While the first step of reading the prompt is the same for argumentative essays as it is for informative essays, there is one seemingly obvious difference - students must choose a side. But my 8th graders always want to see both sides and give me "the look" when I tell them they must …
After I teach my students how to read and flip an essay prompt and how to read and mark an essay text , I pause before planning and teach them the paragraph structure of each kind of paragraph in the essay. First up, the introduction! When teaching the introduction, I tell my students there int…
In my middle school class I have many students who are very good readers. They have good comprehension and good recall. But their ability to read and mark a text for essay writing leaves something to be desired. I have literally watched my brightest students read, re-read, and read the essay t…
There are many students who are able to take ideas and run with them in their writing. They seem to intuitively know how to connect the prompt, the text and their writing together. However, there are just as many (if not more) students who struggle with these things and end up either writing no…