Middle school is a time when students solidify the foundation of skills they received in elementary school in order to be successful at the high school level and beyond. Understanding how to formulate an organized essay, in my opinion, is one of the most critical skills for students to not just understand, but master upon leaving 8th grade. Especially with lower level students, many kids need organization and structure to help them write an essay. The Writer’s Guide I use in class serves as the structure the students need.
Although I break down all of my essays into tangible notes with models and tons of examples for analysis, sometimes a checklist of expectations helps keep students focused while crafting. My Writer’s Guide simply lists the components of a basic essay that is expected in my classroom. Many students use this simply to cross of each piece once it’s completed to help them stay organized. Some students even return the next year to ask for another copy!
Now the Writer’s Guide gives no notes. It doesn’t give sentence starters. It’s not an example.
It is a bookmark of cues for my students to use when writing.
We’ve used it for drafting, revising, peer editing, and even as a checklist for assessment!
It has been an instrumental part of my lower level writing classes!
If you haven’t used a Writer’s Guide or a checklist for writing, I highly recommend trying it!
Has anyone ever used something like this? Did you find success?
Note: Interested in my Writer’s Guide? Click the image to go to my TeachersPayTeachers store for a copy!
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