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Beyond the Paragraph: Teaching Writing in Middle School with Structure: Daily Summaries Delivered
by Robin Mellom
Robin Mellom is a veteran ELA teacher and published author of over ten children’s books with Disney, HarperCollins, and Houghton Mifflin. She brings clarity and structure to teaching writing in middle school without the gimmicks. Hosted by Robin Mellom, author, middle school teacher, and creator of the Structured Writer’s Workshop™, each episode delivers practical, classroom-tested strategies that work in grades 4–8. Learn how to implement evidence-based writing routines, like CER (Claim, Evidence, Reasoning), build lasting writing habits, and engage students in meaningful work that actually sticks. Best of all, they will learn how to write like the pros!
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- 5 days ago5 min
Planning Your First Week of Writing Instruction grades 4-8 Ep. 32
You'll learn what I assign the first week of school when it comes to writing! Need a full year curriculum? Look for your grade level here. Thoughts? Questions? Send me a text message! ➡️ Learn more about the FULL Structured Writing training PD 📆 Grab my yearlong writing planner for free (it includes my eBook!) 🎥 Watch the teaching strategies in action on YouTube 📝 Read the latest blog posts for writing tips & ideas HAVE A QUESTION? Email me at robin@structuredwritingteacher.com
- 2 weeks ago8 min
How to Build Writing Stamina in Your Students (Grades 3–8) Ep. 31
I'm breaking down writing stamina — what it actually is, why it's the missing piece in most writing instruction, and the simple daily habits that build it. Stamina isn't just "writing for a long time." It's the mental and emotional resilience to push through hard, long-term work without quitting — and it's a skill we can teach. Here's how I build it with my students in grades 3–8: ✏️ Daily 3-a-day warm-ups — sentence combining (the most research-backed way to teach grammar that sticks), a qui...
- Jun 25, 20267 min
How To Teach Writing Even if You Haven't Been Trained Grades 3-8 Ep. 30
Can you teach writing well even if you feel like you're "not a writing person"? Yes. And in this 5-Minute Flash Training, I want to take that worry off your shoulders, whether you're a classroom ELA teacher or a homeschool parent. You don't need 250 strategies or an award on your shelf. You need to get kids writing daily, build their confidence and stamina, teach the six skills in a deliberate order (voice, hooks, sentence complexity, figurative language, vivid imagery, and show-don't-tell),...
- Jun 18, 20266 min
How To Get Kids to WANT to Write Teaching Writing in Grades 3-8 Ep. 29
How do I get students to actually want to write? It's the question every ELA teacher and homeschool parent runs into, and it's where I start this brand-new 5-Minute Flash Training series for summer. Here's the heart of it: most writing instruction assigns writing instead of teaching it. We hand kids the finished cake and say "now you make one." In this quick training I share why desire to write matters more than we admit, and why confidence and stamina have to come before the essays, the par...
- Jun 7, 202615 min
Before Planning in the Fall, Give This a Listen Ep. 28
It's a Deep Thoughts day, and I want to push on something most of us have never stopped to question: the order we plan our ELA year in. In this episode I get into how to intertwine reading and writing: how to get students reading like writers instead of scanning for comprehension answers, how your writing lessons can cover your RL and RI standards at the same time, and how many full novels I actually teach in a year (with a nod to Kelly Gallagher on reading volume). Writing is the spine...
- Apr 19, 202643 min
Why Grammar Isn't Transferring to Student Writing (And How To Fix It) Ep. 27
Grammar instruction is one of those topics that sounds simple… until you’re actually in the classroom trying to make it stick. You’ve probably heard “teach grammar in context” a hundred times, but what does that really look like in practice? And why do students who can ace a grammar worksheet still ignore those same skills in their writing? Frustrating!! In this episode, I’m digging into the tension between teaching grammar explicitly and teaching it in context, and why the real answer...
- Mar 12, 202624 min
Writing Test Prep That Actually Works: CER + Collaboration Ep. 26
State testing season is coming… but test prep doesn’t have to mean endless practice tests. In this video, I share some of the most effective ways to prepare students for the writing portion of the state test, especially the performance task where students must write essays and constructed responses. Instead of rushing through digital practice tests, I’ll show you how to turn test prep into meaningful learning activities that build real writing skills. You’ll learn how to: • Use CER (Claim...
- Feb 5, 202621 min
RACE Writing Strategy vs C.E.R.: Which Strategy Works Better? Ep. 25
In this episode, I compare the RACE writing strategy and the CER (Claim, Evidence, Reasoning) framework to help you decide which approach works better for students. I explain why I moved away from RACE and now use CER across all subjects, including ELA, science, and social studies. You’ll see how CER simplifies constructed responses, strengthens student reasoning, and creates one consistent writing system for the entire school day. If you’re looking for a clearer, more effective way to teach ...
About Beyond the Paragraph: Teaching Writing in Middle School with Structure
Robin Mellom is a veteran ELA teacher and published author of over ten children’s books with Disney, HarperCollins, and Houghton Mifflin. She brings clarity and structure to teaching writing in middle school without the gimmicks. Hosted by Robin Mellom, author, middle school teacher, and creator of the Structured Writer’s Workshop™, each episode delivers practical, classroom-tested strategies that work in grades 4–8. Learn how to implement evidence-based writing routines, like CER (Claim, Evidence, Reasoning), build lasting writing habits, and engage students in meaningful work that actually sticks. Best of all, they will learn how to write like the pros!
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