teaching middle school essay writing

Essay Writing: A complete guide for students and teachers

P LANNING, PARAGRAPHING AND POLISHING: FINE-TUNING THE PERFECT ESSAY

Essay writing is an essential skill for every student. Whether writing a particular academic essay (such as persuasive, narrative, descriptive, or expository) or a timed exam essay, the key to getting good at writing is to write. Creating opportunities for our students to engage in extended writing activities will go a long way to helping them improve their skills as scribes.

But, putting the hours in alone will not be enough to attain the highest levels in essay writing. Practice must be meaningful. Once students have a broad overview of how to structure the various types of essays, they are ready to narrow in on the minor details that will enable them to fine-tune their work as a lean vehicle of their thoughts and ideas.

In this article, we will drill down to some aspects that will assist students in taking their essay writing skills up a notch. Many ideas and activities can be integrated into broader lesson plans based on essay writing. Often, though, they will work effectively in isolation – just as athletes isolate physical movements to drill that are relevant to their sport. When these movements become second nature, they can be repeated naturally in the context of the game or in our case, the writing of the essay.

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Planning an essay

The Boys Scouts’ motto is famously ‘Be Prepared’. It’s a solid motto that can be applied to most aspects of life; essay writing is no different. Given the purpose of an essay is generally to present a logical and reasoned argument, investing time in organising arguments, ideas, and structure would seem to be time well spent.

Given that essays can take a wide range of forms and that we all have our own individual approaches to writing, it stands to reason that there will be no single best approach to the planning stage of essay writing. That said, there are several helpful hints and techniques we can share with our students to help them wrestle their ideas into a writable form. Let’s take a look at a few of the best of these:

BREAK THE QUESTION DOWN: UNDERSTAND YOUR ESSAY TOPIC.

Whether students are tackling an assignment that you have set for them in class or responding to an essay prompt in an exam situation, they should get into the habit of analyzing the nature of the task. To do this, they should unravel the question’s meaning or prompt. Students can practice this in class by responding to various essay titles, questions, and prompts, thereby gaining valuable experience breaking these down.

Have students work in groups to underline and dissect the keywords and phrases and discuss what exactly is being asked of them in the task. Are they being asked to discuss, describe, persuade, or explain? Understanding the exact nature of the task is crucial before going any further in the planning process, never mind the writing process .

BRAINSTORM AND MIND MAP WHAT YOU KNOW:

Once students have understood what the essay task asks them, they should consider what they know about the topic and, often, how they feel about it. When teaching essay writing, we so often emphasize that it is about expressing our opinions on things, but for our younger students what they think about something isn’t always obvious, even to themselves.

Brainstorming and mind-mapping what they know about a topic offers them an opportunity to uncover not just what they already know about a topic, but also gives them a chance to reveal to themselves what they think about the topic. This will help guide them in structuring their research and, later, the essay they will write . When writing an essay in an exam context, this may be the only ‘research’ the student can undertake before the writing, so practicing this will be even more important.

RESEARCH YOUR ESSAY

The previous step above should reveal to students the general direction their research will take. With the ubiquitousness of the internet, gone are the days of students relying on a single well-thumbed encyclopaedia from the school library as their sole authoritative source in their essay. If anything, the real problem for our students today is narrowing down their sources to a manageable number. Students should use the information from the previous step to help here. At this stage, it is important that they:

●      Ensure the research material is directly relevant to the essay task

●      Record in detail the sources of the information that they will use in their essay

●      Engage with the material personally by asking questions and challenging their own biases

●      Identify the key points that will be made in their essay

●      Group ideas, counterarguments, and opinions together

●      Identify the overarching argument they will make in their own essay.

Once these stages have been completed the student is ready to organise their points into a logical order.

WRITING YOUR ESSAY

There are a number of ways for students to organize their points in preparation for writing. They can use graphic organizers , post-it notes, or any number of available writing apps. The important thing for them to consider here is that their points should follow a logical progression. This progression of their argument will be expressed in the form of body paragraphs that will inform the structure of their finished essay.

The number of paragraphs contained in an essay will depend on a number of factors such as word limits, time limits, the complexity of the question etc. Regardless of the essay’s length, students should ensure their essay follows the Rule of Three in that every essay they write contains an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion.

Generally speaking, essay paragraphs will focus on one main idea that is usually expressed in a topic sentence that is followed by a series of supporting sentences that bolster that main idea. The first and final sentences are of the most significance here with the first sentence of a paragraph making the point to the reader and the final sentence of the paragraph making the overall relevance to the essay’s argument crystal clear. 

Though students will most likely be familiar with the broad generic structure of essays, it is worth investing time to ensure they have a clear conception of how each part of the essay works, that is, of the exact nature of the task it performs. Let’s review:

Common Essay Structure

Introduction: Provides the reader with context for the essay. It states the broad argument that the essay will make and informs the reader of the writer’s general perspective and approach to the question.

Body Paragraphs: These are the ‘meat’ of the essay and lay out the argument stated in the introduction point by point with supporting evidence.

Conclusion: Usually, the conclusion will restate the central argument while summarising the essay’s main supporting reasons before linking everything back to the original question.

ESSAY WRITING PARAGRAPH WRITING TIPS

●      Each paragraph should focus on a single main idea

●      Paragraphs should follow a logical sequence; students should group similar ideas together to avoid incoherence

●      Paragraphs should be denoted consistently; students should choose either to indent or skip a line

●      Transition words and phrases such as alternatively , consequently , in contrast should be used to give flow and provide a bridge between paragraphs.

HOW TO EDIT AN ESSAY

Students shouldn’t expect their essays to emerge from the writing process perfectly formed. Except in exam situations and the like, thorough editing is an essential aspect in the writing process. 

Often, students struggle with this aspect of the process the most. After spending hours of effort on planning, research, and writing the first draft, students can be reluctant to go back over the same terrain they have so recently travelled. It is important at this point to give them some helpful guidelines to help them to know what to look out for. The following tips will provide just such help: 

One Piece at a Time: There is a lot to look out for in the editing process and often students overlook aspects as they try to juggle too many balls during the process. One effective strategy to combat this is for students to perform a number of rounds of editing with each focusing on a different aspect. For example, the first round could focus on content, the second round on looking out for word repetition (use a thesaurus to help here), with the third attending to spelling and grammar.

Sum It Up: When reviewing the paragraphs they have written, a good starting point is for students to read each paragraph and attempt to sum up its main point in a single line. If this is not possible, their readers will most likely have difficulty following their train of thought too and the paragraph needs to be overhauled.

Let It Breathe: When possible, encourage students to allow some time for their essay to ‘breathe’ before returning to it for editing purposes. This may require some skilful time management on the part of the student, for example, a student rush-writing the night before the deadline does not lend itself to effective editing. Fresh eyes are one of the sharpest tools in the writer’s toolbox.

Read It Aloud: This time-tested editing method is a great way for students to identify mistakes and typos in their work. We tend to read things more slowly when reading aloud giving us the time to spot errors. Also, when we read silently our minds can often fill in the gaps or gloss over the mistakes that will become apparent when we read out loud.

Phone a Friend: Peer editing is another great way to identify errors that our brains may miss when reading our own work. Encourage students to partner up for a little ‘you scratch my back, I scratch yours’.

Use Tech Tools: We need to ensure our students have the mental tools to edit their own work and for this they will need a good grasp of English grammar and punctuation. However, there are also a wealth of tech tools such as spellcheck and grammar checks that can offer a great once-over option to catch anything students may have missed in earlier editing rounds.

Putting the Jewels on Display: While some struggle to edit, others struggle to let go. There comes a point when it is time for students to release their work to the reader. They must learn to relinquish control after the creation is complete. This will be much easier to achieve if the student feels that they have done everything in their control to ensure their essay is representative of the best of their abilities and if they have followed the advice here, they should be confident they have done so.

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Our 2020-21 Writing Curriculum for Middle and High School

A flexible, seven-unit program based on the real-world writing found in newspapers, from editorials and reviews to personal narratives and informational essays.

Update, Aug. 3, 2023: Find our 2023-24 writing curriculum here.

Our 2019-20 Writing Curriculum is one of the most popular new features we’ve ever run on this site, so, of course, we’re back with a 2020-21 version — one we hope is useful whether you’re teaching in person , online , indoors , outdoors , in a pod , as a homeschool , or in some hybrid of a few of these.

The curriculum detailed below is both a road map for teachers and an invitation to students. For teachers, it includes our writing prompts, mentor texts, contests and lesson plans, and organizes them all into seven distinct units. Each focuses on a different genre of writing that you can find not just in The Times but also in all kinds of real-world sources both in print and online.

But for students, our main goal is to show young people they have something valuable to say, and to give those voices a global audience. That’s always been a pillar of our site, but this year it is even more critical. The events of 2020 will define this generation, and many are living through them isolated from their ordinary communities, rituals and supports. Though a writing curriculum can hardly make up for that, we hope that it can at least offer teenagers a creative outlet for making sense of their experiences, and an enthusiastic audience for the results. Through the opportunities for publication woven throughout each unit, we want to encourage students to go beyond simply being media consumers to become creators and contributors themselves.

So have a look, and see if you can find a way to include any of these opportunities in your curriculum this year, whether to help students document their lives, tell stories, express opinions, investigate ideas, or analyze culture. We can’t wait to hear what your students have to say!

Each unit includes:

Writing prompts to help students try out related skills in a “low stakes” way.

We publish two writing prompts every school day, and we also have thematic collections of more than 1,000 prompts published in the past. Your students might consider responding to these prompts on our site and using our public forums as a kind of “rehearsal space” for practicing voice and technique.

Daily opportunities to practice writing for an authentic audience.

If a student submits a comment on our site, it will be read by Times editors, who approve each one before it gets published. Submitting a comment also gives students an audience of fellow teenagers from around the world who might read and respond to their work. Each week, we call out our favorite comments and honor dozens of students by name in our Thursday “ Current Events Conversation ” feature.

Guided practice with mentor texts .

