Writing

Writing Vision & Philosophy

We envision all students as confident, self-directed writers who independently navigate the writing process with strategic expertise. Through vertically aligned instruction, students build a portable toolkit of strategies they apply across genres and content areas. By focusing on developing writers—not just producing writing—we empower students to own their process and communicate effectively in any academic or real-world context.

How We Empower Writers

By addressing all aspects of the writing rope—critical thinking, syntax, text structure, writing craft, and transcription—through systematic, multi-sensory, strategic instruction, we unlock each student's potential as a writer and change the trajectory of their academic lives.

Writing FAQ

Our Writing Programs

List of 5 items.

Critical Thinking
- Story Champs (Grades 2-3) teaches students to analyze narrative structure, understand character motivations, and use visual aids to make abstract language concrete—skills they apply through retelling, comprehension analysis, and transferring thinking strategies to new situations.
- Self-Regulated Strategy Development (Grades 2-8) develops metacognitive engagement with the entire writing process—from brainstorming and organizing ideas with graphic organizers to gathering information, planning, drafting, revising, and editing.
- Together, both programs build the executive function and critical thinking skills students need to manage complex writing tasks independently across all subjects.
Syntax
Framing Your Thoughts (Grades 2-4)
- Multisensory approach pairs graphic symbols with parts of speech, making the invisible structure of language visible and concrete.
- Explicit instruction in sentence skills through activities like sentence elaboration and sentence combining.
- Hands-on manipulation of sentence frames helps students expand basic sentences and understand how words work together.
- Students gain syntactic control needed to write with clarity and sophistication.
Text Structure
- Story Champs (Grades 2-3) teaches students that different kinds of writing follow predictable patterns through explicit instruction in narrative and expository text structures, giving them the exposure and repeated practice needed to construct well-organized compositions.
- Self-Regulated Strategy Development (Grades 2-8) teaches the complete structure of writing across all genres through powerful organizational tools (CSPACE for narratives, TIDE for opinion/informative pieces), sentence expansion and combining techniques, and systematic strategies students can apply independently to any writing task.
Writing Craft
- Once students understand how to structure their writing, they learn to make it engaging and effective through deliberate craft choices.
  - Word choice: Students select precise, purposeful words that convey meaning and create effects
  - Literary devices: Students use imagery, figurative language, dialogue, sensory details, and varied sentence structures.
  - Audience awareness: Students adjust tone, style, and length based on who will read their writing and why.
SRSD embeds craft instruction throughout the writing process, teaching students how to express ideas powerfully through modeling, practice, and self-evaluation.
Transcription
- Learning Cursive (Grades 2-3): Diana Hanbury King's multisensory approach develops automatic letter formation and muscle memory, freeing students to focus on ideas rather than mechanics.
- Keyboarding (Grades 4-6): Systematic keyboarding instruction builds speed and accuracy, eliminating the bottleneck between thinking and writing.

The Result: Independent, Self-Directed Writers

Students who write strategically across all genres, approach writing tasks with confidence, and carry the tools and self-regulation skills that will serve them throughout their lives.