Are you looking for a fabulous collection of released writing prompts from state writing assessments? Would 114 PAGES of these released writing prompts be enough? If so, you have landed on the right page! Below you will find the finest collection of released writing prompts available. Nearly all the prompts are appropriate for elementary and middle school students, and there are quite a few designed specifically for high school students.

You may also enjoy reading: “Writing Prompt Structure and Keywords for State Writing Tests” and “Elementary Writing Samples, Middle School Writing Examples, Sample Essays.” If you are looking to improve student writing FAST, be sure to check out the “Pattern Based Writing: Quick and Easy Essay” page.

What types of writing are students asked to write on state writing tests? What types of prompts will you find in the collections below? 

On state writing tests you will find descriptive, expository, persuasive, informative, narrative, imaginative, summarize, and response to literature writing prompts. In the collections of released writing prompts below, you will find examples of all of these different types of writing prompts. (Note: You will not find many examples of “summarize” and “respond to literature” prompts. These types of prompts are built around a reading passage connected to the prompt. As such, I have included a few examples of these types of prompts at the bottom of this page.)

What is The Value and Benefit of Released Writing Prompts?

The value and benefit of these writing prompts can be far-reaching. Spending just a little time dissecting and analyzing these released writing prompts will have a very large payoff. The truth of writing assessments is that many students are off track before they even place their pencil on the paper. Many students completely miss the mark on what they are supposed to write. They write about what they thought they were supposed to write about, or they write about what they wish they had been asked to write about. It is SO FRUSTRATING to see good writers miss the purpose and intent behind a writing prompt and get a poor score.

In other words, these released writing prompts from state writing assessments have more benefit than simply providing interesting topics to write about. (Once again, be sure to read “Writing Prompt Structure and Keywords for State Writing Tests.” As well, check back for upcoming posts dealing with state writing assessments.)

Directions: Open up a second browser and copy and paste the links below into your address bar.

Collection 1: The first collection comes from a very good book called Blowing Away the State Writing Assessment Test. You can find the released writing prompts section of this book on the internet in PDF format (follow the link below.) You can buy the complete book used for $2 + shipping on Amazon. It’s a great deal and you will find at least a few ideas that will help you understand state writing assessments. This collection of writing prompts is 33 PAGES. These prompts are designed for elementary, middle, and high school students.

http://educationnorthwest.org/webfm_send/664   (copy and paste the link into your browser)

Collection 2: If you teach 3rd-5th grade, you are going to love this collection! This collection is from Florida’s fourth grade writing assessment, the FCAT. It’s just four pages, but it contains many, many excellent narrative, expository, and persuasive writing prompts.

http://www.putnamschools.org/departments/title1/FCAT_Sec_Prompts.doc   (This is a Word .doc, so you will be asked to save it. Remember, copy and paste the link into your browser.)

Collection 3: Here is another fabulous collection from the Pennsylvania Department of Education. It’s 47 PAGES and has released writing prompts from the sixth grade, ninth grade, and eleventh grade writing assessments.

http://www.chambersburg.k12.pa.us/curric/K-12%20Curriculum%20CD/Language%20Arts/Resources/Writing.Asses.Rel.Writing.Prompts.pdf   (copy and paste the link into your browser)

Collection 4: Here are released prompts from the California Writing Standards Test for Fourth Grade. It’s 12 pages.

http://k6englishlanguagearts.rusd.k12.ca.us/Documents/Reading-Writing%20Workshop/Grade%204%20Theme%204%20Writing-%20CST%20Prep.pdf   (copy and paste the link into your browser)

Collection 5: Here is a collection from Oregon. It’s 10 pages and includes prompts for elementary, middle, and high school students.

http://www.ode.state.or.us/wma/teachlearn/testing/samples/2009_10/writing_sampleprompts_2009.pdf   (copy and paste the link into your browser)

Collection 6: Here is a collection just for high school students. It’s from the Georgia High School Writing Test and it’s 7 pages.

http://www.doe.k12.ga.us/DMGetDocument.aspx/GHSWT%20Released%20Prompts.pdf?p=6CC6799F8C1371F6778017113C51AA891E0791CED9D2C650F3271928E7627F14&Type=D   (copy and paste the ENTIRE link into your browser)

Summarize and Respond to Literature Prompts

Once again, you will not find many of these types of prompts in any of the collections above. As such, I wanted to give a few examples of what they look like.

Respond to Literature Example Prompts

• Read the story. What message about life is the author trying to communicate to the reader? Be sure to use specific examples from the story to support your answer.

• Based on the story “Down and Out, but Not Done,” how can the reader tell that life during the Great Depression was a struggle? Use specific examples from the passage to support your answer.

• Do you think “Time for Tea and Crumpets” is a good title for this story? Why or why not? Be sure to use details from the story to support your answer.

Write a Summary Example Prompt

Write a summary of the article. Be sure to:

• state the main idea or ideas of the article
• tell the important details that support the main idea
• use your own words when writing your summary .

Important Note: Good writing prompts are not a substitute for effective writing instruction, so here is a plan for writing success. First, download these writing prompts and then immediately check out “Pattern Based Writing: Quick and Easy Essay.” Every day more and more teachers are discovering how much quicker and how much easier teaching writing is once they understand Pattern Based Writing!

Most writing prompts across all of the 50 states look very much alike. They have a similar structure, they use similar language, and they involve similar situations. While it’s true that writing prompts do change across grade levels, it’s also true that fourth grade writing prompts looks quite similar to high school writing prompts. In fact, the “writing situation” may be exactly the same, but with more complex language and writing requirements for high school students.

After learning some tips and tricks regarding the writing prompts found on state writing assessments, be sure to get 114 pages of free State Testing Released Writing Prompts here. Also, if you are looking to bring about true writing success for elementary students or struggling middle school writers, be sure to check out the “Pattern Based Writing: Quick and Easy Essay” page.

State writing assessments usually ask for one of these eight types of writing:

1) Narrative (A realistic story or an imaginative story)

2) Expository (Explain + Inform = Expository)

3) Persuasive (This is expository writing with an agenda.)

4) Inform (The facts… just the facts!)

5) Imaginative (This is actually a narrative.)

6) Descriptive (Descriptive writing tasks are less common than the above types of writing.)

7) Summarize (Read a passage and then summarize what you have read.)

8) Respond to Literature (Read a passage and then answer the question using evidence from the text. This kind of writing is usually a little bit expository and a little bit persuasive.)

Note: In the collections of released writing prompts mentioned above, there are few examples of prompts for “Summarize” and “Respond to Literature.” As such, I have provides a couple samples of these prompts at the bottom of this page.

Prompt Length and Structure

Most state writing prompts will be two or three sentences. (This is especially true in elementary school.) Even though the prompts are quite short, they are often written in multi-paragraph form. Each sentence is written in a separate paragraph. In other words, each sentence will be written on a separate line.

Naturally, the wording and the requirements of the writing tasks get a little more complex with each grade. That being said, most prompts can be used across many different grades with only slight modifications to the language of the prompt.

The Two Parts of the Writing Prompt

Most writing prompts contain two parts. These two parts are:

1. The writing situation – The writing situation gives a little background on the topic that students will be writing about. Example: Many people own pets.

2. The writing task – The writing task contains the specific directions. These directions will often include keywords that identify the “mode of writing” being asked for. Example: Write a persuasive essay convincing your principal to extend recess time.

Some states have short 1-2 sentence prompts, while other states have longer 5-8 sentence prompts. Here is a fourth grade writing prompt from the Kentucky state writing assessment. It is six sentences, which is quite long for a fourth grade writing prompt. Kentucky seems to have longer prompts than most states. (Note: Even in high school, few writing prompts are longer than 6-8 sentences.)

Example: Kentucky – 4th Grade Writing Prompt (6 sentences)

Situation: The local newspaper is having a “Good Friend” contest.  To enter your friend, you must think of an event in your life when your friend did something with you or for you that showed what a terrific friend he or she is.

Writing Task: Select your friend.  (Remember, a friend could be a child your age or a grownup.)  Choose an event that shows how your friend is a good friend to you.  Write a letter to the newspaper that tells about that event so that people will know why your friend deserves to win.

Keywords for Writing Prompts

As mentioned, most writing prompts have a similar structure and use similar language. As such, certain words will be found in most every writing prompt. These words are almost always performing the same job. For example, if you see the word “principal” in a writing prompt, you can be 99% sure it is going to be a persuasive writing task.

We all know that keywords are often used to trick students, so don’t read too much into them. However, at least one of the keywords below will be found in most every prompt. It is worthwhile to point out these types of words and phrases and have students learn to spot them.

