly linked to improved outcomes for students. This emphasis is particularly important given the increasing diversity of students in New Zealand classrooms. The dimensions of effective practice that form the content and structure of Effective Literacy Practice in Years 5 to 8 are informed by both New Zealand-based and international research. These key dimensions are: knowledge of literacy learning; knowledge of the learner; instructional strategies; engaging learners with texts; expectations; partnerships. This essential handbook will help teachers of years 5-8 to: Build their body of professional knowledge; become more aware of what makes literacy teaching effective for students; become more strategic in their instructional practice; examine their beliefs about themselves as teachers and about all students as literacy learners; see themselves as members of a professional learning community and reflect critically on their own practice.