Each unit we publish features guided practice lessons, written directly to students, that help them observe, understand and practice the kinds of “craft moves” that make different genres of writing sing. From how to “show not tell” in narratives to how to express critical opinions , quote or paraphrase experts or craft scripts for podcasts , we have used the work of both Times journalists and the teenage winners of our contests to show students techniques they can emulate.

“Annotated by the Author” commentaries from Times writers — and teenagers.

As part of our Mentor Texts series , we’ve been asking Times journalists from desks across the newsroom to annotate their articles to let students in on their writing, research and editing processes, and we’ll be adding more for each unit this year. Whether it’s Science writer Nicholas St. Fleur on tiny tyrannosaurs , Opinion writer Aisha Harris on the cultural canon , or The Times’s comics-industry reporter, George Gene Gustines, on comic books that celebrate pride , the idea is to demystify journalism for teenagers. This year, we’ll be inviting student winners of our contests to annotate their work as well.

A contest that can act as a culminating project .

Over the years we’ve heard from many teachers that our contests serve as final projects in their classes, and this curriculum came about in large part because we want to help teachers “plan backwards” to support those projects.

All contest entries are considered by experts, whether Times journalists, outside educators from partner organizations, or professional practitioners in a related field. Winning means being published on our site, and, perhaps, in the print edition of The New York Times.

Webinars and our new professional learning community (P.L.C.).

For each of the seven units in this curriculum, we host a webinar featuring Learning Network editors as well as teachers who use The Times in their classrooms. Our webinars introduce participants to our many resources and provide practical how-to’s on how to use our prompts, mentor texts and contests in the classroom.

New for this school year, we also invite teachers to join our P.L.C. on teaching writing with The Times , where educators can share resources, strategies and inspiration about teaching with these units.

Below are the seven units we will offer in the 2020-21 school year.

September-October

Unit 1: Documenting Teenage Lives in Extraordinary Times

This special unit acknowledges both the tumultuous events of 2020 and their outsized impact on young people — and invites teenagers to respond creatively. How can they add their voices to our understanding of what this historic year will mean for their generation?

Culminating in our Coming of Age in 2020 contest, the unit helps teenagers document and respond to what it’s been like to live through what one Times article describes as “a year of tragedy, of catastrophe, of upheaval, a year that has inflicted one blow after another, a year that has filled the morgues, emptied the schools, shuttered the workplaces, swelled the unemployment lines and polarized the electorate.”

A series of writing prompts, mentor texts and a step-by-step guide will help them think deeply and analytically about who they are, how this year has impacted them, what they’d like to express as a result, and how they’d like to express it. How might they tell their unique stories in ways that feel meaningful and authentic, whether those stories are serious or funny, big or small, raw or polished?

Though the contest accepts work across genres — via words and images, video and audio — all students will also craft written artist’s statements for each piece they submit. In addition, no matter what genre of work students send in, the unit will use writing as a tool throughout to help students brainstorm, compose and edit. And, of course, this work, whether students send it to us or not, is valuable far beyond the classroom: Historians, archivists and museums recommend that we all document our experiences this year, if only for ourselves.

October-November

Unit 2: The Personal Narrative

While The Times is known for its award-winning journalism, the paper also has a robust tradition of publishing personal essays on topics like love , family , life on campus and navigating anxiety . And on our site, our daily writing prompts have long invited students to tell us their stories, too. Our 2019 collection of 550 Prompts for Narrative and Personal Writing is a good place to start, though we add more every week during the school year.

In this unit we draw on many of these resources, plus some of the 1,000-plus personal essays from the Magazine’s long-running Lives column , to help students find their own “short, memorable stories ” and tell them well. Our related mentor-text lessons can help them practice skills like writing with voice , using details to show rather than tell , structuring a narrative arc , dropping the reader into a scene and more. This year, we’ll also be including mentor text guided lessons that use the work of the 2019 student winners.

As a final project, we invite students to send finished stories to our Second Annual Personal Narrative Writing Contest .

DECEMBER-January

Unit 3: The Review

Book reports and literary essays have long been staples of language arts classrooms, but this unit encourages students to learn how to critique art in other genres as well. As we point out, a cultural review is, of course, a form of argumentative essay. Your class might be writing about Lizzo or “ Looking for Alaska ,” but they still have to make claims and support them with evidence. And, just as they must in a literature essay, they have to read (or watch, or listen to) a work closely; analyze it and understand its context; and explain what is meaningful and interesting about it.

In our Mentor Texts series , we feature the work of Times movie , restaurant , book and music critics to help students understand the elements of a successful review. In each one of these guided lessons, we also spotlight the work of teenage contest winners from previous years.

As a culminating project, we invite students to send us their own reviews of a book, movie, restaurant, album, theatrical production, video game, dance performance, TV show, art exhibition or any other kind of work The Times critiques.

January-February

Unit 4: Informational Writing

Informational writing is the style of writing that dominates The New York Times as well as any other traditional newspaper you might read, and in this unit we hope to show students that it can be every bit as engaging and compelling to read and to write as other genres. Via thousands of articles a month — from front-page reporting on politics to news about athletes in Sports, deep data dives in The Upshot, recipes in Cooking, advice columns in Style and long-form investigative pieces in the magazine — Times journalists find ways to experiment with the genre to intrigue and inform their audiences.

This unit invites students to take any STEM-related discovery, process or idea that interests them and write about it in a way that makes it understandable and engaging for a general audience — but all the skills we teach along the way can work for any kind of informational writing. Via our Mentor Texts series, we show them how to hook the reader from the start , use quotes and research , explain why a topic matters and more. This year we’ll be using the work of the 2020 student winners for additional mentor text lessons.

At the end of the unit, we invite teenagers to submit their own writing to our Second Annual STEM writing contest to show us what they’ve learned.

March-April

Unit 5: Argumentative Writing

The demand for evidence-based argumentative writing is now woven into school assignments across the curriculum and grade levels, and you couldn’t ask for better real-world examples than what you can find in The Times Opinion section .

This unit will, like our others, be supported with writing prompts, mentor-text lesson plans, webinars and more. We’ll also focus on the winning teenage writing we’ve received over the six years we’ve run our related contest.

At a time when media literacy is more important than ever, we also hope that our annual Student Editorial Contest can serve as a final project that encourages students to broaden their information diets with a range of reliable sources, and learn from a variety of perspectives on their chosen issue.

To help students working from home, we also have an Argumentative Unit for Students Doing Remote Learning .

Unit 6: Writing for Podcasts

Most of our writing units so far have all asked for essays of one kind or another, but this spring contest invites students to do what journalists at The Times do every day: make multimedia to tell a story, investigate an issue or communicate a concept.

Our annual podcast contest gives students the freedom to talk about anything they want in any form they like. In the past we’ve had winners who’ve done personal narratives, local travelogues, opinion pieces, interviews with community members, local investigative journalism and descriptions of scientific discoveries.

As with all our other units, we have supported this contest with great examples from The Times and around the web, as well as with mentor texts by teenagers that offer guided practice in understanding elements and techniques.

June-August

Unit 7: Independent Reading and Writing

At a time when teachers are looking for ways to offer students more “voice and choice,” this unit, based on our annual summer contest, offers both.

Every year since 2010 we have invited teenagers around the world to add The New York Times to their summer reading lists and, so far, 70,000 have. Every week for 10 weeks, we ask participants to choose something in The Times that has sparked their interest, then tell us why. At the end of the week, judges from the Times newsroom pick favorite responses, and we publish them on our site.

And we’ve used our Mentor Text feature to spotlight the work of past winners , explain why newsroom judges admired their thinking, and provide four steps to helping any student write better reader-responses.

Because this is our most open-ended contest — students can choose whatever they like, and react however they like — it has proved over the years to be a useful place for young writers to hone their voices, practice skills and take risks . Join us!

5 Secrets for Helping Middle School Writers Succeed

Even though I spent 19 years as a middle school teacher, I frequently ask myself what makes a middle school writing classroom work. I know successful teaching is a series of flexible moving parts. I know it’s one part inspiration and a bigger part organization. I know that every middle school teacher struggles to achieve more good days than bad.

In  Traits of Writing: The Complete Guide for Middle School , I share meaningful and practical ideas for using what I’ve learned about teaching writing in middle school. My aim is to validate what you already know and give you new ways to support students. I also point out obstacles to watch out for and ways around them, so you don’t sacrifice the integrity of your teaching or the writing lives of your students.

As teachers, our greatest challenge may not be understanding best practices, but implementing those practices in classrooms where writing skills vary, time is precious, and the demand for high test scores can smother even the most creative teaching. But take heart. Teaching writing well is not impossible. Here are 5 secrets I know work in middle school and will help your young writers succeed:

1.     The teacher must model how to learn.

If we want our students to write, we have to show them we are writers ourselves, which means opening ourselves up to scrutiny.

2.      Learning should be infectious.

Look for inspiration everywhere and revise you lesson plans accordingly to foster a fascination with language, not just an understanding of terms. Who knows where this might lead?

3.     Students must be active.

Engaging in lively activities, working in small groups, sitting on the floor, listening to music, using the computer, and talking about works in progress keep students moving, and therefore, learning.

4.     Students will work hard if we give them rigorous, relevant tasks.

Let students take a giant leap forward and come up with their own projects and use the skills they have learned over the years to accomplish it. What they write matters less than the fact that they choose to write with such passion and determination.

5.     Students deserve honest, detailed feedback.

Get serious about providing feedback. Students will appreciate your suggestions for making their writing smoother, clearer, and more interesting, and, like any serious writers, won’t always agree or follow them. But your students trust you to tell them the truth because they know your feedback, as difficult as it sometimes will be to convey, will help propel their work forward.

The secrets of writing, once locked away in the writing teacher’s vault, must be revealed and explored. How else will we sort out what works from what doesn’t? But you know this already. The writing lives of your middle school students depend on our getting it right.

To learn more about  Traits of Writing: The Complete Guide for Middle School , you can purchase the book  here.

About the author:

Ruth Culham, Ed.D.,  has published more than 40 best-selling professional books and resources with Scholastic and the International Literacy Association on the traits of writing and teaching writing using reading as a springboard to success. Her steadfast belief that every student is a writer is the hallmark of her work. As the author of  Traits Writing: The Complete Writing Program for Grades K–8 (2012), she has launched a writing revolution.  Traits Writing  is the culmination of 40 years of educational experience, research, practice, and passion.