Writing Situation Keywords

• Imagine one day (Narrative)
• Imagine that (Narrative)
• Imagine you have (Narrative)
• Think about (Narrative or Expository)
• Think of someone (Inform or Expository)
• Think of a time (Narrative)
• What is your favorite (Expository)
• Your school principal is considering (Persuasive)
• Your school has some (Persuasive)
• Your school is (Persuasive)
• It is important that people (Persuasive)
• Sometimes classrooms (Narrative or Expository)
• You suddenly realize (Narrative)
• Pretend that (Narrative)
• Have you ever (Narrative)
• Everyone has a favorite (Inform or Persuasive)
• Your school newspaper is (Persuasive)
• Your parents want to (Persuasive)
• If you could be (Narrative or Expository)
• Select a (Inform)
• Identify a (Inform)
• Most people (Inform)
• Many public places do not permit (Persuasive)
• Do you agree or disagree? (Persuasive)
• Suppose that you (Narrative)
• Most students have a (Expository)
• Everyone enjoys (Expository)
• Think about the kinds (Inform)
• You have been named (Narrative)
• Your principal (Persuasive)
• The students at your school (Persuasive)
• Based on the story (Respond to Literature)

Writing Task / Writing Directions Keywords

• Write a story (Narrative)
• Describe it (Descriptive)
• Your assignment is Write about this person (Inform or Expository)
• Write to explain why (Expository)
• Explain what animal (Expository)
• Make up a story (Narrative) Tell a true story (Narrative)
• Explain the (Expository)
• Write an article for (Inform or Expository)
• Write a persuasive letter (Persuasive)
• Write a narrative about (Narrative)
• Write to persuade your classmates (Persuasive)
• Write a letter to (Persuasive)
• Write a persuasive essay (Persuasive)
• Write a speech to convince (Persuasive)
• Urge your readers (Persuasive)
• From your own experience, tell about (Narrative)

Intended Complexity and Confusion

Memorizing keywords is rarely a good use of time. State tests are usually sophisticated enough to discourage these types of shortcuts. For example, narrative writing prompts often use the word “imagine,” however, many other kinds of prompts also use that word as a set up for the situation.

Example: Imagine you have just been elected class president. Write a letter to your fellow students urging them to keep the schoolyard clean.

This example shows a persuasive writing task, yet uses the word “imagine” in describing the situation. Many students associate the word “imagine” with a story. One can be sure the wording is no accident.

Another monkey wrench thrown at students is that writing prompts in state writing tests often have students write for a transactive purpose. A transactive purpose is authentic writing with a real-world purpose.

For example, many state writing tests require students to write a letter to someone or write an article for the school newspaper. (Note: The prompt above asks students to write a persuasive letter. Many teachers may teach letter writing and they may teach persuasive writing, however, it never occurred to them to have students write a persuasive letter. Of course, it shouldn’t make a difference, yet it does.) Transactive purpose!

Response to Literature and Summarize Writing Prompts

As promised, here are a few examples of “respond to literature” and “summarize” writing prompts. Be sure to get the 114 pages of State Testing Released Writing Prompts here. Once again, you won’t find many examples of “respond to literature” and “summarize” writing prompts even in those 114 pages.

Respond to Literature Prompts

Here are three examples:

1) Read the story. What lesson does the author want the reader to learn? Be sure to use specific examples from the passage to support your answer.

2) Based on the story “When the Tiger Comes Home to Roost,” how can the reader tell that life in the jungle is dangerous? Use specific examples from the passage to support your answer.

3) Do you think “The Most Important Question” is a good title for this story? Why or why not? Use details from the story to support your answer.

Write a Summary Prompt

Write a summary of the article. Be sure to:

• state the main idea or ideas of the article
• tell the important details that support the main idea
• use your own words when writing your summary .

If you want your students to be prepared for state testing – this year and every year – check out Pattern Based Writing: Writing Success for Elementary and Middle School Students!

If you plant writing success in the fall, you will have a mighty spring harvest! (One can plant in the fall and harvest in the spring? Absolutely!)

Autumn Cause and Effect Essay

• Leaves change color in fall. What makes the leaves change color? What effects do the colorful leaves have on the tree, on the environment, and on people?
• The amount of daily sunlight decreases during autumn. What are the causes of this? What are its effects?
• Some students go to summer school – what effect does this have on students once school starts up again in fall?
• The weather changes in fall. How does it change? How does this affect the way people dress? Does the change in weather also affect people’s moods?
• Kids are back in school during the fall – what effect does this have on family life?
• Some people get depressed in autumn. It’s called Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). What are some of the causes of SAD? What are its effects?
• Because of daylight savings time clocks are set back one hour in the fall. Why do we do this? What effect does this have?

Autumn Persuasive Essay   

• Fall is the beginning of school – kids need to get focused and put summer daydreams behind them.
• There is an old fashion mantra that says one should not wear white after Labor Day (the first Monday in September). Persuade others that this rule of thumb is what keeps the human race civilized… or that it is an outdated way of thinking and must be abolished!
• We set our clocks back one hour in the fall (we fall back one hour). Persuade others that we must stop this disruption to our lives; or that this “falling back” has great benefit.
• There is no debate about this: fall is the best season of the year… or the worst season of the year.
• Having two names for one season (fall and autumn) is confusing. We should simply change the season’s name to “football season!”
• The new TV season begins in fall. Write a persuasive essay for or against television.

Autumn Compare and Contrast Essay

• Fall contains the end of baseball season and the beginning of football season. Compare and contrast the end of baseball season with the beginning of football season.
• In farming, one plants in the spring and harvests in the fall. In school, one plants in the fall and harvests in the spring.  Compare and contrast these.
• Fall weather is different in different parts of the country – compare the fall weather where you live to the fall weather in a different part of the county.
• Autumn in the Northern Hemisphere vs. Autumn in the Southern Hemisphere.
• Fall is considered the opposite of spring. Compare and contrast these two seasons.
• Fall vs. Autumn – What’s the Deal?

Autumn Process Essay or How-To Essay

• How to prepare for colder weather on the way.
• Explain to others how to implement excellent learning habit early in the year so that they will reap a wonderful harvest full of rewards in the spring.
• How are kids supposed to have any fun? There are less hours of daylight in the fall compared to summer. Additionally, kids are back in school. Learn how to have fun in the fall.
• How to harvest a crop.

Autumn Informational Essay

• Many activities are connected to specific seasons of the year. What are some interesting and fun fall activities that you participate in?
• The science of autumn – everything you ever wanted to know about autumn.
• Autumn leaves special report – the real truth!
• The seasons in the Northern and Southern Hemisphere are reversed. Explain why this is so.
• Fall holidays: the good, the bad, and the ugly.

Autumn Story Ideas

• Falling Up: The Year Autumn was Spring
• The Lazy Squirrel Who Gathered No Nuts
• Fall: The Beginning of the End
• The World’s Most Persistent Little Flower
• Leaves Revolt!
• Raining Leaves All Day Long
• A Fall Harvest Gone Bad!
• The Little Apple Who Wouldn’t Fall
• Johnny Appleseed had a Brother? Johnny Pumpkin Seed?

Autumn Descriptive Essay

• Describe the first rainfall of fall.
• Describe the day-by-day change from summer into fall.
• Do a Google search for “fall pictures” and describe what you see. (You will be amazed!) Use your imagination and all five senses to make fall come alive.

Autumn Five-Paragraph Essay

• Three things you don’t know about autumn.
• Three autumn activities.
• Three crops that are harvested in fall.
• Back to school, the apple festival, and Thanksgiving – Fall is Fabulous!

Autumn Narrative/ Personal Narrative Essay

• Fall harvest on the farm…
• An apple’s journey from bud to fall harvest.
• Fall reflections on my journey through life.
• Picking fresh ripe apples straight off the tree…
• Fall holiday stories and tales.
• Grandma’s journey into the autumn of life.

Autumn Response to Literature

• Analyze and respond to some of the autumn poems found here: Autumn Poems for Kids

In this collection you will find:

• A Song of the Woods by Winifred Sackville Stoner, Jr.
• A Fall Song by Ellen Robena Field
• Autumn Fires by Robert Louis Stevenson
• Autumn, Queen of Year by Winifred Sackville Stoner, Jr.
• Down to Sleep by Helen Hunt Jackson
• Farewell to the Farm by Robert Louis Stevenson
• How the Leaves Came Down by Susan Coolidge
• November by Alice Cary
• November Morning by Evaleen Stein
• September by Helen Hunt Jackson
• October’s Bright Blue Weather by Helen Hunt Jackson
• The Huskers by John Greenleaf Whittier
• “After Apple-Picking” by Robert Frost
• The Migration of the Grey Squirrels by William Howitt

A Song of the Woods

by Winifred Sackville Stoner, Jr. (1902–1983) (Written between age five and twelve.)

“My leaves are turning crimson,” the giant oak tree said,
“It’s almost time these children should seek their winter’s bed,
But how they still cling to me and gleam with crimson hue,
They truly are more lovely than cirrus clouds of blue.

“And now throughout the forest – list! hear their voices ring,
But ’tis in tones of sadness and sighing they now sing -
‘Alas! ’tis gone, fair summer, and winter’s reign is near,
He cruelly strips the forest of all her summer cheer
By killing all her lovely leaves and likewise flowers gay
And driving all her fairy folk to homes of far away.’”

A Fall Song

by Ellen Robena Field (published 1894)

Golden and red trees
Nod to the soft breeze,
As it whispers, “Winter is near;”
And the brown nuts fall
At the wind’s loud call,
For this is the Fall of the year.

Good-by, sweet flowers!
Through bright Summer hours
You have filled our hearts with cheer
We shall miss you so,
And yet you must go,
For this is the Fall of the year.

Now the days grow cold,
As the year grows old,
And the meadows are brown and sere;
Brave robin redbreast
Has gone from his nest,
For this is the Fall of the year.

I do softly pray
At the close of day,
That the little children, so dear,
May as purely grow
As the fleecy snow
That follows the Fall of the year.

Autumn Fires

by Robert Louis Stevenson (1850–1894)

In the other gardens
And all up the vale,
From the autumn bonfires
See the smoke trail!

Pleasant summer over
And all the summer flowers,
The red fire blazes,
The grey smoke towers.

Sing a song of seasons!
Something bright in all!
Flowers in the summer,
Fires in the fall!

Autumn, Queen of Year

by Winifred Sackville Stoner, Jr. (1902–1983) (Written between age five and twelve.)

