FROM THE DESK OF The Structured Writing Teacher

  What's the Best Order to Teach Writing Skills in Middle School? A Step-by-Step Guide If you’re a middle school ELA teacher wondering what order to teach writing skills , you’re not alone. Should you start with figurative language? Sentence variety? Hooks? It’s easy to feel overwhelmed, and even easier to rush through skills before students are ready. As a middle school teacher and children’s book author, I’ve spent years refining how I teach writing and in what order . I created the Structured Writing Workshop™ , a 4th–8th grade writing program that focuses on skill-building, confidence, and structure. In this post, I’ll walk you through the six essential writing skills I teach and the exact order I teach them to get students writing with clarity, voice, and purpose. 💡 Why the Order of Writing Skills Matters There are so many writing skills to teach that it can be overwhelming to figure out where to start. Should we teach students how to “show, don’t tell” before we even a...