4 Activities to Help Middle School Students Uncover New Ideas for Writing

No matter how old you are, no matter how much writing you do, no matter how much you improve over time, finding ideas and writing about them clearly and compellingly is a challenge. Small wonder, then, that middle school writers find the ideas trait difficult to master.

Writing must make sense, and that’s what the ideas trait is all about—choosing a topic, narrowing it down, and supporting it with enough details to make the message clear and engaging. In  Traits of Writing: The Complete Guide for Middle School , I outline the ideas trait’s 4 key qualities:

1.     Finding a topic

2.     Focusing the topic

3.     Developing the topic

4.     Using details

The following activities will help your students develop these qualities. Each is a creative, classroom-tested idea that allows students to try out skills and strategies that you share in warm-ups and focus lessons. These activities can take 5 minutes or 50, depending on your students’ needs and interest levels, and can be carried out by students independently or in small groups.

Finding a topic | Writer’s Notebooks

Often, the best topics are the ones students come up with themselves. As you work with students, encourage them to jot down in a notebook possible ideas for use in writing later—ideas that occur to them during science, social studies, health, fine arts, or English, or in everyday life. Let students select a notebook that makes them feel comfortable. Keep your own notebook and model how you jot down ideas for writing, words and phrases you like, intriguing information and observations, and questions to ponder.

Focusing the topic | The Best and the Worst Activity

Have your students brainstorm a list of real-world jobs that require a great deal of writing: a writer for a late-night talk show, a fund-raiser for a charity, a developer of video games, an author of children’s books, and so on. Write the jobs on a chart. Divide the class into small groups and assign one of the jobs to each group. Ask group members to prepare a panel presentation explaining the best and worst parts of the job and present it to the class, using some sort of visual aid that illustrates key points, such as a chart or diagram. Hang their creations in a prominent place for everyone to read and think about. This activity teaches students that writing is a big part of most professions—a lesson they will come to learn on their own soon enough.

Developing the topic | Top-Ten List

Ask students to write a top-ten list of things every adult should know about middle school students. Encourage them to develop each point in a fun, truthful, and interesting way. Here are examples of 2 developed points:

We don’t like to be told what to do. But if you don’t tell us, we won’t do it. And even when you do tell us, many times we don’t do it unless you get mean about it. We’re kinda flakey.

Remembering to put our names on our papers is harder than being blindfolded and sending a text message with our thumbs.

Using details | Getting Into the Details Activity

Give students a general statement, such as “I love Friday,” and ask them to work with a partner to brainstorm at least 10 details that explain why Friday is their favorite school day. Have pairs share those details with the whole class and make one long list. Now ask students to select their favorite details, at least 5 but no more than 10, and choose the one they consider the most important. From there, have pairs write a paragraph describing all the great things about Friday, emphasizing one detail they feel is most important. When they’re finished, ask students to put their paragraphs on their desks and invite their classmates to walk about and read them. Later, discuss the techniques students used to focus the reader’s attention on one detail more than others.

The time you spend teaching students where ideas come from and how to develop them effectively is critical to their success as writers. Finding a topic, focusing it, developing it, and using precise details to support it is where the writing begins.

Learn more about the ideas trait and other traits critical to writing success with  Traits of Writing: The Complete Guide for Middle School . You can purchase the book  here .

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8 Tips for Teaching Middle School Writing

Middle school is the first-time students learn in-depth writing, and it usually starts with essays. Although writing intimidates many children, the good news is that tweens and young teens have many interests, opinions, and ideas that teachers can help draw out and shape.

Middle-school students are old enough to have experienced a healthy dose of “life,” and with that comes family stories, memories of imaginative play when they were younger, knowledge gleaned from books they’ve read, and curiosity piqued by places they’ve been and events they’ve witnessed. So, they can certainly have a lot to say. Teaching writing to middle schoolers can be an excellent opportunity for educators to really get to know their students and allow them to express their own unique voices.

Here are eight middle school writing strategies teachers can use to improve these skills for students.

Teaching Writing to Middle Schoolers

Tip 1: give them the freedom to freewrite.

Some middle schoolers may look like the proverbial deer in a headlight when you tell them it’s time to write. While writing can be a positive experience and thousands of people write for enjoyment, stress relief, and other productive benefits, some students might find it intimidating. One positive approach is to give students the opportunity to freewrite in personal journals that they will not be required to share unless they choose to. Set a timer for five minutes and tell students to write whatever comes into their minds, without stopping, for the duration. What they write is up to them—it can be a list of random words, a description of what they had for breakfast, or sentences such as “I have no idea what to write!” The important part is to keep the pencil moving across the page. Grammar and spelling don’t matter for this exercise, and students will not be graded or judged on their work.

Tip 2: Start with Poetry

Another great access point to writing is to start with poetry. Glenis Redmond, a poet and teaching artist, says, “When I enter a classroom, I always begin with praise—a praise poem , that is—an introductory poem of origin—because it is an accessible poem form for students and teachers to begin writing. It also allows me to assess where students are developmentally…These poems are made up of metaphors and similes—forms of comparison relating the writer to an object, a person, a color, or a feature in nature.”

“There is a strong correlation between readers of poetry and writers of poetry,” says Ekuwah Moses , an elementary educator, nonfiction picture book author, and literacy specialist from Las Vegas. “Some teachers set up a staged area of their classroom for students to perform weekly open mic time. This is an opportunity for students to read poetry they have written out loud to their peers or read aloud a poet's work. It is a community-building celebration of writing, reading, speaking, and listening.”

Tip 3: Use Anchor Charts

Anchor charts can be an excellent collaborative tool to engage and motivate students in their writing. According to this document from the International Literacy Association, “Anchor charts are organized mentor texts co-created with students. Charts are usually handwritten in large print and displayed in an area of the classroom where they can be easily seen. Used to anchor whole group instruction, the charts provide a scaffold during guided practice and independent work.”

Anchor charts are intended to be homemade—capturing what the students have learned and then remaining on display as an artifact for future reference. Although bold lettering and bright colors can make an anchor chart stand out, you don’t need superior artistic skills to create one; just a pack of markers and some large chart paper will do the trick! An anchor chart for writing could, for example, capture a list of words students could use to replace overused words such as “said” or “very.” It could be an inspirational “doodle-style” sketch of all the reasons writers write, e.g., to share their feelings, to tell their own story, to persuade someone, or to inform people about important events. Or it could show a diagram of how to create an organized paragraph with a hook/topic sentence, details, and a closing statement.

Resources for Teachers : Download these printable anchor charts from HMH Into Literature .

Tip 4: Create a Toolkit of Graphic Organizers

It’s helpful for middle schoolers to organize their ideas before they put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard). You can make toolkits by assembling file folders with a selection of graphic organizers that can help them brainstorm ideas and create an orderly sequence of thoughts. For example, students could use this word web to break down the larger topic of “The Arctic” into details such as “wildlife,” “climate,” and “geography.”

Other tools that can encourage students to connect more deeply with a topic include a 5 Ws chart , Venn diagram , and KWL chart .

Ekuwah Moses adds: “Keep the brain in mind when using graphic organizers. Handwritten or hand-drawn organizers are the best method for learning to write. The process of drawing and writing teaches children how to organize information for long-term retrieval, versus relying upon or always searching for a pre-made document.”

Tip 5: Break It Down and Give Frequent Feedback

Students can sometimes feel as if writing is subjective. What makes one short story “better” than the next, anyway? Indeed, some of this does relate to a gut instinct: We know when a story or an essay moves us and captures our attention. We know when a character feels real, and we can hear when words are used lyrically to make a piece of writing “sing.” But by showing students that a great piece of writing comes from a series of steps that include prewriting, drafting, and revision, you can demystify the process.

By breaking the writing process—including feedback and evaluation—into bite-sized pieces, you can make the learning more manageable and help students see their progress. Research shows that delivering quality feedback leads to better revisions and results. The real-time, personalized feedback in a program such as Writable helps empower students every step of the way.

Nick Wheeler, a sixth-grade ELA teacher at Bristow Elementary in Kentucky, uses the tools and instructional supports available in Writable to help students take ownership of their writing. The students “are part of each piece of that writing process, from freewriting, to drafting, to revising and editing, and finally publishing,” he says.

Tip 6: Model Your Own Writing Process for Students

Even published authors rarely, if ever, churn out a perfect first draft. It may encourage students to realize that their favorite books were the result of many revisions and, often, collaboration with editors and proofreaders. You can model this process for students in a couple of ways. First, you can talk through the thought process that you go through when writing—for example, a letter to your local town council.

Share your thought process out loud as you write quick notes that the class can see. For example, “Okay, I would like to have a place for my dog to play freely with other dogs. I’d love it if the town created a dog park.” Write “dog park” in the center of the whiteboard as your main topic, and circle it.

You might continue to share further thoughts out loud: “But hmm, I know it might cost money and require community support. What points could I make to convince my readers that a dog park would be a great asset to this town? Maybe I could suggest that the dog park requires a small membership fee, which would bring revenue to the town? Maybe I could suggest that this park might encourage more rescue pet adoptions?” Add “paid membership” and “pet adoptions” to the whiteboard as “spokes” coming from the main topic, as well as any suggestions students might offer.

Then, talk the class through your plans as to how you might organize all these points into a coherent and persuasive piece. Lastly, you could then explain how you might ask a colleague to be your editor and review your letter. Does it make sense to them? Do they find it persuasive? Do they see any errors in spelling or grammar? Students can partner with peers to do the same!

Tip 7: Teach Them to Read Like Writers and Write Like Readers

“It’s important to remember that reading and writing are interconnected,” says Michael Vea, a former classroom teacher and now an education systems-level leader at San Diego Unified School District. “When they read, students can be thinking like writers; e.g., How did the writer of this text craft such a beautiful piece? How did the vocabulary words they chose make the piece more powerful? And when they write, they can think like readers; e.g., How will this piece of writing be received? What emotional reaction might the reader get?”