When the pumpkins are so yellow
And the vines with grapes abound,
When the melons are so mellow
And the nuts fall to the ground;
When persimmons lose their bitters,
And the apples are so red;
When we love to eat corn fritters
Since the roasting ears have fled;
When vacation days are over
And the children go to school,
They no longer play in clover,
But much learn “Arithmos-rule,”
When weird Hallowe’en’s most naughty elves
With gnomes and sprites appear,
While fat Thanksgiving fills the shelves -
‘Tis AUTUMN, QUEEN OF YEAR.

Down to Sleep

by Helen Hunt Jackson (1830 – 1885)

November woods are bare and still;
November days are clear and bright;
Each noon burns up the morning’s chill;
The morning’s snow is gone by night.
Each day my steps grow slow, grow light,
As through the woods I reverent creep,
Watching all things lie “down to sleep.”

I never knew before what beds,
Fragrant to smell, and soft to touch,
The forest sifts and shapes and spreads;
I never knew before how much
Of human sound there is in such
Low tones as through the forest sweep,
When all wild things lie “down to sleep.”

Each day I find new coverlids
Tucked in, and more sweet eyes shut tight;
Sometimes the viewless mother bids
Her ferns kneel down full in my sight;
I hear their chorus of “good-night”;
And half I smile, and half I weep,
Listening while they lie “down to sleep.”

November woods are bare and still;
November days are bright and good;
Life’s noon burns up life’s morning chill;
Life’s night rests feet which long have stood;
Some warm soft bed, in field or wood,
The mother will not fail to keep,
Where we can “lay us down to sleep.”

Farewell to the Farm

 by Robert Louis Stevenson (1850–1894)

The coach is at the door at last;
The eager children, mounting fast
And kissing hands, in chorus sing:
Good-bye, good-bye, to everything!

To house and garden, field and lawn,
The meadow-gates we swang upon,
To pump and stable, tree and swing,
Good-bye, good-bye, to everything!

And fare you well for evermore,
O ladder at the hayloft door,
O hayloft where the cobwebs cling,
Good-bye, good-bye, to everything!

Crack goes the whip, and off we go;
The trees and houses smaller grow;
Last, round the woody turn we sing:
Good-bye, good-bye, to everything!

How the Leaves Came Down

by Susan Coolidge (1835 – 1905)

“I’ll tell you how the leaves came down,”
The great tree to his children said,
“You’re getting sleepy, Yellow and Brown,
Yes, very sleepy, little Red.
It is quite time to go to bed.”

“Ah!” begged each silly, pouting leaf,
“Let us a little longer stay;
Dear Father Tree, behold our grief;
Tis such a very pleasant day
We do not want to go away.”

So, for just one more merry day
To the great tree the leaflets clung,
Frolicked and danced, and had their way,
Upon the autumn breezes swung,
Whispering all their sports among,–

“Perhaps the great tree will forget,
And let us stay until the spring,
If we all beg, and coax, and fret.”
But the great tree did no such thing;
He smiled to hear their whispering.

“Come, children, all to bed,” he cried;
And ere the leaves could urge their prayer,
He shook his head, and far and wide,
Fluttering and rustling everywhere,
Down sped the leaflets through the air.

I saw them; on the ground they lay,
Golden and red, a huddled swarm,
Waiting till one from far away,
White bedclothes heaped upon her arm,
Should come to wrap them safe and warm.

The great bare tree looked down and smiled,
“Good-night, dear little leaves,” he said.
And from below each sleepy child
Replied, “Good-night,” and murmured,
“It is so nice to go to bed!”

November

by Alice Cary (1820 – 1871)

The leaves are fading and falling;
The winds are rough and wild;
The birds have ceased their calling–
But let me tell you, my child,

Though day by day, as it closes,
Doth darker and colder grow,
The roots of the bright red roses
Will keep alive in the snow.

And when the winter is over,
The boughs will get new leaves,
The quail come back to the clover,
And the swallow back to the eaves.

The robin will wear on his bosom
A vest that is bright and new,
And the loveliest wayside blossom
Will shine with the sun and dew.

The leaves today are whirling;
The brooks are all dry and dumb–
But let me tell you, my darling,
The spring will be sure to come.

There must be rough, cold weather,
And winds and rains so wild;
Not all good things together
Come to us here, my child.

So, when some dear joy loses
Its beauteous summer glow,
Think how the roots of the roses
Are kept alive in the snow.

November Morning

by Evaleen Stein (1863 – 1923)

A tingling, misty marvel
Blew hither in the night,
And now the little peach-trees
Are clasped in frozen light.

Upon the apple branches
An icy film is caught,
With trailing threads of gossamer
In pearly patterns wrought.

The autumn sun, in wonder,
Is gayly peering through
This silver tissued network
Across the frosty blue.

The weather vane is fire tipped,
The honeysuckle shows
A dazzling icy splendor,
And crystal is the rose.

Around the eaves are fringes
Of icicles that seem
To mock the summer rainbows
With many colored gleam.

Along the walk, the pebbles
Are each a precious stone;
The grass is tasseled hoarfrost,
The clover jewel sown.

Such sparkle, sparkle, sparkle
Fills all the frosty air,
Oh, can it be that darkness
Is ever anywhere!

September

by Helen Hunt Jackson (1831 – 1885)

The goldenrod is yellow;
The corn is turning brown;
The trees in apple orchards
With fruit are bending down.

The gentian’s bluest fringes
Are curling in the sun;
In dusky pods the milkweed
Its hidden silk has spun.

The sedges flaunt their harvest
In every meadow-nook;
And asters by the brookside
Make asters in the brook.

From dewy lanes at morning
The grapes’ sweet odors rise;
At noon the roads all flutter
With yellow butterflies.

By all these lovely tokens
September days are here,
With summer’s best of weather,
And autumn’s best of cheer.

October’s Bright Blue Weather

by Helen Hunt Jackson (1831 – 1885)

O sun and skies and clouds of June
And flowers of June together,
Ye cannot rival for one hour
October’s bright blue weather;

When loud the bumblebee makes haste,
Belated, thriftless vagrant,
And goldenrod is dying fast,
And lanes with grapes are fragrant;

When gentians roll their fringes tight,
To save them for the morning,
And chestnuts fall from satin burs
Without a sound of warning;

When on the ground red apples lie
In piles like jewels shining,
And redder still on old stone walls
Are leaves of woodbine twining;

When all the lovely wayside things
Their white-winged seeds are sowing,
And in the fields, still green and fair,
Late aftermaths are growing;

When springs run low, and on the brooks
In idle, golden freighting,
Bright leaves sink noiseless in the hush
Of woods, for winter waiting;

When comrades seek sweet country haunt
By twos and twos together,
And count like misers hour by hour
October’s bright blue weather.

O sun and skies and flowers of June,
Count all your boasts together,
Love loveth best of all the year
October’s bright blue weather.

The Huskers

by John Greenleaf Whittier (1807 – 1892)

It was late in mild October, and the long autumnal rain
Had left the summer harvest-fields all green with grass again;
The first sharp frosts had fallen, leaving all the woodlands gay
With the hues of summer’s rainbow or the meadow flowers of May.

Through a thin, dry mist, that morning, the sun rose broad and red;
At first a rayless disk of fire, he brightened as he sped;
Yet even his noontide glory fell chastened and subdued
On the cornfields and the orchards and softly pictured wood.

And all that quiet afternoon, slow sloping to the night,
He wove with golden shuttle the haze with yellow light;
Slanting through the tented beeches, he glorified the hill;
And, beneath it, pond and meadow lay brighter, greener still.

And shouting boys in woodland haunts caught glimpses of that sky,
Flecked by the many-tinted leaves, and laughed, they knew not why;
And schoolgirls, gay with aster-flowers, beside the meadow brooks,
Mingled the glow of autumn with the sunshine of sweet looks.

From spire and barn looked westerly the patient weathercocks;
But even the birches on the hill stood motionless as rocks.
No sound was in the woodlands save the squirrel’s dropping shell,
And the yellow leaves among the boughs, low rustling as they fell.

The summer grains were harvested; the stubble-fields lay dry,
Where June winds rolled, in light and shade, the pale green waves of rye;
But still, on gentle hill-slopes, in valleys fringed with wood,
ungathered, bleaching in the sun, the heavy corn crop stood.

Bent low by autumn’s wind and rain, through husks that, dry and sear,
Unfolded from their ripened charge, shone out the yellow ear;
Beneath, the turnip lay concealed in many a verdant fold,
And glistened in the slanting light the pumpkin’s sphere of gold.

There wrought the busy harvester, and many a creaking wain
Bore slowly to the long barn-floor its load of husk and grain;
Till broad and red, as when he rose, the sun sank down at last,
And like a merry guest’s farewell the day in brightness passed.

And lo! as through the western pines, on meadow, stream, and pond,
Flamed the red radiance of a sky set all afire beyond,
Slowly o’er the eastern sea-bluffs a milder glory shone,
And the sunset and the moonrise were mingled into one!

As thus into the quiet night the twilight lapsed away,
And deeper in the brightening moon the tranquil shadows lay,
From many a brown old farmhouse and hamlet without name,
Their milking and their home-tasks done, the merry huskers came.

Swung o’er the heaped-up harvest, from pitchforks in the mow,
Shone dimly down the lanterns on the pleasant scene below,
The glowing pile of husks behind, the golden ears before,
And laughing eyes and busy hands and brown cheeks glimmering o’er.

Half hidden in a quiet nook, serene of look and heart,
Talking their old times over, the old men sat apart;
While up and down the unhusked pile, or nestling in its shade,
At hide-and-seek, with laugh and shout, the happy children played.

