argument writing · opinion writing · oral language

Use Oral Language to Strengthen Opinion Writing (For Writers of All Ages!)

There are many layers to developing a good opinion piece, and oral language can be used to support students throughout this process in ways that are both engaging and fun. Here is a quick if/then troubleshooting guide to support the use of oral language to build opinion writing skills.

Meet Writers Where They Are Blog Series · opinion writing · progressions

Generating Ideas for Opinion Writing: Meet Writers Where They Are

A Great Coach This past summer, my daughter, Sophia, practiced diving. Coach Jodi was kind enough to open her backyard pool up to us for private swim lessons. Sophia would stand at the pool's ledge, toes curled around the ledge, and arms pointed together into the pool. Next, Coach Jodi would say, "Go!"  The outcome… Continue reading Generating Ideas for Opinion Writing: Meet Writers Where They Are

Expand the Possibilities of Genres You Teach · opinion writing · persuasive writing

Opinion Writing: Expand the Possibilities of Genres You Teach

When planning any genre study, we can ponder:  How can the experience children have with this genre become more like the experience they can have with it in the world? In doing so, we can draw from our own experience with writing. We can study the craft of other writers. We can peruse bookshelves. We… Continue reading Opinion Writing: Expand the Possibilities of Genres You Teach

charts · opinion writing · progressions · standards · teacher writing · writing workshop

Sitting Side By Side With Standards

There is power in knowing and understanding standards because within them, we can extract teaching points, learning targets, and even success criteria. In this post, we'll thing about how we can use the standards so set up anchor charts, as well as learning progressions in order to establish clarity and navigable pathways for writers.

argument writing · classroom environment · conferences · conferring · differentiation · elaboration · environment · growth mindset · management · mentor texts · middle school · nonfiction writing · opinion writing · preparation · strategic conferring

Changing Tack: Learning from a Writing Conference

It's great to be prepared when we are conferring with our writers. However, being 'prepared' and being 'present' are not the same thing...

argument writing · opinion writing

Stronger Essay Writing: Differentiating Between Reasons and Evidence

The word essay comes from the latin exigere, meaning "to ascertain," or "to weigh." It was used in the late 15th century as a verb, meaning "to test the quality of." Writing in essay form certainly leads to these things: weighing of evidence, testing the quality of reasons, ascertaining the strength of an argument. When we teach students… Continue reading Stronger Essay Writing: Differentiating Between Reasons and Evidence

collaboration · community · LIWP · NWP · opinion writing · reading · writing workshop

A Tale of Teachers: Collaboration, Community, Connection

Once upon a time, there was a teacher who became a better teacher by connecting with other passionate educators...