“One of my favorite mentors in my professional training, Pam Allyn, the founder of LitWorld , used to say that ‘Reading is like breathing in and writing is like breathing out.’,” he adds. “That always resonated with me.”

One tactic to get writers thinking like readers (and vice versa) is to use model writing pieces, such as those available in the Writer’s Notebook in Into Reading , examples of authentic student writing, or photocopies of a favorite passage from a piece of literature. Annotating a sample piece of writing can help scaffold the writing process for students. “We reference the model writing during each day of drafting, editing, and revising,” says Rhode Island teacher Kayla Dyer. “I will prompt students to refer to the model piece as they are drafting so I can have individual conferences or small group conferences.”

Here is an example of how Dyer annotated a piece of nonfiction writing, “The Amazing Sea Pig.”

Tip 8: Use Rubrics

Rubrics are your friend when it comes to writing. They help students build confidence and give teachers a way to help family members understand their grading process. A rubric lets students know and see the expectations and exactly what they will be graded on. Self-review in writing is so important, and a rubric can ensure that students learn to check their work for content as well as for grammar.

“You can further build a writing culture by frequently pulling exemplar student writing, gathered from your classroom or across the grade level, and discussing it anonymously with the class,” recommends Ekuwah Moses. “Project the exemplar, and then use the grade-level writing rubric to highlight where it meets or exceeds the expectations of the rubric. These positive examples help students to see that the ‘impossible' is possible, and students whose work is featured appreciate the praise.”

Another benefit of rubrics is that they can facilitate self-assessment. In addition to evaluating their work against the criteria laid out in the rubric, students can reflect on their writing assignments by answering three questions:

• What did you like best about this assignment?
• What was the most difficult part?
• What do you want me to know about this work you did?

Teaching writing for middle schoolers can be rewarding, frustrating, or both at the same time, but working through the process and giving clear feedback every step of the way can empower your students and help them learn the value of their words. Showing your students how to use their voices can be one of the greatest gifts you can give them, especially if you do it thoughtfully.

Need additional support to improve writing skills in middle school? Try Writable to support your ELA curriculum, district benchmarks, and state standards with more than 600 fully customizable writing assignments and rubrics for students in Grades 3–12. Learn more .

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5 Ways to Help Middle Schoolers Write Beyond the Bare Minimum

Help students go beyond the required word count to create great work.

Teaching writing is not for the faint of heart—especially in middle school! By this age, it’s harder to trick students into thinking writing is fun, and that eagerness to please grown ups may be ancient history. For many students, there is no amount of cajoling, pleading, or threatening that will produce a response other than, “I don’t know what to write.” They seem to want to write the minimum word count and move on to the next task at hand.

It doesn’t have to be this way, though. There are ways to help kids slay the writing dragon while maintaining peace in your kingdom. Er, I mean, classroom.

1. Offer (lots of) word lists and graphic organizers.

This might seem obvious because we all know these supports make writing more accessible for students. But I’ve been in the classroom, and I know they aren’t used often enough. We need to do this as teachers, though. It’s our job to provide students with a battle plan (because writing is a battle for many kids). There are so many graphic organizers out there, and I recommend trying a few different ones to see what your students like. You also want to make word lists easily accessible. Don’t focus on big or fancy words. Instead, concentrate on offering alternatives to “dead” words like very, a lot, great, etc.

2. Embrace mentor texts.

This is a great way to spur reluctant writers into action because they aren’t starting with a blank slate. Mentor texts are a student’s armor as they attempt more sophisticated compositions, protecting students by giving them a guide to good writing while still requiring them to be creative and use their own words. Over the years I’ve used many mentor texts. One of my favorites is the first vignette from The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros. The vignette holds the same title as the book itself, and it describes the different places the main character has lived in her life. Students can model their own writing after Cisneros’ vignette by describing the places they have lived and the people they’ve known in those places along the way.

3. Let the diversity of authors inspire your students.

4. incorporate current events..

Middle school students have lots of opinions, but they often don’t watch the news or get their information from reliable sources. Providing students with a current event article, pairing it with a video, (or song lyrics, or poem, or chapter from a novel or memoir) and then asking them to put down their thoughts really inspire some passionate writing. Current events texts can be paired with nearly any fictitious work to build students’ background knowledge, widen their world view, and yes, nudge them into broadening and deepening their writing lives.

5. Let them choose the adventure.

I know it’s not always possible to let students choose the type of writing they want to do, but when possible, it’s important to let them express themselves. This will definitely help them take ownership of their own work. Think about offering a menu so they have choices—for instance give options such as writing a poem, a chapter in their own memoir, song lyrics, a fictional short story, or even an informative nonfiction article using research (for your fact-loving students!). This will help students see that there are many ways to relate what they know.

Writing is hard, and for many students it can seem like an impossible feat that will never be conquered. However, having your own teacher arsenal of writing strategies and tools will help you lead your mighty army of authors to victory, time and time again. Now, go forth, and WRITE!

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5 Tips for Teaching the Writing Process in Middle School ELA

As middle school ELA teachers, we all want to work to empower our young writers. They often come to us a little shaky, a little unsure. Teaching students--SHOWING THEM--that writing is a process can help middle school writers to build confidence and skill. Ultimately, our job as ELA teachers is not to teach students to scaffold and support students to write a singular essay. Our job is to give students the tools to become WRITERS beyond our classrooms. That means giving students the tools to write well forever and ever.

How to get started:

1. Encourage students to record and store ideas for later.

I have a notes page on my phone--it's the one thing I take with me everywhere. When I get an idea or some inspiration, I record my idea before it leaves my brain. Teach students to do the same: give them a space, brainstorm tools for recording ideas, and give students TIME to write ideas, add pictures and quotes for inspiration, and let students know it's okay if they use the ideas they record--it's also okay not to use them. The idea-gathering phase of writing is the LOWEST stakes, so let kids have fun with it (and absolutely, positively do not grade, correct, or worry about grammar here!).

Encourage students to record ideas as they come to them. Model recording your own ideas. Model adding pictures, favorite quotes, and cool words to your idea bank. Help students to see that any inspiration could turn into a powerful piece of writing later on.

2. Model writing in front of your students and provide mentor texts.

Modeling and using mentor texts is the single most important thing you can do to help student writers. Think of your own writing process: when you wrote a cover letter to apply for your job, if you've ever written professionally, writing lesson plans--it is likely that you looked to models for help. Teach young writers to do the same.

The key is to provide LOTS of examples. Modeling not only allows students to see strong examples of writing, but it allows students to see that sometimes we mess up, sometimes we make mistakes and scrap all of our ideas and start over. Model successes, but also model those mistakes! Help students to SEE that writing is a messy, beautiful process.

Keep in mind a few things when choosing mentor texts. First, you do not have to do all the heavy lifting. Use published authors as inspiration. Analyze what authors do and encourage students to mimic that work. Second, you might feel vulnerable writing in front of your students. Let them know you feel this way! Writing IS a vulnerable space. We're putting ourselves on paper... PERMANENTLY. Model the process of working through the feelings behind writing and talk about how you work through those feelings in order to write successfully. Not only will this help your writers to write, it will also help build community where writing is SAFE and your writers don't feel alone.

3. Give students lots of time to brainstorm.

Beyond having an idea list, give students time to brainstorm ideas for specific writing pieces. Brainstorming is another low-stakes moment in the writing process that should not be graded or even judged--the goal is to generate ideas that will lead to authentic writing.

Freewriting is a student favorite. Set a five minute timer. Tell students to write without stopping with the writing topic in mind until the timer goes off. Encourage students not to worry about spelling, grammar, or punctuation, but instead to continue writing *no matter what*. If students get stuck, I tell them to write about being stuck.

Once again, for the best results, model freewriting in front of your students. I love to model freewriting where I write fast and messy. My kids laugh when I suddenly veer off topic and write in a new stream of conciousness. They love seeing me misspell, leave out punctuation, and forget capitalization all togther. Most importantly, I love showing them the magic of going back through when we're done and highlighting the ideas that come out of the mess. It might be just a single phrase or sentence that comes from a whole page of writing--but the idea is the end goal of brainstorming, and freewriting is a fun way to get there.

Other brainstorming ideas: write a list of ideas connected to the writing topic, answer the Big 6 questions about your writing topic (who, what, when, where, why, and how), create a mind map of related ideas connected in a series of lines and circles (see below), or let students get creative with their own brainstorming techniques which might include sketching ideas or simply combining techniques that work for them.

4. Show students that writing is not over when the draft is done.

We all have had that kid in our class who shouts, "I'M DONE!" when there is no way in the world they are actually done. I love helping this kid, and all my kids, to see that writing is never really done. Published novelists often find things they still want to rewrite in their stories. Writing lives and can continue improving FOREVER (dun, dun, dunnnnnnn!).

When students are getting close to the end of their drafts, show them the next steps--where the magic happens--editing and revising ideas. Editing is a simple grammar check. Checklists are a student's best friend. Give students checklists to help them know what to look for. I give my students checklists with reminders about comma rules, capitalization, homonyms, and other common errors I see in their writing.

Checklists also work well for revision. At the basic level, tell your students to identify their strongest ideas and build on these. Tell students to identify ideas that don't work and eliminate or fix these. At a deeper level, give students the rubric you plan on using to grade their work and have students color code the qualities outlined on the rubric with the qualties present in their own writing. If they find a color is not present, instruct students to add/fix their writing to include that element.

Last, conference as part of the revision process. Once students have exhausted their own resources, encourage them to meet with you or with a peer to review their writing together. When students conference, require that they read their own writing out loud to their partner as their partner records feedback. Reading writing out loud allows students to find errors they may have missed when reading in their head. It is the single most effective revision technique for writers!

5. Give students publishing opportunities.

I recently ran into a student I taught 19 years ago. He was with his fiance, and after introducing me, he turned to her and said, "Mrs. A is the one who helped me to get published!" That year, I found a random writing contest where the winners would be published in a young adult anthology. I encouraged my students to enter, and this student won! Clearly, the experience made an impact on him, and it felt special that something from our little 7th grade class was a story he shared with the people he loved.

