Students become stronger writers by learning from an expert. We apprentice various texts throughout the year to learn the craft, style, tone, and nuances of a piece. Students then try their hand at writing to match the mentor, but their own, original topic. It's fun, challenging, and a quick way to strengthen writing skills.

Students in my classes become familiar with the process of research and reporting their findings. "Further Our Thinking" mini reports encourage students to dive deeper on a topic of interest within our units of study. My 6th graders write Informational Chapter Books to report on a topic they are studying, also helping teach and strengthen research skills along the way.

While we eventually build up to a Response to Literature Essay, my students often find it easier than expected because they have spent the year learning strategies for how to respond to different types of texts. I have students practice with structured quick writes to books they are reading, articles we explore, and short stories we read as a class.