Beyond the Paragraph: Teaching Writing in Middle School with Structure

Robin Mellom
  • 5.0 (4)
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If you're tired of guessing how to teach writing in middle school, you're in the right place. Robin Mellom is a veteran ELA teacher and published author of over ten children’s books with Disney, HarperCollins, and Houghton Mifflin. She brings the clarity and structure you've been craving 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!

  1. Jul 13

    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 quick grammar/test-prep question, and a short quick-write scene ✏️ Weekly structured writing workshops — where students set line goals, track personal records, and beat them week over week ✏️ Quantity before quality — why getting words on the page first is the key to unlocking revision later If your students freeze up, stall out, or "don't know what to write," this is where to start. 🔗 Full-year writing curriculum is now available for grades 3–8 — check out your grade level here: [LINK] 🎓 New to the Structured Writers Workshop? Take the free crash course: [LINK] 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. Jun 25

    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), add claim-evidence-reasoning, and stack it all into essays. When you understand how those pieces connect, your confidence as the teacher follows, and your students feel it too. New to the Structured Writing method? Take the free crash course. The full-year writing and grammar curriculum for grades 3 through 8 is now complete.  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

  3. Jun 18

    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 paragraphs, and the short constructed responses. Build those two things first, and everything else gets easier. This is the foundation of my Structured Writers Workshop, the method I built after years of learning from my own editors as a published children's author. Throughout this series I'll keep coming back to confidence and stamina, daily warm-ups, voice, and the specific order I teach writing skills in. New to the Structured Writing method? Take the free crash course. The full-year writing and grammar curriculum for grades 3 through 8 is now complete.  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

  4. Jun 7

    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. Reading is the muscle. You need both.   MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE My full-year writing & grammar curriculum 3rd grade 4th grade 5th grade 6th grade 7th grade 8th grade Follow Beyond the Paragraph wherever you listen, and share this with a teacher bestie. To learn more about the Structured Writing method, visit structuredwritingteacher.com.  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

  5. Apr 19

    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 isn’t choosing one or the other. I’ll walk you through what’s actually going wrong, why grammar often doesn’t transfer, and how to turn grammar into something students use naturally as they write… not just something they memorize and forget. If you’ve ever felt like your students “know it” but aren’t applying it, this will give you a completely different way to think about grammar instruction. The goal is simple, but powerful… grammar should make writing stronger, not more confusing. And when you build it into a clear system, it finally starts to stick. Need resources? Here’s everything I mentioned: 5 Modes of Writing FREEBIE! 📚 Yearlong Writing Curriculum 👉 5th Grade 👉 6th Grade 👉 7th Grade 👉 8th Grade 🧠 Pause & Prove Cards ✏️ 4th Grade Grammar Pack  Already have the full-year curriculum and want access to the Google Drive? 📩 Just email a screenshot of your purchase to: robin@structuredwritingteacher.com  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

  6. Mar 12

    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, Evidence, Reasoning) to prepare students for constructed responses • Help students practice argument writing and thesis statements before the test • Turn digital questions into collaborative whiteboard activities • Use task card games like Scoot to review grammar and reading skills • Get students to explain their thinking and eliminate wrong answers These strategies help students go deeper with their learning, instead of skimming the surface during test prep. You’ll also get a sneak peek at the upcoming 5th Grade Structured Writing Curriculum and see examples of activities you can use right away. 📌 Resources mentioned in the video: Chicken Foot Thesis Writing Brain Battle Scoot 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

  7. Feb 5

    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 evidence-based writing, this shift might be the game changer you need. Looking for full-year writing programs that get results?? Go 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

  8. Jan 25

    How to Teach Writing with a "Skills First" Approach Ep. 24

    In this episode, I explain how I teach writing using a skills-first approach, and why strong writing instruction shouldn’t start with essays. Instead of working backward from essay types alone, I focus on building foundational writing skills that transfer to every genre, every subject, and every state test. I break down how I structure writing instruction across the year so students practice what matters most before essays ever begin. I share: What a skills-first writing program actually looks like in grades 4–8The six core writing skills my students practice all year (and why the first three matter most)How daily sentence combining improves grammar, sentence structure, and clarityWhy quick writes eliminate writer’s block and build writing staminaHow I use CER (Claim, Evidence, Reasoning) instead of RACE across ELA, science, and social studiesHow I teach essay structure by deconstructing student writing, not memorizing formulasWhy short, focused essay cycles lead to stronger writing and less gradingHow this approach builds real confidence before state testingI also share one of my favorite end-of-year moments, when students rewrite a piece from the first week of school and see just how much their writing has changed. If you’re looking for a clearer, more effective way to teach writing in upper elementary or middle school, this episode walks you through the structure, routines, and mindset behind a skills-first writing classroom. Recommended for: Grades 4–8 teachers, ELA teachers, writing coaches, and homeschool educators Ready to dive into my full year curriculum? Go 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

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About

If you're tired of guessing how to teach writing in middle school, you're in the right place. Robin Mellom is a veteran ELA teacher and published author of over ten children’s books with Disney, HarperCollins, and Houghton Mifflin. She brings the clarity and structure you've been craving 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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