Encourage students to enter their writing in local contests. Find contests online. Give students opportunties to publish in the classroom, the school library, or share their work with a local public library. Kids' writing deserves to be celebrated. Only students can tell their stories, and those stories matter. Let kids know that their work is valued beyond a grade.

Check out these awesome publishing opportunities for student writers!

The writing process helps to make writing a safe, encouraging space for writers. Working through the writing process together with lots of time, and modeling, and mistake-making, and feedback, and celebrating EMPOWERS our young writers. Helping middle school students learn the power of their words and stories is one of the most valuable things we can teach them.

Create an atmosphere for writing with these FREE writing process posters. Click here to download!

Posters pair perfectly with The Ultimate Writer's Notebook for Middle School ELA, a digital notebook with everything young writers need to master ALL of the writing standards including reference pages, terms, mentor texts, graphic organizers, outlines, drafting pages, revising and editing checklists, conferencing pages, reflection pages AND MORE! Check it out and happy teaching!

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Classroom Q&A

With larry ferlazzo.

In this EdWeek blog, an experiment in knowledge-gathering, Ferlazzo will address readers’ questions on classroom management, ELL instruction, lesson planning, and other issues facing teachers. Send your questions to [email protected]. Read more from this blog.

Four Strategies for Effective Writing Instruction

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(This is the first post in a two-part series.)

The new question-of-the-week is:

What is the single most effective instructional strategy you have used to teach writing?

Teaching and learning good writing can be a challenge to educators and students alike.

The topic is no stranger to this column—you can see many previous related posts at Writing Instruction .

But I don’t think any of us can get too much good instructional advice in this area.

Today, Jenny Vo, Michele Morgan, and Joy Hamm share wisdom gained from their teaching experience.

Before I turn over the column to them, though, I’d like to share my favorite tool(s).

Graphic organizers, including writing frames (which are basically more expansive sentence starters) and writing structures (which function more as guides and less as “fill-in-the-blanks”) are critical elements of my writing instruction.

You can see an example of how I incorporate them in my seven-week story-writing unit and in the adaptations I made in it for concurrent teaching.

You might also be interested in The Best Scaffolded Writing Frames For Students .

Now, to today’s guests:

‘Shared Writing’

Jenny Vo earned her B.A. in English from Rice University and her M.Ed. in educational leadership from Lamar University. She has worked with English-learners during all of her 24 years in education and is currently an ESL ISST in Katy ISD in Katy, Texas. Jenny is the president-elect of TexTESOL IV and works to advocate for all ELs:

The single most effective instructional strategy that I have used to teach writing is shared writing. Shared writing is when the teacher and students write collaboratively. In shared writing, the teacher is the primary holder of the pen, even though the process is a collaborative one. The teacher serves as the scribe, while also questioning and prompting the students.

The students engage in discussions with the teacher and their peers on what should be included in the text. Shared writing can be done with the whole class or as a small-group activity.

There are two reasons why I love using shared writing. One, it is a great opportunity for the teacher to model the structures and functions of different types of writing while also weaving in lessons on spelling, punctuation, and grammar.

It is a perfect activity to do at the beginning of the unit for a new genre. Use shared writing to introduce the students to the purpose of the genre. Model the writing process from beginning to end, taking the students from idea generation to planning to drafting to revising to publishing. As you are writing, make sure you refrain from making errors, as you want your finished product to serve as a high-quality model for the students to refer back to as they write independently.

Another reason why I love using shared writing is that it connects the writing process with oral language. As the students co-construct the writing piece with the teacher, they are orally expressing their ideas and listening to the ideas of their classmates. It gives them the opportunity to practice rehearsing what they are going to say before it is written down on paper. Shared writing gives the teacher many opportunities to encourage their quieter or more reluctant students to engage in the discussion with the types of questions the teacher asks.

Writing well is a skill that is developed over time with much practice. Shared writing allows students to engage in the writing process while observing the construction of a high-quality sample. It is a very effective instructional strategy used to teach writing.

‘Four Square’

Michele Morgan has been writing IEPs and behavior plans to help students be more successful for 17 years. She is a national-board-certified teacher, Utah Teacher Fellow with Hope Street Group, and a special education elementary new-teacher specialist with the Granite school district. Follow her @MicheleTMorgan1:

For many students, writing is the most dreaded part of the school day. Writing involves many complex processes that students have to engage in before they produce a product—they must determine what they will write about, they must organize their thoughts into a logical sequence, and they must do the actual writing, whether on a computer or by hand. Still they are not done—they must edit their writing and revise mistakes. With all of that, it’s no wonder that students struggle with writing assignments.

In my years working with elementary special education students, I have found that writing is the most difficult subject to teach. Not only do my students struggle with the writing process, but they often have the added difficulties of not knowing how to spell words and not understanding how to use punctuation correctly. That is why the single most effective strategy I use when teaching writing is the Four Square graphic organizer.

The Four Square instructional strategy was developed in 1999 by Judith S. Gould and Evan Jay Gould. When I first started teaching, a colleague allowed me to borrow the Goulds’ book about using the Four Square method, and I have used it ever since. The Four Square is a graphic organizer that students can make themselves when given a blank sheet of paper. They fold it into four squares and draw a box in the middle of the page. The genius of this instructional strategy is that it can be used by any student, in any grade level, for any writing assignment. These are some of the ways I have used this strategy successfully with my students:

* Writing sentences: Students can write the topic for the sentence in the middle box, and in each square, they can draw pictures of details they want to add to their writing.

* Writing paragraphs: Students write the topic sentence in the middle box. They write a sentence containing a supporting detail in three of the squares and they write a concluding sentence in the last square.

* Writing short essays: Students write what information goes in the topic paragraph in the middle box, then list details to include in supporting paragraphs in the squares.

When I gave students writing assignments, the first thing I had them do was create a Four Square. We did this so often that it became automatic. After filling in the Four Square, they wrote rough drafts by copying their work off of the graphic organizer and into the correct format, either on lined paper or in a Word document. This worked for all of my special education students!

I was able to modify tasks using the Four Square so that all of my students could participate, regardless of their disabilities. Even if they did not know what to write about, they knew how to start the assignment (which is often the hardest part of getting it done!) and they grew to be more confident in their writing abilities.

In addition, when it was time to take the high-stakes state writing tests at the end of the year, this was a strategy my students could use to help them do well on the tests. I was able to give them a sheet of blank paper, and they knew what to do with it. I have used many different curriculum materials and programs to teach writing in the last 16 years, but the Four Square is the one strategy that I have used with every writing assignment, no matter the grade level, because it is so effective.

‘Swift Structures’

Joy Hamm has taught 11 years in a variety of English-language settings, ranging from kindergarten to adult learners. The last few years working with middle and high school Newcomers and completing her M.Ed in TESOL have fostered stronger advocacy in her district and beyond:

A majority of secondary content assessments include open-ended essay questions. Many students falter (not just ELs) because they are unaware of how to quickly organize their thoughts into a cohesive argument. In fact, the WIDA CAN DO Descriptors list level 5 writing proficiency as “organizing details logically and cohesively.” Thus, the most effective cross-curricular secondary writing strategy I use with my intermediate LTELs (long-term English-learners) is what I call “Swift Structures.” This term simply means reading a prompt across any content area and quickly jotting down an outline to organize a strong response.

To implement Swift Structures, begin by displaying a prompt and modeling how to swiftly create a bubble map or outline beginning with a thesis/opinion, then connecting the three main topics, which are each supported by at least three details. Emphasize this is NOT the time for complete sentences, just bulleted words or phrases.

Once the outline is completed, show your ELs how easy it is to plug in transitions, expand the bullets into detailed sentences, and add a brief introduction and conclusion. After modeling and guided practice, set a 5-10 minute timer and have students practice independently. Swift Structures is one of my weekly bell ringers, so students build confidence and skill over time. It is best to start with easy prompts where students have preformed opinions and knowledge in order to focus their attention on the thesis-topics-supporting-details outline, not struggling with the rigor of a content prompt.

Here is one easy prompt example: “Should students be allowed to use their cellphones in class?”

Swift Structure outline:

Thesis - Students should be allowed to use cellphones because (1) higher engagement (2) learning tools/apps (3) gain 21st-century skills

Topic 1. Cellphones create higher engagement in students...

Details A. interactive (Flipgrid, Kahoot)

B. less tempted by distractions

C. teaches responsibility

Topic 2. Furthermore,...access to learning tools...

A. Google Translate description

B. language practice (Duolingo)

C. content tutorials (Kahn Academy)

Topic 3. In addition,...practice 21st-century skills…

Details A. prep for workforce

B. access to information

C. time-management support

This bare-bones outline is like the frame of a house. Get the structure right, and it’s easier to fill in the interior decorating (style, grammar), roof (introduction) and driveway (conclusion). Without the frame, the roof and walls will fall apart, and the reader is left confused by circuitous rubble.

Once LTELs have mastered creating simple Swift Structures in less than 10 minutes, it is time to introduce complex questions similar to prompts found on content assessments or essays. Students need to gain assurance that they can quickly and logically explain and justify their opinions on multiple content essays without freezing under pressure.

Thanks to Jenny, Michele, and Joy for their contributions!

Please feel free to leave a comment with your reactions to the topic or directly to anything that has been said in this post.

Consider contributing a question to be answered in a future post. You can send one to me at [email protected] . When you send it in, let me know if I can use your real name if it’s selected or if you’d prefer remaining anonymous and have a pseudonym in mind.

You can also contact me on Twitter at @Larryferlazzo .

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10 Tips for Teaching Personal Narrative Writing in Middle School ELA

One of my favorite middle school ELA writing activities for the beginning of the school year is a personal narrative essay . I find this assignment is a great way for us to learn a lot about who our students are – as writers, and as people! It’s a great way to build foundational relationships with new students and set everyone up for a positive year!

Here’s how I like to set up personal narrative essay writing in the classroom:

1. Teach about the Genre

To begin, I like to explore the idea of personal narrative writing . While many of our middle school ELA students have written other types of essays before, this is often the first time they encounter this the personal narrative writing genre. First, I like to ask students if they have ever heard of personal essays and guide a brief class discussion.

