Essential Skills for Beginning Writers (Ages 11+)
Previously released as EWS Writing Skills for Older Beginners. This version has been lightly edited and reformatted, but the instructional content is identical.
Essential Skills for Beginning Writers reviews the fundamentals of expository writing for students 11+. Students read classic folktales from around the world as they practice key prewriting and writing skills: oral and written narration (narrative summaries); sentence variation; and paragraph structure and expansion. The 24 lessons in Essential Skills for Beginning Writers can be interleaved with the lessons in your main writing curriculum for variety and reinforcement.
Required text: Best-Loved Folktales of the World by Joanna Cole
Paragraph Practice with Greek Myths
New! Paragraph Practice with Greek Myths reviews informational and expository paragraphs along with narrative summaries while building background knowledge of mythology and history. This unit helps students 11+ become more competent and confident writers with carefully scaffolded exercises that build skills in a logical order. These 18 lessons can be interleaved with those in your main writing curriculum for reinforcement and variety. Each unit covers the same skills, so they can be used in any order.
Required text: Greek Myths by Jean Menzies
Paragraph Practice with Norse Myths
New! Paragraph Practice with Norse Myths reviews informational and expository paragraphs along with narrative summaries while building background knowledge of mythology and history. This unit helps students 11+ become more competent and confident writers with carefully scaffolded exercises that build skills in a logical order. These 18 lessons can be interleaved with those in your main writing curriculum for reinforcement and variety. Each unit covers the same skills, so they can be used in any order.
Required text: Norse Myths by Matt Ralphs
Paragraph Practice with Egyptian Myths
Coming June 2025! Paragraph Practice with Egyptian Myths reviews informational and expository paragraphs along with narrative summaries while building background knowledge of mythology and history. This unit helps students 11+ become more competent and confident writers with carefully scaffolded exercises that build skills in a logical order. These 18 lessons can be interleaved with those in your main writing curriculum for reinforcement and variety. Each unit covers the same skills, so they can be used in any order.
Required text: Egyptian Myths by Jean Menzies
Paragraph Practice with Chinese Myths
Coming June 2025! Paragraph Practice with Chinese Myths reviews informational and expository paragraphs along with narrative summaries while building background knowledge of mythology and history. This unit helps students 11+ become more competent and confident writers with carefully scaffolded exercises that build skills in a logical order. These 18 lessons can be interleaved with those in your main writing curriculum for reinforcement and variety. Each unit covers the same skills, so they can be used in any order.
Required text: Myths of China by Xiaobing Wang