Urged by the good host’s daughter, a maiden young and fair,
Lifting to light her sweet blue eyes and pride of soft brown hair,
The master of the village school, sleek of hair and smooth of tongue,
To the quaint tune of some old psalm, a husking-ballad sung.

After Apple-Picking

by Robert Frost (1874–1963)

My long two-pointed ladder’s sticking through a tree
Toward heaven still,
And there’s a barrel that I didn’t fill
Beside it, and there may be two or three
Apples I didn’t pick upon some bough.
But I am done with apple-picking now.
Essence of winter sleep is on the night,
The scent of apples: I am drowsing off.
I cannot rub the strangeness from my sight
I got from looking through a pane of glass
I skimmed this morning from the drinking trough
And held against the world of hoary grass.
It melted, and I let it fall and break.
But I was well
Upon my way to sleep before it fell,
And I could tell
What form my dreaming was about to take.
Magnified apples appear and disappear,
Stem end and blossom end,
And every fleck of russet showing clear.
My instep arch not only keeps the ache,
It keeps the pressure of a ladder-round.
I feel the ladder sway as the boughs bend.
And I keep hearing from the cellar bin
The rumbling sound
Of load on load of apples coming in.
For I have had too much
Of apple-picking: I am overtired
Of the great harvest I myself desired.
There were ten thousand thousand fruit to touch,
Cherish in hand, lift down, and not let fall.
For all
That struck the earth,
No matter if not bruised or spiked with stubble,
Went surely to the cider-apple heap
As of no worth.
One can see what will trouble
This sleep of mine, whatever sleep it is.
Were he not gone,
The woodchuck could say whether it’s like his
Long sleep, as I describe its coming on,
Or just some human sleep.

The Migration of the Grey Squirrels

by William Howitt (1792 – 1879)

When in my youth I traveled
Throughout each north country,
Many a strange thing did I hear,
And many a strange thing to see.

But nothing was there pleased me more
Than when, in autumn brown,
I came, in the depths of the pathless woods,
To the grey squirrels’ town.

There were hundreds that in the hollow boles
Of the old, old trees did dwell,
And laid up store, hard by their door,
Of the sweet mast as it fell.

But soon the hungry wild swine came,
And with thievish snouts dug up
Their buried treasure, and left them not
So much as an acorn cup.

Then did they chatter in angry mood,
And one and all decree,
Into the forests of rich stone-pine
Over hill and dale to flee.

Over hill and dale, over hill and dale,
For many a league they went,
Like a troop of undaunted travelers
Governed by one consent.

But the hawk and the eagle, and peering owl,
Did dreadfully pursue;
When lo! to cut off their pilgrimage,
A broad stream lay in view.

But then did each wondrous creature show
His cunning and bravery;
With a piece of the pine-bark in his mouth,
Unto the stream came he;

And boldly his little bark he launched,
Without the least delay;
His busy tail was his upright sail,
And he merrily steered away.

Never was there a lovelier sight
Than that grey squirrels’ fleet;
And with anxious eyes I watched to see
What fortune it would meet.

Soon had they reached the rough mild-stream,
And ever and anon
I grieved to behold some bark wrecked,
And its little steersman gone.

But the main fleet stoutly held across;
I saw them leap to shore;
They entered the woods with a cry of joy,
For their perilous march was o’er.

Other Autumn Poem Resources:

• Leaves by Elsie N. Brady
• A Child’s Calendar (September, October, November) by John Updike
• Gathering Leaves by Robert Frost
• http://www.teachingfirst.net/Poems/Autumn.html

Why Take a Look at these K-12 State Writing Standards?

If you found this page, you likely want some answers on how to teach writing. I guarantee that printing out these standards and reading them will be a fantastic use of your time. If you are looking for answers on how to teach writing, you must understand the big picture. Since the standards are K-12, you will get to see the big picture, year by year.

The directions that follow will make it easy and fast for you to download and print just the “writing standards.” Once you read them, you will understand where your students have been, where they are now, and what can wait for next year.

Be sure to check out the Pattern Based Writing program on the homepage. It’s the foundation that will improve your students’ writing across the curriculum.

For a Moment… Just Focus… on Teaching Writing

In most states, the writing standards are a part of the English Language Arts (ELA) Content Standards. The truth is, you may want to read all of the ELA Content Standards for your state and/or your grade. However, if you are using a basal reading program, you likely have your reading instruction all mapped out for you. Writing, on the other hand, is a different matter. When it comes to teaching writing, the teacher needs to bring something to the table. Teachers need to get their head around where they want to take their students and how they will get them there.

Save yourself (and your students) a lot of frustration; read at least one set of the K-12 state writing standards. If you like it and you learn a lot… read another. You will quickly figure out what you should teach YOUR students about writing! Once again, I have made it easy! Just read on (all are in free downloadable PDF files):

• California – The writing standards are part of the ELA content standards. The ELA standards are 92 pages; however, I have listed the page numbers for just the writing standards. The K-12 writing standards total just 31 pages. Print them out in the order listed and you will have a well-organized “K-12 Writing Standards” booklet.

• New York – The writing standards are part of the ELA content standards. The ELA standards are 92 pages; however, I have listed the page numbers for just the writing standards. The K-12 writing standards total just 28 pages. Print them out in the order listed and you will have a well-organized “K-12 Writing Standards” booklet.

• Arizona – Arizona’s writing standards are not listed in their ELA content standards. Arizona has separate PDF files for their writing standards. They are really nice! In fact, Arizona ranks #1 on Google for the search term “state writing standards.” Arizona’s K-12 writing standards provide an excellent model for teaching writing. They total 104 pages.

• Ohio – The writing standards are part of the ELA content standards. The ELA standards are 320 pages; however, I have listed the page numbers for just the writing standards. The K-12 writing standards total just 62 pages. Print them out in the order listed and you will have a well-organized “K-12 Writing Standards” booklet.

• Georgia – The writing standards are part of the ELA content standards. The ELA standards are 104 pages; however, I have listed the page numbers for just the writing standards. The K-12 writing standards total just 46 pages. Print them out in the order listed and you will have a well-organized “K-12 Writing Standards” booklet.

Once again, all of these are in PDF format, downloadable, and free. Printing out one or two sets of these K-12 writing standards will help you thoroughly understand the big picture in teaching writing.

California

Click Here for California English Language Arts Content Standards

Here is an outline of all of the California ELA Content standards (Writing standards in bold):

READING
• Word Analysis, Fluency, and Systematic Vocabulary Development
• Reading Comprehension (Focus on Informational Materials)
• Literary Response and Analysis

WRITING
• Writing Strategies
• Writing Applications (Genres and Their Characteristics)

WRITTEN AND ORAL ENGLISH LANGUAGE CONVENTIONS
• Written and Oral English Language Conventions

LISTENING AND SPEAKING
• Listening and Speaking Strategies
• Speaking Applications (Genres and Their Characteristics)

Print these pages for the complete K-12 California state writing standards (31 pages total):

• Kindergarten pp. 3-4
• Grade 1 pp. 8-9
• Grade 2 pp. 13-14
• Grade 3 pp. 18-19
• Grade 4 pp. 23-25
• Grade 5 pp. 30-32
• Grade 6 pp. 37-39
• Grade 7 pp. 44-46
• Grade 8 pp. 51-53
• Grade 9-10 pp. 59-62
• Grade 11-12 pp. 69-72

New York

Click Here for New York English Language Arts Content Standards

Here is an outline of all of the New York ELA Content standards:

Reading
• Standard 1: Students will read, write, listen, and speak for information and understanding.
• Standard 2: Students will read, write, listen, and speak for literary response and expression.
• Standard 3: Students will read, write, listen, and speak for critical analysis and evaluation.
• Standard 4: Students will read, write, listen, and speak for social interaction.

Writing
• Standard 1: Students will read, write, listen, and speak for information and understanding.
• Standard 2: Students will read, write, listen, and speak for literary response and expression.
• Standard 3: Students will read, write, listen, and speak for critical analysis and evaluation.
• Standard 4: Students will read, write, listen, and speak for social interaction.

Listening
• Standard 1: Students will read, write, listen, and speak for information and understanding.
• Standard 2: Students will read, write, listen, and speak for literary response and expression.
• Standard 3: Students will read, write, listen, and speak for critical analysis and evaluation.
• Standard 4: Students will read, write, listen, and speak for social interaction.

Speaking
• Standard 1: Students will read, write, listen, and speak for information and understanding.
• Standard 2: Students will read, write, listen, and speak for literary response and expression.
• Standard 3: Students will read, write, listen, and speak for critical analysis and evaluation.
• Standard 4: Students will read, write, listen, and speak for social interaction.

Print these pages for the complete K-12 New York state writing standards (28 pages total):

• p. 5 Core Performance Indicators Grade PreK-1
• p. 7 PreK Writing
• p. 12 Kindergarten
• p. 17 Grade 1 Writing
• p. 20 Core Performance Indicators Grade 2-4
• p. 23 Grade 2 Writing
• pp. 28-29 Grade 3 Writing
• pp. 34-35 Grade 4 Writing
• p. 38 Core Performance Indicators Grade 5-6
• pp. 41-42 Grade 5 Writing
• pp. 48-49 Grade 6 Writing
• p. 52 Core Performance Indicators Grade 7-8
• pp. 55-56 Grade 7 Writing
• pp. 61-62 Grade 8 Writing
• p. 65 Core Performance Indicators Grade 9-12
• pp. 68-69 Grade 9 Writing
• pp. 74-75 Grade 10 Writing
• pp. 80-81 Grade 11 Writing
• pp. 86 Grade 12 Writing

Arizona

Click Here for Arizona Writing Content Standards

The Arizona download page has three sections of downloads. I personally like the middle section “By Grade Level.” There are 13 PDFs (104 pages total).