Personal narratives create a valuable opportunity for students to share relevant stories from their own lives. Usually, this type of writing is designed to provoke an emotional reaction. Often, they find that personal narratives can be one of the most enjoyable writing assignments in ELA class!

2. Help them Choose a Topic

I find that one of our students’ biggest roadblocks to writing a personal narrative essay is the fact they think they don’t have anything worthwhile to say!

When this inevitably happens, I like to remind them that personal narratives can encompass a broad range of topics. As they plan their writing, they can choose to write about a single event, or an overall experience. For example, they might like to highlight on a moment in time. Alternatively, they could focus on a single thing that spanned a number of years (developing a skill at swimming lessons or dance class, for example). Even the simplest story can make an excellent topic for a personal narrative essay, as long as it is presented in a powerful way.

I also like to emphasize that the most important part of a personal narrative is that the writing has a purpose. For example:

• A funny story might enlighten readers on a lesson learned the hard way.
• A scary story might serve as a warning or wake up call.
• A touching story might inspire others to be a better person or view the world from a different perspective.

Sometimes I even like to share one of my favorite quotes. The saying (which is often attributed to the Dalai Lama) goes, “If you think you’re too small to make a difference, try sleeping with a mosquito!” This usually reassures our middle school ELA students that we all have the ability to make a powerful impact!

If they are stuck…

If the class still seems stuck on choosing a topic, I like to set stations up around the room and break students into small groups. Next, I provide them with task card prompts at each station to get them thinking about their various life experiences that might make a good topic for a personal narrative essay.

When they arrive at each station, they read the card. Each member of the group briefly shares a story that relates to the prompt, and students take a few minutes to jot down a few possible ideas on their brainstorming sheet. As they move through the stations and repeat the process, they should generate a number of different ideas to consider.

When their sheet is full, I invite them to narrow down their choices by considering their answers to the following questions:

• What are you most inspired by or excited to write about? 
• What might be the most interesting for others to read? 
• Which topic can be told with a clear series of events and interesting details or enticing descriptions? 
• Which story has a thought-provoking message or point? 

3. Share Two Important Questions

As the class works through the brainstorming process, they need to also consider the fact that personal narrative essays are meant to be shared with others. I will read their work when I grade it, of course, and I also like to share and display students’ writing around my classroom.

With this in mind, I like to invite students to consider two questions before they get too deep into their initial draft:

• Am I comfortable sharing this story with others?
• Will people be able to relate to my experiences and what I learned?

When thinking about these questions, if the student cannot respond with an enthusiastic “yes” to both, it is time to go back to the brainstorming sheet and choose a different topic. But if their topic passes this important self-check, they can keep going!

4. Start With the End in Mind

Now, it’s time for students to step back and consider the purpose of their writing. In this section of the lesson , I encourage the middle school ELA class to think about the “heart” of the story. In other words, what do they want the audience to notice and consider as they read?

This is also an opportunity for students to consider their own purpose for writing. Some questions I like to ask are:

• Why do you want to share this story?
• What do you want people to feel as they read your personal narrative essay?
• What should the lasting impression of this story be on your reader?

5. Consider Your Audience

As part of the pre-planning process, I also like to remind middle schoolers of who their audience for this task will be. After all, personal stories should be shared with others!

I find that sometimes students approach an assignment from a different perspective depending on who will be reading their written work. This is why I like to make it very clear about the audience for their finished writing upfront.

There are many options for sharing students’ written work. Sometimes, after the essays are written, I have students sit and read them aloud to small groups of their peers. I also usually invite them to include their personal narratives in their portfolio of work from the year, which can be accessed by parents and guardians through an online portal. I may also keep a copy of their personal narratives to share with families during student-led conferences.

In some cases, a conversation with students about how they would like their words and ideas to be shared can be useful. They may surprise you with their own ideas. For example, they might like to post excerpts from their personal narratives to a blog, or even make them into a podcast! 

6. Plan Out Your Story Elements

Once you have addressed the issues of topic and audience, it’s time to consider the elements of a personal narrative.

Characters:

I like to emphasize that while the writer is the main character, a personal narrative essay usually involves other characters as well. When preparing to write, I invite students to consider:

• Who else is involved in the story or event?
• What are their character traits, and how will you show them through your writing?
• What is your relationship like with this person (or people?)

Once the characters are established, a next step for students is to consider the setting. For example, if location is important to the story, I might ask the class how they will convey a sense of place. 

Here, I find it helps to brainstorm sensory details to include. I like to ask the class about the weather, time of day, sounds (for example, birds chirping, crowds, rain on the roof) and other details. These can help add color to the overall scene.

During the lesson , I like to explain that most personal narratives include one of the four types of conflict. This is sometimes new information for my middle school ELA students! I find it helps to ask the following questions:

• Is there conflict between you and another person in the story? (person vs. person) 
• Are you struggling with some type of inner turmoil or struggling to make a decision? (person vs. self) 
• Are you in conflict with the natural elements? (person vs. environment)
• Are you challenging an element of government or society? (person vs. society)

7. Provide an Organizational Framework

As we discuss the organizational framework of a personal narrative essay, middle school ELA students usually notice similarities to traditional story writing. During this process, a graphic organizer can support them with their planning.

Planning the Beginning of the Essay:

I remind them that the beginning of their essay should provide a captivating hook, establishing the basic details of the story. This can include background information, as well as information about the characters and setting. Most importantly, I like to reinforce that this is where they need to establish themselves as the main character! Depending on the topic, the students might introduce the conflict in this section as well.

Planning the Middle of the Essay :

As they move on to the middle of the personal narrative, I like to tell middle school ELA students to dive even more deeply into the situation, problem, or event they are describing. This helps their reader connect with the story. To do this, I also like to invite them to consider the character’s experiences (how they were feeling and what they were thinking). Just like in traditional fiction, this is also the place to build to some kind of climax.

Planning the Conclusion of their Essay:

Finally, I have students consider how they plan to conclude their personal narrative writing ELA task. In this section, they will want to tie up any loose ends, and identify any key messages they want to leave with the reader. As they organize their ideas, I ask them to think about a few things: 

• What could the reader learn from your experience?
• Is there a moral or lesson the reader might consider in their own life?  
• Will your story leave the reader laughing, in tears, or ready to take action?  

One thing I emphasize is that students who are unfamiliar with personal narrative writing will probably want to stick quite closely to this planning format at first. As they become more comfortable with this type of writing task, they will gain more confidence in their own style, and take more creative risks.

8. Share Writing Strategies

Now it’s time for the fun part – the writing itself! Before my middle school ELA students write their essays in earnest, I offer a few tips to get them started.

First, I remind them to write their narrative essays in first person. After all, they’re telling their own stories! We discuss the idea of being “true to your voice” as a writer, and consider how the students wish to tell their personal stories. A humorous, witty, inspiring or sad story will all require a different tone – and whatever direction the student chooses to go in, the writing should be consistent.

Next, I like to offer a few tips about engaging the reader . Dialogue can add color and vibrancy to a personal narrative. Vivid imagery and sensory details can show, rather than tell, a sense of place or emotional connection. I love sharing the sample sentence, “Her face flushed to a shocking shade of red.” This is much more effective than, “She was embarrassed.”

9. Allow Time For Peer Editing

In my classroom, I like to leave a period or two for peer editing and revisions at the end of the writing process.

The first time, I encourage ELA students to read their personal narrative writing aloud. Or – even better – they can have a peer read their work back to them. This is a great starting point for finding mistakes or weak spots in the writing that need to be changed. The second time through, students can use a checklist to edit the work in sections and offer suggestions for improvement.

By breaking the editing process down into three key areas (grammar, content, and writing structure), I find students can keep their feedback constructive, focused and efficient. Finally, I leave time for the students to go over their writing again, making spelling and grammar corrections to ensure they turn in their best work.

10. Give Options for Sharing

It’s important to remember that each student has their own personal comfort level about sharing their work with a large group. A brief survey (either on paper or via Google Forms) is a great way to check in on students and find out how they would like to share their writing.

Here are some choices I like to offer:

• sharing their personal narrative essay through a pre-recorded podcast or video
• reading their essay in front of the class
• presenting their work to a small group of their peers
• booking a private meeting with me (usually at lunch) to go through their essay together

There you have it! I hope your middle school ELA students love writing personal narrative essays as much as mine do!

If you’re looking for more unique writing ideas for middle and high school, check out 5 Outside the Box Creative Writing Assignments in ELA !

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How to Teach Argument Writing Step-By-Step

No doubt, teaching argument writing to middle school students can be tricky. Even the word “argumentative” is off-putting, bringing to mind pointless bickering. But once I came up with argument writing lessons that were both fun and effective, I quickly saw the value in it. And so did my students.

You see, we teachers have an ace up our sleeve. It’s a known fact that from ages 11-14, kids love nothing more than to fire up a good ole battle royale with just about anybody within spitting distance.

Yup. So we’re going to use their powers of contradiction to OUR advantage by showing them how to use our argument writing lessons to power up their real-life persuasion skills. Your students will be knocking each other over in the hall to get to the room first!

I usually plan on taking about three weeks on the entire argument writing workshop. However, there are years when I’ve had to cut it down to two, and that works fine too.

Here are the step-by-step lessons I use to teach argument writing. It might be helpful to teachers who are new to teaching the argument, or to teachers who want to get back to the basics. If it seems formulaic, that’s because it is. In my experience, that’s the best way to get middle school students started.

Prior to Starting the Writer’s Workshop

A couple of weeks prior to starting your unit, assign some quick-write journal topics. I pick one current event topic a day, and I ask students to express their opinion about the topic.

Quick-writes get the kids thinking about what is going on in the world and makes choosing a topic easier later on.

Define Argumentative Writing

I’ll never forget the feeling of panic I had in 7th grade when my teacher told us to start writing an expository essay on snowstorms. How could I write an expository essay if I don’t even know what expository MEANS, I whined to my middle school self.

We can’t assume our students know or remember what argumentative writing is, even if we think they should know. So we have to tell them. Also, define claim and issue while you’re at it.

