News and Notes from the Middle Level Section—Student Writing and the Writing Students Do

Medlock, Associate Chair of the Middle Level Section Steering Committee, stresses the need for authentic purposes when trying to engage students with writing. For instance, teachers can introduce students to Good Reads or other websites where students can write for their peers; another idea is to partner with other students, possibly a local elementary class, where middle level students can write stories for younger children. Having come to realize that capitalizing on individual interests is a sure path to engagement, she also emphasizes the value of letting students choose their own topics for writing.