Here is an outline of all of the Arizona Writing Content standards:

Writing Strand 1: Writing Process
• Concept 1: Prewriting
• Concept 2: Drafting
• Concept 3: Revising
• Concept 4: Editing
• Concept 5: Publishing

Writing Strand 2: Writing Elements
• Concept 1: Ideas and Content
• Concept 2: Organization
• Concept 3: Voice
• Concept 4: Word Choice
• Concept 5: Sentence Fluency
• Concept 6: Conventions

Writing Strand 3: Writing Applications
• Concept 1: Expressive
• Concept 2: Expository
• Concept 3: Functional
• Concept 4: Persuasive
• Concept 5: Literary Response
• Concept 6: Research

Ohio

Click Here for Ohio English Language Arts Content Standards

Here is an outline of all of the Ohio ELA Content standards (Writing standards in bold):

1. Phonemic Awareness, Word Recognition and Fluency Standard
2. Acquisition of Vocabulary Standard
3. Reading Process: Concepts of Print, Comprehension Strategies and Self-Monitoring Strategies Standard
4. Reading Applications: Informational, Technical and Persuasive Text Standard
5. Reading Applications: Literary Text Standard
6. Writing Process Standard
7. Writing Applications Standard
8. Writing Conventions Standard
9. Research Standard
10. Communication: Oral and Visual Standard

Print these pages for the complete K-12 Ohio state writing standards (62 pages total):

• pp. 40-51
• pp. 96-140
• p. 160
• p. 162
• p. 166
• p. 170
• p. 174

Georgia

Click Here for Georgia Writing Content Standards

Here is an outline of all of the Georgia ELA Content standards. These are the content areas for 3rd grade and above:
• Reading and Literature
• Reading Across the Curriculum
• Writing
• Conventions
• Listening/Speaking/Viewing

The K-2 content areas are a combination of the ones above and the ones below:
• Concepts of Print
• Phonological Awareness
• Phonics
• Fluency
• Vocabulary
• Comprehension
• Phonics/Work Identification

Print these pages for the complete K-12 Georgia state writing standards. Each grade level is in a separate file (46 pages total):

• Grade K pp. 4-5 of 5
• Grade 1 pp. 4-5 of 6
• Grade 2 pp. 3-5 of 6
• Grade 3 pp. 3-6 of 6
• Grade 4 pp. 3-6 of 8
• Grade 5 pp. 4-6 of 9
• Grade 6 pp. 4-7 of 9
• Grade 7 pp. 5-7 of 9
• Grade 8 pp. 5-8 of 9
• Grade 9 pp. 7-11 of 13
• Grade 10 pp. 7-10 of 12
• Grade 11 pp. 1-4 of 6
• Grade 12 pp. 1-4 of 6

Be sure to check out the Pattern Based Writing program on the homepage and discover guaranteed writing success!

Welcome back to school! Writing assignments for the beginning of the new school year often revolve around these four areas:

1. “All About Me” writing activities and assignments. This is a time-honored beginning-of-the-school-year writing tradition. It starts the school year off right when teachers get to know their students. Teachers want to know their students and students like to be known and understood as real people.

2. Students’ expectations, goals, hopes, and dreams for the new school year. Let’s see if the teacher and the students agree on what school is supposed to be like. Teachers will get to learn about their students’ beliefs in regards to school, learning, and education. This can provide valuable insights which will help the teacher properly motivate their students.

3. Reflections on summer vacation. This is kind of similar to “all about me” writing. It gives students a chance to let go of summer, and allows teachers to have up-to-date knowledge of what their students are interested in.

4. Classroom routines and policies. The most effective way to be sure that students understand what is expected of them is to have them write about it. An additional important benefit of this kind of writing is that students convince themselves of the benefits of having an excellent classroom learning environment. When students explain to themselves why routines, rules, and policies are necessary, they become convinced without feeling “convinced against their will.”

Most of the writing prompts that follow will fall into one of these four categories. See if you can determine which category each writing prompt falls into. The four categories all have a strong purpose behind them, and assigning a writing prompt with purpose leads to better writing.

Also, I want to congratulate you for thinking about student writing so early in the year! If you are looking for better writing results faster than ever before be sure to click here. If you are looking for guaranteed writing success when state testing rolls around, be sure to click here. If you want your students to be able to easily organize and compose an essay about any of the essay topics below, then be sure to click here. Wishing you a school year full of writing success!

Back-to-School Cause and Effect Essay

• An important event in my life (or several) and how it affected me – getting to know me.
• What I did over my summer vacation that has to me prepared (or unprepared) for the new school year. Does how I spend my time outside of school affect how successful I am in school?
• What is necessary for creating an effective and positive learning environment? (Certain systems and behaviors create a successful learning environment, and other systems and behaviors lead to time wasting and poor learning.) What are the cause and effect relationships for successful learning? What are the cause and effect relationships for poor learning?
• What is the purpose of school? We work hard… but why? Is there a cause and effect relationship between getting a good education and living a happy, successful, and fulfilled life after school?
• What are some habits, behaviors, routines, and systems that will lead to me having a successful school year?
• Why I hope I learn more this year than I ever have before – what’s in it for me? Will learning a lot this year really have an effect on my life?

Back-to-School Persuasive Essay

• All work and no play is no way to spend a life. Let’s have fun this school year!
• With high expectations placed upon us, and with so little time actually spent in the classroom, we can’t afford to waste even a single second of class time.
• I am a responsible, enthusiastic, and disciplined student who can be trusted to do what is expected of me.
• I need and deserve two more weeks of summer vacation.
• Homework does not improve student learning.
• My fellow students…  school is important. Don’t waste your time, and please don’t waste the class’s time. It behooves none of us.
• Learning and striving to be the best you can be through learning is exciting, fun, and a very important part of life.

Back-to-School Compare and Contrast Essay

• How I spent my summer vs. how I plan to spend the school year.
• Summer vacation back when I was young vs. summer vacation now that I’m old.
• My last day of summer vacation vs. the first day of the new school year.
• The kind of student I used to be vs. the kind of student I plan to be.
• Looking like I’m working hard and doing my best job vs. actually working hard and truly doing my best job.
• The fun and interesting things about school vs. the boring and tedious things about school.
• An ideal classroom learning environment vs. a time-wasting non-learning classroom environment.
• Education in the modern information age vs. education in olden times.
• Learning through books vs. learning through experience.

Back-to-School Process Essay or How-To Essay

• How to make this the best school year ever.
• How to transition from relaxed-summer-mind-mode to superstar-student-achievement-status.
• How to be a successful student.
• How to improve your work habits, study skills, learning attitude, and grades.
• How to be an excellent school citizen and positive classroom leader.
• After school and morning routines that guarantee arrival at school on time, rested and ready to learn, homework finished, and with a happy, smiling, cheerful face.
• Classroom routines – how to… how to… how to.

Back-to-School Informational Essay

• The history of education.
• All about me – what you need to know to truly understand this strangely wonderful, yet predictably perplexing human being that I simply call “me.”
• The history of my educational career – a work in progress.
• The rules of our classroom laid out in black-and-white.
• What does it mean to learn? And how do you do it?
• What I like about school and learning.

Back-to-School Narrative/ Personal Narrative Essay

• Happy school-time memories.
• How I spent my summer vacation – the real truth.
• My life story – a personal narrative.
• A school year (or teacher) that changed my life.
• An important real-world learning experience for which there was no manual.
• Me and school – a conflict of interests.
• Butterflies in my stomach… the day before the first day of school.

Back-to-School Descriptive Essay

• Describe the feelings, sounds, and sights of a new school year.
• Describe what you see in the classroom right now.
• Describe the qualities of a good teacher and of a good student.
• Describe the attitude, beliefs, and body language of a student who is determined to be successful in school.

Back-to-School Five-Paragraph Essay

• How I spend my time before school, during school, and after school.
• When I struggled in school, what I changed, and the results of that change.
• Three things I love about school.
• Three strategies for getting good grades.
• Three fun things I did over my summer vacation.
• Three things I must do to be successful in school this year.
• Three things about me…  that hardly anyone knows.

Back-to-School Story Ideas

• The class with no rules.
• The strangely bizarre case of the kids whose loved school and the teacher who taught them.
• One hour recess – twice a day!
• Straight A’s for everyone!
• The class that worked together… and achieved success.
• News flash: listening to your teacher leads to improved learning.
• The quiet kids.
• Work hard, play hard, and bake cookies?
• The science project that changed history.

Welcome back to school and have a great year!

Do you want to improve your students’ writing? Well, don’t teach grammar! I’m serious. Teaching grammar doesn’t improve student writing. I will never forget the year when I devoted an unreasonable amount of time to teaching grammar in the hopes that students would stop making all those careless mistakes in their writing. It didn’t work.

Recently, I discovered that decades of research have proven what I discovered through experience. The National Commission on Writing quoted the research below in this important report on teaching writing: The Neglected “R”: The Need for a Writing Revolution.

The research shows:

• “Experiments over the last 50 years have shown negligible improvements in the quality of student writing as a result of grammar instruction.” (Becoming a Nation of Readers, National Institute of Education, 1985.)

• “Decades of research (Elly, 1979, Hillocks, 1986, Freedman, 1993, Freedman and Daiute, 2001) have shown that instructional strategies such as isolated skill drills fail to improve student writing.”