Establish Purpose

I always tell my students that learning to write an effective argument is key to learning critical thinking skills and is an important part of school AND real-life writing.

We start with a fictional scenario every kid in the history of kids can relate to.

ISSUE : a kid wants to stay up late to go to a party vs. AUDIENCE : the strict mom who likes to say no.

The “party” kid writes his mom a letter that starts with a thesis and a claim: I should be permitted to stay out late to attend the part for several reasons.

By going through this totally relatable scenario using a modified argumentative framework, I’m able to demonstrate the difference between persuasion and argument, the importance of data and factual evidence, and the value of a counterclaim and rebuttal.

Students love to debate whether or not strict mom should allow party kid to attend the party. More importantly, it’s a great way to introduce the art of the argument, because kids can see how they can use the skills to their personal advantage.

Persuasive Writing Differs From Argument Writing

At the middle school level, students need to understand persuasive and argument writing in a concrete way. Therefore, I keep it simple by explaining that both types of writing involve a claim. However, in persuasive writing, the supporting details are based on opinions, feelings, and emotions, while in argument writing the supporting details are based on researching factual evidence.

I give kids a few examples to see if they can tell the difference between argumentation and persuasion before we move on.

Argumentative Essay Terminology

In order to write a complete argumentative essay, students need to be familiar with some key terminology . Some teachers name the parts differently, so I try to give them more than one word if necessary:

• thesis statement
• bridge/warrant
• counterclaim/counterargument*
• turn-back/refutation

*If you follow Common Core Standards, the counterargument is not required for 6th-grade argument writing. All of the teachers in my school teach it anyway, and I’m thankful for that when the kids get to 7th grade.

Organizing the Argumentative Essay

I teach students how to write a step-by-step 5 paragraph argumentative essay consisting of the following:

• Introduction : Includes a lead/hook, background information about the topic, and a thesis statement that includes the claim.
• Body Paragraph #1 : Introduces the first reason that the claim is valid. Supports that reason with facts, examples, and/or data.
• Body Paragraph #2 : The second reason the claim is valid. Supporting evidence as above.
• Counterargument (Body Paragraph #3): Introduction of an opposing claim, then includes a turn-back to take the reader back to the original claim.
• Conclusion : Restates the thesis statement, summarizes the main idea, and contains a strong concluding statement that might be a call to action.

Mentor Texts

If we want students to write a certain way, we should provide high-quality mentor texts that are exact models of what we expect them to write.

I know a lot of teachers will use picture books or editorials that present arguments for this, and I can get behind that. But only if specific exemplary essays are also used, and this is why.

If I want to learn Italian cooking, I’m not going to just watch the Romanos enjoy a holiday feast on Everybody Loves Raymond . I need to slow it down and follow every little step my girl Lidia Bastianich makes.

The same goes for teaching argument writing. If we want students to write 5 paragraph essays, that’s what we should show them.

In fact, don’t just display those mentor texts like a museum piece. Dissect the heck out of those essays. Pull them apart like a Thanksgiving turkey. Disassemble the essay sentence by sentence and have the kids label the parts and reassemble them. This is how they will learn how to structure their own writing.

Also, encourage your detectives to evaluate the evidence. Ask students to make note of how the authors use anecdotes, statistics, and facts. Have them evaluate the evidence and whether or not the writer fully analyzes it and connects it to the claim.

This is absolutely the best way for kids to understand the purpose of each part of the essay.

Research Time

Most of my students are not very experienced with performing research when we do this unit, so I ease them into it. (Our “big” research unit comes later in the year with our feature article unit .)

I start them off by showing this short video on how to find reliable sources. We use data collection sheets and our school library’s database for research. There are also some awesome, kid-friendly research sites listed on the Ask a Tech Teacher Blog .

Step-By-Step Drafting

The bedrock of drafting is to start with a solid graphic organizer. I have to differentiate for my writers, and I’ve found they have the most success when I offer three types of graphic organizers.

1- Least Support: This is your standard graphic organizer. It labels each paragraph and has a dedicated section for each part of the paragraph.

2- Moderate Support: This one has labels and sections, but also includes sentence stems for each sentence in the paragraph.

3- Most Support: This one has labels and sections and also includes fill-in-the-blank sentence frames . It’s perfect for my emerging writers, and as I’ve mentioned previously, students do NOT need the frames for long and soon become competent and independent writers.

Writing the Introduction

The introduction has three parts and purposes.

First, it has a hook or lead. While it should be about the topic, it shouldn’t state the writer’s position on the topic. I encourage students to start with a quote by a famous person, an unusual detail, a statistic, or a fact.

Kids will often try to start with a question, but I discourage that unless their question also includes one of the other strategies. Otherwise, I end up with 100 essays that start with, “Do you like sharks?” Lol

Next, it’s time to introduce the issue. This is the background information that readers need in order to understand the controversy.

Last, students should state the claim in the thesis statement. I call it a promise to the reader that the essay will deliver by proving that the claim is valid.

Writing the Supporting Body Paragraphs

Each supporting body paragraph should start with a topic sentence that introduces the idea and states the reason why the claim is valid. The following sentences in the paragraph should support that reason with facts, examples, data, or expert opinions. The bridge is the sentence that connects that piece of evidence to the argument’s claim. The concluding sentence should restate the reason.

Writing the Counterclaim Paragraph

The counterclaim paragraph is a very important aspect of argument writing. It’s where we introduce an opposing argument and then confidently take the reader back to the original argument. I tell students that it’s necessary to “get in the head” of the person who might not agree with their claim, by predicting their objections.

It can be tough for kids to “flip the switch” on their own argument, so I like to practice this a bit. I give them several pairs of transitions that go together to form a counterclaim and rebuttal. I also switch up what I call this part so that they use the terminology interchangeably.

• It might seem that [ counterargument . ]However, [ turn-back .]
• Opponents may argue that [ counterargument .] Nevertheless, [ turn back .]
• A common argument against this position is [ counterargument .] Yet, [ turn-back .]

A great way for kids to practice this is to have them work with partners to write a few counterarguments together. I let them practice by giving them easy role-playing topics.

• Your cousins want to jump into a poison ivy grove for a TikTok challenge. Choose your position on this and write a counterargument and turn-back.
• Your friend wants to get a full-face tattoo of their boyfriend’s name. Choose your position on this and write a counterargument and turn-back.

This kind of practice makes the counterargument much more clear.

The concluding paragraph should remind the reader of what was argued in the essay and why it matters. It might also suggest solutions or further research that could be done on the topic. Or students can write a call to action that asks the reader to perform an action in regard to the information they’ve just learned.

My students write about local issues and then turn the essays into letters to our superintendent, school board, or state senators. It’s an amazing way to empower kids and to show them that their opinion matters. I’ve written about that here and I’ve included the sentence frames for the letters in my argumentative writing unit.

I hope this gives you a good overview of teaching argument writing. Please leave any questions below. Please also share your ideas, because we all need all the help we can give each other!

And one more thing. Don’t be surprised if parents start asking you to tone down the unit because it’s become harder to tell their kids why they can’t stay up late for parties. 🙂

Stay delicious!

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The Art of Teaching Essay Writing to Middle and High School Students

Are you a middle or high school teacher tasked with teaching essay writing to your students, do you want to ensure that your students become confident and proficient writers.

We have compiled some answers to the most commonly asked questions about teaching essay writing to middle and high school students.

What are the essential components of an essay, and how can I effectively teach them to students?

The essential components of an essay include an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. To teach these components effectively, break them down into smaller sections and provide examples of well-written essays. Teach students how to structure their essays by creating an outline before writing the first draft. For teaching basic essay components, check out our Essay Writing Basics Bundle

How can I help students develop and organize their ideas and arguments effectively?

To help students develop and organize their ideas and arguments effectively, start by teaching them how to brainstorm and create a mind map. Encourage them to group their ideas into categories and teach them how to order their thoughts logically. Also, show them how to use transitions to link their ideas and ensure a smooth flow throughout the essay.

How can I teach students to write clear and concise thesis statements that accurately reflect the main argument of their essay?

Teaching students how to write a clear and concise thesis statement is essential. Show them examples of good and bad thesis statements and teach them how to use precise language to convey their argument. Encourage them to avoid vague or general statements and ensure that their thesis statement is specific and relevant to their essay topic.

How can I encourage students to use evidence and examples to support their claims?

Encourage students to use evidence and examples to support their claims by teaching them how to research and gather information from reliable sources. Teach them how to analyze and evaluate their sources to determine their credibility. Encourage them to use quotes and statistics to support their arguments and ensure that they cite their sources properly.

How can I teach students to write effective introductions and conclusions?

Teaching students how to write effective introductions and conclusions is crucial. Encourage them to start their essay with a hook, such as a quote, anecdote, or a rhetorical question. Teach them how to write a clear thesis statement and preview the main points they will be discussing in their essay. For the conclusion, teach them to restate the thesis statement and summarize the main points of their essay.

How can I help students understand the importance of editing and revising their work?

Teach students to understand the importance of editing and revising their work by showing them examples of poorly written essays and the impact of careless mistakes. Encourage them to take breaks between writing and revising to help them see their work from a fresh perspective. Teach them how to proofread their work for grammar, punctuation, and spelling errors.

How can I provide feedback that is both constructive and helpful to students?

Provide feedback that is both constructive and helpful to students by focusing on specific areas that need improvement. Avoid criticism and instead provide suggestions for improvement. Use positive language and encourage students to take risks and experiment with their writing.

How can I differentiate instruction to meet the needs of students with different learning styles and abilities?

Differentiate instruction to meet the needs of students with different learning styles and abilities by using a variety of teaching methods. Incorporate visual aids, group work, and hands-on activities to engage students with different learning styles. Provide extra support and resources for students who need additional help.

How can I help students develop their own voice and style in their writing?

Help students develop their own voice and style in their writing by encouraging them to write about topics they are passionate about. Teach them to write in their own voice, using a tone that reflects their personality. Encourage them to experiment with different writing styles and techniques to help them find their own unique style.

How can I create assignments and assessments that accurately measure students' understanding of essay writing concepts and skills?

