Beyond the Paragraph: Teaching Writing in Middle School with Structure
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!
Beyond the Paragraph: Teaching Writing in Middle School with Structure
Curriculum Changes Coming in 2026 for Structured Writing (Grades 4–8) Ep. 23
In this episode, I’m sharing what’s changing, what’s staying the same, and what’s evolving in my Structured Writing program for 2026.
After a short break, I reflect on where writing instruction feels different right now, especially as more teachers are rethinking digital tools, screen time, and the return to physical notebooks. I talk through new research that’s shaping my thinking, including insights from The Digital Delusion by Dr. Jared Cooney Horvath, and how it’s influencing the way I design writing instruction.
You’ll hear updates on:
- The shift toward a One-Click Curriculum that makes materials easier to find and use
- How daily warm-ups and quick writes are expanding to include story starters
- Why creative writing and voice matter more than ever
- A new Reading Lab format that brings structured discussion into reading instruction
- How CER is being intentionally connected across ELA, science, history, and math
- What’s coming next for grades 4 through 8
This episode is especially helpful if you teach upper elementary or middle school and are thinking about how to balance structure, creativity, and meaningful writing practice in the year ahead.
Interested in my full writing 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