But before you throw out all those fabulous grammar books, please let me explain why it doesn’t work and then how to make it work.

Three Reasons Why Isolated Grammar Skill Drills Don’t Improve Student Writing

• First, the information doesn’t stick because students simply figure out “the trick” and then fill in all the rest of the answers using the same trick.

• Also, students are not motivated to remember all that grammar if they are not writing authentically in the content areas.

• Finally, isolated grammar skill drills fail to bring about writing success because the grammar books (by their very nature) fail to connect the dots to students’ authentic writing across the curriculum. (Hence the name “isolated skill drills.”)

The research shows that grammar instruction is MUCH MORE effective when taught within the context of authentic student writing. At the very least, the dots must be connected between the isolated skill drill and students’ authentic writing. This is where Writer’s Workshop enters the picture.

Writer’s Workshop is the Correct Way to Teach Writing… Only it Doesn’t Work Either

Wait… I meant to say it doesn’t work for many teachers. I personally use many parts of Writer’s Workshop; however, there are also many parts of Writer’s Workshop which I do not use.

Writer’s Workshop in its purest sense involves too much risk. There is a great risk that students will not make great progress. Struggling students (which includes a majority of students in the inner-cities) cannot afford that risk. The reason Writer’s Workshop is so risky is because the direct and explicit writing instruction is minimal. In fact, the main lesson in Writer’s Workshop is called a “mini-lesson.”

My experience has been that many, many students need more than mini-lessons. They need direct and explicit instruction. And then they need to practice that direct and explicit instruction in authentic writing. The truth is many adults also respond best to direct and explicit instruction. In fact, I recently wrote something for adults where I did not want to lay it out clearly for them. I wanted the events that took place to speak for themselves. I wanted the adults to figure out what it all meant. I did not connect the dots. I did not tell them what they were supposed to learn from the piece of writing… Guess what? No one got it. So, let me repeat, many students need direct and explicit instruction in order to learn what you want them to learn.

An important truth about Writer’s Workshop is that the teachers who get great results with Writer’s Workshop would likely get great results no matter how they taught writing. Put simply, they just get it… and they know how to communicate that to children. Additionally, they invest a lot of time in teaching writing. It’s their passion.

But before we dismiss the importance of Writer’s Workshop, it should be pointed out that Writer’s Workshop has two very important strengths. In fact, these two strengths are at the polar opposites of researchers’ conclusions about why isolated grammar skills instruction do not improve student writing.

The Two Strengths of Writer’s Workshop

1. Students spend the majority of writing time actually writing. The time is not spent with students listening to the teacher talk and then quickly practicing a drill.

2. The majority of all grammar and writing skills are taught within the context of students’ own authentic writing.

Spiraling Writing Curriculum Doesn’t Work Either

Spiraling writing curriculum is quite similar to what the researchers call “isolated skill drills.” In short, students spend time learning “information about writing” and then quickly practice what they learned through silly and disconnected writing prompts. Spiraling writing curriculum spends too much time giving information and not enough time having students write authentically across the curriculum.

Writing is a skill and learning information does not create a skill. Learning information creates knowledge. It’s the application of that knowledge that creates skill. However, before you throw out all those fabulous spiraling writing lessons, please let me explain why they don’t work and then how to make them work.

The Problem with Grammar Instruction and Spiraling Writing Curriculum is that the Lessons Only Take Students From Point A to Point B

In this illustration:

• A = The beginning of a writing or grammar lesson.

• B = The end of a writing or grammar lesson. (The lesson’s objective has been achieved.)

• I = Students are independent and competent writers. Students can write paragraphs and essays on demand. Students are able to organize their thoughts and communicate their knowledge competently.

• Z = Writing perfection. Z can never be reached; it can only be approached. After all, writing is an art and art is subjective.

The problem with most grammar and writing instruction is that the curriculum only takes students from point A to point B. It continually and repeatedly takes students from point A to point B. It uses “lessons” to do this; and after all, it is the purpose of a lesson to take students from point A to point B. The problem with this approach in teaching writing is that it is too much like the movie Groundhog Day. Each day starts fresh. Each day’s lesson is neither connected to the prior day’s lesson, nor to students’ authentic writing.

Most writing teachers understand this aspect of lessons and try dearly to connect it all together. As teachers, we know it is our job to take students from point A to point “I”, and then to get students as close to point Z as is humanly possible.

The reality of teaching writing is that it is the teachers who are the ones who must connect all these point A to point B lessons. Most teachers discover that the only way to connect all these lessons to meaningful writing is to have students writing authentically (and effectively) across the curriculum. This allows for many “teaching moments” which provide the needed opportunities for teachers to connect lessons to authentic writing.

Put simply, taking student from point A to point B repeatedly takes them nowhere. Most grammar programs and spiraling writing curriculum don’t understand this.

Point A to Point B Lessons Are the Reason: 

• Why we have so many struggling writers.

• Why so many students fail to become independent and competent on-demand writers.

• Why Writer’s Workshop is so often put forth as a solution (by Writer’s Workshop teachers). (Note: Writer’s Workshop teachers consider themselves to be the “Real Writing Teachers.”)

• Why decades of research have shown that grammar instruction and isolated skill drills fail to improve student writing. (Note: Spiraling writing curriculum that simply “gives information” should also be considered isolated skill drills.)

Now let’s look at solving this writing conundrum!

Creating Independent and Competent On-Demand Writers

Students must reach point “I” in order to achieve true educational success. They need to become independent and competent on-demand writers. This is what Pattern Based Writing does. It takes students from point A to point “I” (writing independence and writing competence). Pattern Based Writing is a self-contained system and methodology which starts with the end in mind.

I am aware of a growing number of schools that are using Pattern Based Writing across several grades. Why would a school choose to use the same writing program across several grades?

The reason is that these schools understand exactly what has been laid forth in this article. These schools understand that writing and grammar instruction must be closely connected to students’ own writing. In one sense, students must be independent and competent writers in order to teach them writing. These schools know that is that it is very difficult to teach writing to non-writers. These schools know that Pattern Based Writing creates independent and competent writers!

Pattern Based Writing is both a foundation and a framework. It becomes the criteria for what is expected. Now, I am quite sure that at the schools using Pattern Based Writing across multiple grades, that each successive year Pattern Based Writing plays more of a background role. It plays more of a background role because the organized, thoughtful writing which Pattern Based Writing teaches becomes internalized.

After Pattern Based Writing has been internalized, it’s easy for teachers to spiral in advanced writing skills and advanced grammar instruction while keeping the focus on students’ own authentic writing. This is what the research suggests works!

The point of all this is that there is no lack of writing and grammar lessons in the world. What has been lacking is the way to create a writing foundation:

• which can be built upon

• which lessons can be layered on top of and connected to

• which both teachers and students understand

• which makes everything involved in writing connected.

Pattern Based Writing does all of this!

Teaching writing is not that hard once students are independent and competent writers. You simply continue to layer on skills and keep the focus on students’ own authentic writing. It’s that easy!

So, how long does it take to create independent and competent writers using Pattern Based Writing?

Getting Results Fast!

With Pattern Based Writing, a middle school teacher can remediate struggling writers in 4-6 weeks and get the results she had only dreamed were possible. As well, an elementary school teacher can go page-by-page through the program and build a solid writing foundation that instills structure yet allows for creativity.

This is possible because the program is part book, part manual, and part lessons. It’s put together in a way where a person who has no knowledge of teaching writing can start on page one and get the results they need in the time they have.

This program has a goal in mind. I do encourage those who want to create independent and competent writers to give it a try. Warning: There is some repetition and students will need to write a lot in order to develop the writing fluency and writing skill that this program promises. “I get it!” is the goal.

Note: The National Commission on Teaching Writing recommends that the amount of time students spend writing needs to be doubled! So, the little warning above is really just sound advice.

Achieving Writing Independence and Competence in Elementary School

The California Grade 5 Writing Strategies Standard 1.0 is, “Students write clear, coherent, and focused essays.” Fifth grade is the first year the term “essay” is used. This subtle switch to using the term “essay” communicates a profound shift in writing expectations.

One should also be aware of what is possible in third and fourth grade. The state of Oregon has released anchor papers from their standardized testing. You can find them here: Elementary Writing Samples, Middle School Writing Examples. Take a close look at all of the high-scoring third and fourth grade papers. They all have very nice multi-paragraph form. These students get it… and your students can to!

It is true that Pattern Based Writing is being used VERY effectively with struggling middle school writers. However, more and more teachers (and schools) are discovering that writing independence and competence can be achieved in elementary school. Pattern Based Writing: Quick & Easy Essay brings writing success!

There are many interesting models for analyzing students’ different learning styles. Here is a practical model which may change the way you teach writing… today. You will have a checklist of the four learning styles, as well as the four questions which these four different types of learners will be asking.

A teacher simply needs to address each style in their instruction, and then listen for the magic words in their students’ questions. (Often these magic words are only implied; however, they are quite easy to spot.)

This learning style model will surprise you in its simplicity. In fact, it may appear to be that “elusive obvious” which you are shocked you had not discovered before. The next time you teach writing, you will be looking at each and every student and analyzing each and every yawn, comment, question, and challenge. “Ohh… I get you! I can help you! I understand you. Let me talk to YOU.”

David Kolb’s Learning Style Inventory Based on Experiential Learning Theory: The Four Different Learning Modes and How they Create Four Types of Learners

Experiential Learning – The Four Learning Modes (How Students Learn)

These learning modes can be seen as a cycle of learning. Even though it is a cycle, individual students will learn differently at each stage of the cycle. Some students are more effective learners in one stage, while others will learn better in a different stage.