To create assignments and assessments that accurately measure students' understanding of essay writing concepts and skills, create rubrics that clearly define the expectations for the assignment. Provide students with clear instructions and expectations for the assignment. Assess their essays based on the essential components of an essay, including the thesis statement, evidence, organization, and writing style.

Teaching essay writing to middle and high school students can be a challenging task, but with the right strategies and techniques, you can help your students become confident and proficient writers.

By breaking down the essential components of an essay, teaching students how to develop and organize their ideas, and providing feedback that is both constructive and helpful, you can help your students master the art of essay writing.

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Planning Writing Lessons for the Early Elementary Grades

Teachers can provide thoughtful instruction that supports the sustained development of young students’ literacy skills.

Often, attempting to plan effective and purposeful writing instruction raises many questions: What does lesson planning look like? How will I manage so many students who may be in different stages of their writing? How often should they be editing and revising? The list doesn’t stop there.

By utilizing on-demand writing for assessment and long-range writing for scaffolded practice of applying various writing techniques, teachers can approach their instruction with intentional and tailored lessons that meet the needs of the learners in the classroom, as well as help students develop self-regulated behaviors when crafting a piece of text.

On-Demand Writing

Just like any area of instruction, assessment is critical for knowing what the students’ strengths and areas of growth are, and on-demand writing is how teachers can gather that evidence. An on-demand piece of writing simply means that the teacher provides a specific prompt for the student to write to for the purpose of anecdotal data. For example, let’s say a second-grade teacher prepares for a narrative writing cycle. In the first couple of days before the cycle begins, they’ll ask students to write a narrative about something fun they’ve experienced (with their family or a friend). 

After the prompt is given, students get one or two days to write and are provided with all necessary tools to carry out the process of developing a piece of writing without additional modeling or instruction. Effective tools might include graphic organizers, writing paper, tools for editing, and a writing checklist. However, the teacher will not model how to use the tools. The teacher is informally assessing if the students know how to use these resources to develop a story.

After students complete their piece, the teacher collects them for analysis. It is critically important to determine realistic expectations for what writing should look like throughout various points of the year, so creating a common rubric as a grade level is a great way to stay on the same page for analyzing the assessment. 

Writing growth, similar to reading, happens along a continuum of skills. At the beginning of the year, a second grader can’t be expected to write like an end-of-the-year second grader because they haven’t been taught the grade-level skills necessary to do so yet. On-demand benchmark assessments along the way will gradually raise the expectation of what that student should be able to do. Websites such as Reading Rockets and Achieve the Core provide useful anchor examples of real student writing in various genres that provide annotated explanations of students’ overall writing ability and possible next steps for instruction.

As students engage in daily lessons about crafting a narrative within the instructional cycle of a long-range writing piece, another on-demand prompt may be given at the halfway point of the cycle to track growth and drive future instruction. This could be the same prompt as before or a prompt given in response to a story or passage the student has read.  

It’s important to remember that it’s easy to fall into the trap of using writing prompts daily for students to produce writing simply because it’s easy to manage. If we use this approach exclusively, we rob our students of the opportunity to dive deeply into producing self-chosen, elaborate pieces full of voice and author’s craft.

Long-Range Writing

Long-range pieces give students the autonomy to choose their own writing topic while the teacher assists in walking them through the process. This type of instruction instills the executive-functioning behaviors needed when students are asked to write a piece on demand. When considering how to implement this type of writing instruction, it can be overwhelming. Breaking down long-range instruction using the following components allows for a more manageable approach.

Keep your lesson mini: A mini lesson is 15 to 20 minutes long and organized in a gradual release format, and it allows the teacher to model a specific, focused lesson. For example, narrative writing could be broken into the following mini lessons for a beginning-of-the-year cycle for second grade: introduce and describe a setting, introduce and describe the character, edit on the go (this means to stop and edit before we add more writing), describe the first event in the narrative, introduce a problem, etc. Essentially, each lesson will invite students to add to their story one chunk at a time.

Model, provide independent practice: The teacher begins by modeling one learning target using a well-crafted organizer . An effective organizer teaches students that each genre has a specific structure. As learners begin to recognize the pattern in text structure, they can replicate it when assessed in on-demand pieces. For example, the teacher can start by using a text that clearly introduces and describes the setting, and then read that page out loud and ask students what they notice about how the author introduced the setting.  

Next, students are invited to help the teacher write a setting to a story together by offering verbal suggestions. The teacher records the students’ ideas and writes an example introduction in the organizer. Then students think about an idea for an introduction of a setting on their own and are prompted to talk to a partner about their story. The students verbally rehearse what they plan to write, as this provides them an opportunity to organize their thoughts and prepares them to get started as soon as they are released to write independently, using the same organizer that the teacher used to model the mini lesson.  

The benefit of this approach is that it gives the teacher time to provide specific feedback over the same crafting element. Having every student write their complete thoughts directly in the organizer in a chunked manner allows for a better visual of where to correct capitalization and punctuation. Essentially, each lesson should invite students to write one or two complete sentences that can be quickly edited before adding the next part of the story.  

Share and reflect: Close each lesson by bringing students back together so that they have an opportunity to share what they’ve produced. This time celebrates students’ creativity, as well as giving them an opportunity to reflect on how they can improve their writing.   

Both on-demand writing and long-range writing are vital in developing confident writers across various genres. It’s important to approach them with a cyclical scope and sequence that allows students to learn the craft, structure, and development of narrative, informative, and opinion styles of writing. By scaffolding and supporting students’ growth in each genre of writing, learners will begin to automatically apply these techniques more independently as the year progresses because of the solid foundation that has been built. 

Bell Ringers

3 types of essays your middle schoolers need to practice.

Writing can be a real headache for ELA teachers. Writing is layered with skills – from grammar to analysis – so it’s not a walk in the park for teachers or students. It’s really common for students to struggle to apply what they’ve learned, think deeply and critically, and write independently. There are several types of essays that middle schoolers need to learn, but if the thought of teaching them makes you want to run for the hills, stick with me. We’re going to talk about three different types of essays middle schoolers need to practice, and I’ll share some resources to help you out.

Types of Essays for Middle Schoolers

There are various types of essays out there, but there are three types I want to specifically look at: argumentative, literary analysis, and narrative. These types of essays cover both creative and critical thinking – and help push literary skills to the next level.

Argumentative Writing

Writing argumentative essays requires that students know how to defend a stance. Students are great at taking stances, but defending them requires deeper thinking.

When writing an argumentative essay, there are a few key things students need to know. To start, students need to be able to select a topic and take a position on that topic (or they can take a position on a topic assigned to them). Students will also brainstorm a list of logical reasons to support their stance, use clear and convincing evidence to support their points, and share counterclaims. 

Of course, that’s where things get tricky. Students really struggle to build solid arguments and find great evidence. Inside the Argumentative Writing Booklet, I included information about credible sources, logical reasonings, and relevant evidence. I referred to these a lot when in the classroom, and it’s likely you’ll need to teach them over (and then over again).

Another important part of an argumentative essay is counterclaims. This requires that students step into someone else’s shoes and think about how someone could break down their stance. Inside the Argumentative Writing Booklet, I included some key points for students to remember about counterclaims and sentence starters to help with essay writing.

If you are looking for a resource to make the process of teaching students to write argumentative essays a total breeze, check out my free Argumentative Student Reference Booklet! Inside, you’ll find reference pages for –

❤️ how to craft an argument

❤️ the elements of writing an argumentative essay

❤️ writing a counterclaim

❤️ the types of credible sources

❤️ how to ensure you are using logical reasons

❤️ and more!

Literary Analysis

Another important skill for middle schoolers is learning how to write a literary analysis essay . Literary analysis goes much deeper than just a simple summary. In fact, when writing a literary analysis essay, students can make an argument, dig deep into specific literary elements, or explore a theory they have about the text. 

In order to know how to write a literary analysis essay, students need to know how to analyze a text and find evidence to support their analysis. (I know, it’s easier said than done.) For example, students might notice a frequent symbol or craft that the author uses and decide to explore what it means or its purpose. Inside the Literary Analysis Booklet, I included pages on symbolism and author’s craft as a jumping-off point for students to brainstorm and analyze.

Another area I’ve seen students struggle with is the thesis statement. Because students often want to write literary analysis like a summary, they get stuck here. In the Literary Analysis Booklet, I give examples of thesis statements, along with a thesis formula and mistakes to avoid.

If the thought of teaching how to write a literary analysis essay is overwhelming to you, check out the Literary Analysis freebie! Inside, you’ll find –

❤️ summarizing vs. analyzing

❤️ literary analysis elements

❤️ how to annotate literature

❤️ in-depth overview of author’s craft

❤️ thesis statement guide

Narrative Writing

The final type of essay I want to focus on is narrative writing . Learning to write narrative essays is the way that students become really comfortable with their own storytelling voice. Personal narratives are often some of the first writing exposure students have in elementary school. As students get older, it’s tossed to the side for more analytical writing. Narrative essays provide the perfect opportunity for students to practice skills like adding details, vocabulary, and imagery. It allows them to give a touch of their personality and imagination.

One big perk to narrative writing is that you’ll have tons of examples to pull from. You can easily slip it alongside your reading unit. Students can use a book club or whole class text as an example of narrative writing – and then try to create their own.

My favorite part of narrative writing is that it reinforces what students have learned in their reading units. They will have to understand the plot and how a plot unfolds. This also involves students dipping into author’s craft by choosing a point of view, using figurative language, and developing character motives. It also means creating believable characters and dialogue. It can be tougher than it might first appear!

In my Narrative Writing Reference Booklet freebie, I’ve included all the foundation information students would need + examples of narrative essays for students to refer to. Inside the freebie, you’ll find –

❤️ elements of narrative writing

❤️ developing the plot of narrative writing

❤️ sensory details + examples

❤️ how to use dialogue

❤️ ways to start and end narrative writing + examples

I know that essay writing can be a head-banging experience (for both you and your students). My hope is that with the Writing Toolkit, you can make it easier for students to write independently and build a strong foundation for writing.

• Read more about: Middle School Writing

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