In this accelerator, I help students build comfort with every stage of writing, from planning to final editing. 

Week 1: Planning/Prewriting & Organizing

We start by answering the number one question student writers have, "How do I get started?" Students are empowered to process their writing ideas in a way that works for them and feels natural, whether it's brain-dumping, thinking aloud, mind mapping, or another method. Then, they learn to organize in a way that gives them clarity and control.

Week 2: Drafting

Next, we tackle the hard part, the "actual writing" they've been so scared to do. This is the stage where students will see their week 1 preparation pay off. They will expand their ideas into a full paper and learn about themselves as writers, discovering a drafting process that keeps them rolling until they have a complete product.

Week 3: Revising, Editing & Final Publishing

In the final week, we explore ways to critically read our own writing and make improvements. At this point, they already have strong papers, and I help them understand ways to clean up and format their writing to meet the requirements and standards they will face in high school.

And just like that, your child is a high-school-ready writer!

In this accelerator, I target improvements in crucial writing skills - aligning with essential writing traits - to help students enhance their projects beyond the basic expectations.

Week 1: Ideas & Organization

At the beginning of the program, my goal is to deepen students' understanding of the two most fundamental skills they have been using in their writing. We transition away from the basic explanations, chronological order, and other "low hanging fruit," and we express more complex thoughts with purposeful, impactful organization structures.

Week 2: Voice & Word Choice

After enhancing the big picture, we're ready to fine-tune the content of our writing. In this week, students will engage in self-reflection and self-evaluation to strengthen those traits that make them unique and special as writers. This week will be key in students' abilities to leave an impression with their readers (namely, the teachers who will be grading their papers next year).

Week 3: Sentence Fluency, Conventions & Presentation

Finally, having grown as writers, students polish their craft by learning intentional sentence construction, deepening their grammar knowledge, and considering the overall product that they will put in front of their readers. Students should finish out this week feeling confident that they will be turning in quality writing projects in their 9th grade year.