• Learning Mode 1: Concrete Experience – There is an old proverb, “Experience is the best teacher.” In other words, students learn by experiencing things.  (Note: There is also an extension to this proverb which says, “Experience is the best teacher… but the tuition is high.”)

• Learning Mode 2: Reflective Observation – One reviews the experience and reflects on it.

• Learning Mode 3: Abstract Conceptualization – One draws conclusions. Students create and format their personal understanding of what they have learned. They make their new knowledge fit in with their current model of the world.

• Learning Mode 4: Active Experimentation – Test time. Let’s try out the new knowledge in the real world and see if it works. In writing this would mean, “Let’s see how our readers like the new techniques we are applying. Do I like my new writing? Do these strategies and techniques get me a better grade?”

Through various combinations of these four learning modes, four learning styles emerge.

Four Types of Learners

Each of these four learning styles is a combination of TWO of the LEARNING MODES discussed above. This does not mean that students don’t learn through the other modes; it just means that they have strengths in, and/or prefer two of the modes over the other two modes. (I think you will find that all four modes have an important place in effective instruction.)

• Learning Style 1: The Diverger – Asks “why?” Learns through Concrete Experience and Reflective Observation.

• Learning Style 2: The Accommadator – Asks “how?” Learns through Concrete Experience and Active Experimentation.

• Learning Style 3: The Assimilator – Asks “what?” Learns through Abstract Conceptualization and Reflective Observation.

• Learning Style 4: The Converger – Asks “what about…?” Learns through Abstract Conceptualization and Active Experimentation.

The Questions Your Students Want Answered

Here is a simplified and useful version of Kolb’s model based on a few of the “Five W’s and One H.” (Who, what, where, why, when, how?) Basically, when students don’t understand something, they have a question. When it comes to teaching writing, it can be hard to figure out what the question is behind the problem. “What don’t they understand? I have done a great job of teaching this.”

Here is a cheat-sheet that narrows down what your students want to know… and how they learn. It addresses the four learning styles and the main question each style wants answered. These questions are: 1) Why? 2) How? 3) What? 4) What about?

Four Questions for the Four Learning Styles

Why? (Divergers) – These students are not asking, “Why does it work?” They are asking, “Why do I have to do it? What will happen if I don’t do it?” The answer to these questions usually go something like this: “If you apply this strategy, your readers will easily understand what you are saying. If you don’t, your readers will be lost and confused. Having your readers understand what you are saying will get you better grades and people will enjoy reading what you have written. They will think you are a gifted and talented writer. If you don’t apply the strategies and your readers are lost, your grades will suffer and people will wonder what is wrong with you.”

How? (Accommodators) – These students are saying, “Just tell me how to do it. Show me each step and I will follow your directions. I learn by doing. I don’t need any reasons or explanations. Please don’t be vague and talk about the flowery artistic nature of writing. I’m not interested in that. I see the example; what are the steps I need to do in order to achieve that? Once I experience it I will understand it and I will be able to explain it to you based on my experience.”

What? (Assimilators) – These students need to understand “the information.” We can’t just demonstrate (or model) how to write persuasively because these students need to understand it in context. These students may not even attempt to follow the strategy until they understand exactly what they will be attempting to do. Example of what would work with these students: “Okay students, we are not going to be working on narrative writing. In other words, we are not going to be telling a story. Also, we are not going to be working on descriptive writing or informative writing. Our goal is going to be to persuade someone. A synonym for persuade is “to convince.” There are many times when we need to convince another person. Here are just a few…”  Example of what would not work with these students: “We are going to work on persuasive writing using facts, statistics, and reasons to prove our case. Here is a set of evidence for you to use. Now, prove your position. You have been provided a model to follow; study it and follow it.”

What about…? (Convergers) – We think of these students as the mismatchers and contradictors in our classrooms. For every example we show to prove it, they will quickly find a counterexample to disprove it. We think they are just being difficult, but often at the heart of their troublesomeness is a learning style that simply has them wanting to know when it works and when it doesn’t work. Example: You have taught a writing strategy and now students have opened up a book and are reading. If these students don’t see what has been presented, they want to know why not. Showing these students textbook examples of when it works is not enough. In fact, showing them real-world examples of it when it works is not enough. These students need to understand a variety of situations when it does not work. In writing there are many exceptions, and every exception these students see leads them to dismiss what has been taught. The solution in teaching these students writing is to show them how what is being taught is a tool which can be used sometimes, but not at other times. It is their job as the author and artist to be the master of the tool.

Learning Style Scenarios

Let’s explore some scenarios so you will more easily see behind the curtain of your students’ struggles. What is going on in your students’ minds?

It’s not that students just come out and ask “Why? How? What? What about?” It’s more that these are the questions behind their questions (and their struggles). When a student is struggling, a teacher will be able to more easily remediate and strategize, “Let’s see… I can’t re-teach the entire lesson. So… which question is behind their problem?” When you figure it out you will be able to solve the problem on your first try.

Remember: We want to address all these types of learners and address all of these questions when we teach our lesson the first time around. Try and make sure that you include at least a sentence or two that will speak to each learning style. (i.e. Giving more examples is not the only way to better teach a concept. Instead, try addressing one of these other learning modes.)

Scenario 1 – How? (Accommodators): A student acts bored and asks if she can get started on the work. Remember: This is a special kind of learner with a special kind of question. This question represents a “how” question. This student learns by experiencing and experimenting. It seems the teacher has given enough instruction so that the student feels comfortable getting started on the work. The fact is, these students can’t be sure of what they understand until they get involved with the work. At the moment, they don’t need any more theory. (Note: We all know that students often want to get started, and then once they get started they discover that they don’t understand how to do the work. The point about this “how” type of learner is they can’t know that they don’t know until they give it a try. This means they won’t do their best job of extended listening until they have given it a try.)

Scenario 2 – What? (Assimilators): You have done a great job of teaching a personal narrative essay. You followed the textbook and added your own fantastic bits of insight. You have given clear instructions and there is an excellent example on the front board. A student says, “I don’t get it.” You ask what they don’t get. The student replies, “Are you saying that this is just a story about our life?” You reply, “Yes.” The students replies, “I don’t get it… so I can just write about something that happened to me and I have written a personal narrative essay?”

These questions are all “what” questions. These questions show a need to better understand the context of a personal narrative essay. The proper teaching extension would involve explaining a few different types of essays, as well as explaining how a personal narrative essay is different than a fiction story. This would help the student better understand the context of a personal narrative essay. In other words, this student does not need more examples on how to write a personal narrative essay; they need to understand the context of what a personal narrative essay is… and what it isn’t. They need the theory behind essays and stories so that they will understand where the personal narrative essay fits in.

Scenario 3 – Why? (Divergers): You are working on descriptive writing. A student says, “Why do we have to learn this? None of our school work ever involves describing how the spring sun makes us feel. Is there going to be a test on this?” This one is easy. It’s a “why” question… the little rascal. You explain to this student that the assignment will be extra homework if he doesn’t finish it. And yes, there will be a test on the different types of writing before he goes on vacation. Additionally, you tell him that you overheard him describing what happened in his baseball game the other day. You explain how learning how to describe things will make him a more entertaining storyteller and a better communicator. “After all, you won’t want to feel foolish in your interview when you explain how it felt winning the World Series!”

Scenario 4 – What about…? (Convergers): Your students are struggling with run-on sentences and sentence fragments. You instruct them not to start sentences with the words “and, but, because.” The next day a student arrives with numerous examples from newspapers and magazines showing how it is acceptable. You explain that the authors in question did it artistically, rarely, and correctly. You explain that the students in your class have been doing it incorrectly and that it is harming their writing.

This student is not convinced. He doesn’t know what to think. He starts to lose interest in writing because he thinks your rules are inconsistent. This is a “what about…” situation. The solution would be to teach formal writing vs. informal writing. Starting sentences with “and, but, because” is discouraged in formal writing. Additionally, this student needs to understand that language does change over time, and the rules of starting sentences with “and, but, because” have relaxed in recent years. Explain that you are still discouraging the practice and later in the year when they are advanced writers you will address it in depth. In the meantime, have this student continue to collect examples which you will share with the class at a later date.

Whether you teach elementary school or middle school, whether you teach remedial writers or gifted writers… reaching and teaching the four different types of learners will improve your writing instruction.

In Pattern Based Writing: Quick & Easy Essay, all four types of learners (and teachers) are spoken to directly. At every step of the way the program not only teaches what to do… but also addresses all those problem areas surrounding what students might do… or will want to do. All the gaps are closed for all the different learning styles.

In short, all these different types of paragraphs simply involve layering on a different purpose or intent. When students have the foundations, it’s just this simple.

What are you trying to do? What’s your purpose here? Do you want to describe? Do you want to evaluate? Do you want to narrate? Do you want to persuade…?

When students don’t have the foundations, these questions are meaningless to them. They don’t have control over their writing; they are not fluent writers. It’s likely they won’t even understand what you are talking about.

In Pattern Based Writing, when a student wants to:
• Describe   >>>>    they write a    >>>>    Descriptive paragraph
• Inform    >>>>    they write a   >>>>   Informative paragraph
• Narrate    >>>>    they write a    >>>>    Narrative paragraph
• Persuade     >>>>    they write a    >>>>    Persuasive paragraph

It’s easy! For Writing Success… CLICK HERE! Get your students writing paragraphs like these… as well as entire essays filled with paragraphs just like these. (Gr. 2-6 and for remediation in middle school and above.)

