Writing 5 paragraph essays is often treated like a milestone. At some point, students are expected to move from paragraphs to full, structured writing and just be ready. But essay readiness is not about age, grade level, or calendar timing. It’s about preparation and endurance. When students are truly ready for essays, the shift feels manageable […]
Writing 5 Paragraph Essays: Building Writing Endurance, Part 7 Read More »
By the time students are asked to write multiple paragraphs, many of them have plenty to say. The problem is not ideas. The problem is getting those ideas down without exhausting their hands, attention, or confidence. This is where speech-to-text can be a powerful support. Used intentionally, speech-to-text helps students build writing endurance by removing
Using Speech-to-Text As a Tool to Support Building Writing Endurance, Part 6 Read More »
Some students can write a solid paragraph and then completely fall apart when asked to keep going with writing body paragraphs. You might see: This isn’t a failure of instruction. It’s a sign that students have reached the edge of their current writing endurance. Writing beyond one paragraph requires a different kind of stamina. This post
Writing Body Paragraphs: Building Writing Endurance, Part 5 Read More »
Once students can write more than a few sentences, the next challenge appears quickly: Keeping those sentences focused on one idea in writing paragraphs practice. This is often where writing falls apart. Students may write several unrelated sentences, repeat themselves, or shut down altogether when asked to write a full paragraph. So let’s talk about paragraph endurance.
Writing Paragraphs Practice: Building Writing Endurance, Part 4 Read More »
When trying to get students to work on expanding sentences, at some point, almost every educator hears it: “I’m done.”“I don’t know what else to write.”“Do we really need five sentences?” And often, the student has written two or three when their protests ring out. When this happens, it’s tempting to assume students are being
Expanding Sentences: Building Writing Endurance, Part 3 Read More »
If students shut down, rush through writing, or constantly ask, “How many sentences does this have to be?” the issue often isn’t ability. It’s engagement, and engaging reluctant writers is the next mountain to climb when you’re building writing endurance with your students. Before students can build writing endurance, they need a reason to stay with the work.
Engaging Reluctant Writers: Building Writing Endurance, Part 2 Read More »
If students groan, stop after two sentences, or complain that their hand hurts when it’s time to write, it’s easy to assume the problem is motivation or effort. Often physical writing stamina is the culprit. For many students, especially in upper elementary, writing is physically exhausting before it ever becomes mentally challenging. If their hands tire quickly,
Writing endurance is about how long students can sustain thinking, focus, and effort without becoming overwhelmed. This series is about how we build that endurance intentionally, without burnout, power struggles, or assigning essays before students are ready.
Building Writing Endurance (From Sentences to Essays) Read More »
When we introduce revising sentences and writing revision strategies in general, we often say “revise and edit” like they’re one step in the process. And let’s be honest: when time is tight, we treat them like one step. But here’s the problem: When editing and revising are lumped together, revision almost always gets ignored. Instead of
Revising Sentences: Easy Strategies to Help Students Revise Better Read More »
Make October writing magical! Explore 7 Halloween writing activities that build creativity, description, and storytelling skills for grades 3–6.
7 Awesome Halloween Writing Activities Read More »