Descriptive Paragraph

1.  Describe:   I am going to DESCRIBE a sunset!

Sunset is the time of day where our sky meets the outer space solar winds. There are blue, pink, and purple swirls, spinning and twisting like a cloud of balloons caught in a blender. The sun moves slowly beyond the horizon, while the moon races to take its place in prominence atop the night sky. People slow to a crawl, entranced, fully forgetting the deeds that still must get done. There is a coolness… a calmness… whenever the sun does set.

Informational Paragraph and a Narrative Paragraph

2. Inform:   I am going to INFORM you about the Apollo 11 space mission.    

Headed to the moon, the Apollo 11 launched from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on July 16. 1969. The crew consisted of Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins, and Buzz Aldrin. They landed on the moon in the Sea of Tranquility on July 20, 1969. The moonwalk took place the day after the landing on July 21, 1969. At 10:56 EDT Neil Armstrong took the first step onto the moon’s surface and famously said, “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.” This moment is considered by many to be one of the most famous and glorious moments in all of history.

Narrate:   I am going to NARRATE a story about the Apollo 11 space mission.

Neil Armstrong had quite a day on July 21, 1969. This was the day he became the first man to walk on the moon. The journey began several days earlier when on July 16th the Apollo 11 launched from Earth headed to the moon. On board with Neil Armstrong were Michael Collins and Buzz Aldrin. The crew had landed on the moon in the Sea of Tranquility a day before the actual walk. Upon Neil’s first step onto the surface of the Earth’s moon, he said, “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.” It sure was. What a day!

Process or How-to Paragraph

3.  Process:   I am going to explain the PROCESS of how to clean and/or organize your room.
OR
How-to:   I am going to describe HOW-TO clean and/or organize your room.

Here is the perfect system for cleaning your room. First, move all the stuff that does not have a place to the center of the room. Get rid of at least five things that you have not used in the last year. Take out all the trash and put all dirty dishes in the kitchen sink. Now find a place for all the items you put in the center of the room. For any remaining items, see if you can squeeze them in under your bed or stuff them in the back of your closet. See, that was easy!

Compare and Contrast Paragraph

4.  Compare/Contrast:   I am going to COMPARE and CONTRAST an ocean and a lake.

Oceans and lakes have a lot in common, but they are also quite different. They are both bodies of water. A main difference is that an ocean is very large and is salt water, while a lake is usually much smaller and is fresh water. Lakes are usually surrounded by land while oceans are what surround continents. Both have plants and animals that live in them. The ocean is home to the largest animals on the planet, whereas lakes contain much smaller animals. When it is time for a vacation, both will make a great place to visit and have fun.

Critical Paragraph

5.     Critique:   I am going to CRITIQUE the Blue Whales’ first baseball game of the new season.

The Blue Whales just played their first baseball game of the new season, and I think there is a lot to be excited about. Though they lost, they were playing the team that won the championship last year. The Blue Whales fell behind early but showed excellent teamwork and came back to tie the game. They had 15 hits and scored 8 runs. That’s excellent! However, they had 5 fielding errors which kept the other team in the lead nearly the entire game. The game ended with the umpire making a bad call, and if the call had gone the other way, the Blue Whales may have actually won. It wasn’t a victory, but I say the Blue Whales look like they have a shot at the championship if they continue to improve.

Persuasive Paragraph and Argumentative Paragraph

6.  Persuade:   I am going to PERSUADE my neighbors to buy tickets to the school fair.

The school fair is just around the corner and tickets have just gone on sale. We are only selling a limited number of tickets so you will want to move fast and get your tickets while they are still available. This will be an event you will not want to miss! First off, the school fair is a great value when compared with other forms of entertainment. Also, your ticket purchase will help our school, and when you help the school, it helps the entire community.  There is even more exciting news; every ticket you purchase enters you in a drawing in which you can win fabulous prizes. Don’t forget, you are going to have tons of fun! There are lots of great rides, fun games, and many other attractions. Spend time with your family and friend at your community’s school fair. Buy your tickets now!

Argue:   I am going to present a logical ARGUMENT as to why my neighbor should attend the school fair.

The school fair is just around the corner and tickets have just gone on sale. Even though you may be busy, you will still want to take just one day out of the entire year to relax and have fun at the school fair. Even if you don’t have much money, you won’t have to worry. The school fair is a great bargain! Maybe you feel you are too old for fairs, or you just don’t like them. Well, that’s what my grandpa thought until he came to last year’s fair and had the best time of his life. For every reason you can think of not to come, I know you can also find two reasons why you should come. I’ll see you there!

Problem and Solution Paragraph (Narrative version and Informational Version)

7.  Problem/Solution: I am going to describe a kitty door PROBLEM and then explain the kitty door SOLUTION.

Narrative version (1st person)-

Last week we installed a kitty door so our cat could come and go as she pleases. Unfortunately, we ran into a problem. Our cat was afraid of the kitty door. We tried pushing her through and that made her even more afraid. The door was dark and she couldn’t see what was on the other side. The first step in solving the problem was we taped the kitty door open. After a couple days she was confidently coming and going through the open door. However, when we removed the tape and closed the door, once again, she would not go through. They say you catch more bees with honey, so we decided to use food as bait. We would sit next to the kitty door with a can of wet food while we clicked the top of the can. When she came through the closed door we would open the can and feed her. It only took five days of doing this to make her unafraid of using the kitty door. Now we have just one last problem; our kitty controls our lives!

Informational article – (This started off as one paragraph, but needed two, one for the “problem” and the other for the “solution.”) Also, notice the second paragraph is a “process” paragraph. It would be very easy to add a simple introduction and conclusion to this and have a complete essay!

People often install a kitty door only to find out they have a problem. The problem is their cat will not use the kitty door. There are several reasons cats won’t use kitty doors. First, they may not understand exactly how a kitty door works. They do not understand it is a little doorway just for them. Second, many kitty doors are dark and cats cannot see to the other side. They do not know what is on the other side, so they won’t take the risk. One last reason is that sometimes cats don’t like the feeling of pushing through and then having the door drag across their back. There are solutions to these problems.

The first step for solving the problem is to prop the door open with tape. This means your cat will now be able to see to the other side; your cat will usually start using the kitty door immediately. Once your cat has gotten used to using the kitty door remove the tape. Sometimes cats will continue using the kitty door without any more prompting. If this does not happen, you will want to use food to bribe your cat. When it’s feeding time, simply sit on the opposite side of the door from your cat and either click the top of the can or crinkle the cat food bag. Open the door to show your cat that it is both you and their food waiting for them on the other side. Repeat this a couple times, and then feed your cat. After a couple days of this your problem will be gone.

Cause and Effect Paragraph

8.  Cause/Effect: I am going to explain the CAUSES that had the EFFECT of making me a high achieving student.

(Note: This is also a first person narrative.)

I do well in school. People think I am smart. That is not true. In fact, three years ago I struggled in school. Two years ago I decided to make five changes. I decided I would be interested in what was being taught regardless of what anyone else thought. I decided I would work hard every day and never give up on any assignment. I decided to never fall behind. And I decided to make school my first priority over friends and fun. Soon I became an active participant in the classroom discussions. Then my test scores started to rise. I still remember the first time that someone made fun of me because “I was smart.” It seems to me that being smart is simply working hard and being interested. After all, learning a new video game is hard work even if you are interested; it just doesn’t help you out in school.

Personal Narrative Paragraph

9.  Personal Narrative: I am going to give a PERSONAL NARRATION of an event that changed my life.

Last year was the first time I had ever been the new kid at school. For the first four days I was completely alone. I don’t think I even spoke to a single person. Finally, at lunch on the fifth day, Karen Watson approached me and sat down next to me. Even though I was new, I had already figured out who Karen Watson was. She was popular. Pretty soon all of Karen’s friends were sitting right there next to me. I never became great friends with Karen, but after that, it seemed like all sorts of people started becoming my friend. You cannot convince me that Karen did not know what she was doing. I have a great respect for her and I learned a lot about what a true leader is.

Here are a few reasons why:

1. Writing is an art. There is not an easy answer key for the writing teacher.

2. The way writing is taught can often seem esoteric to children. It seems to them that the rules of good writing sure do seem to change a lot. “The teacher liked what I wrote yesterday, but today they say this is not good. I don’t get it.”

3. Staying on top of student writing is hard work for teachers. As such, students have more opportunities to slack off and practice writing the wrong way.

Without a doubt “Pattern Based Writing: Quick & Easy Essay Writing” has gotten a hold of all of these issues. I will admit, the “Pattern Based Writing” program does not teach every aspect of what good writing is. However, what it completely and absolutely solves is what this video below talks about.

Elementary School Essay Writing vs. High School Essay Writing

What is shocking about this video is that it is from Ashworth University and is designed for high school students. (It’s an excellent video on the 5-paragraph essay. The teacher is very clear and concise.)

As you watch it, imagine an entire class of third graders sitting there watching this video and saying, “Yes, we can do all that. We learned that last month. We can organize and write one of those five-paragraph essays in less than 30-minutes.”

The third graders I am talking about are from the inner city and their teacher had become ill early in the year. This began a long string of substitute teachers. I came in at the end of their school year and took them from unorganized sentences to excellent five-paragraph essay in just 37 days.

“Pattern Based Writing: Quick & Easy Essay” solves the essay problem. Whether your students are in elementary school or middle school you can revolutionize their writing quickly and easily. This should not be an issue in high school.

Enjoy the video!

P.S. Concerned parents, “Pattern Based Writing” is an easy way for you to bring control to your child’s writing.