Hint: Yes—and it can also transform your classroom community.
As educators, we carry the dual responsibility of preparing students for high-stakes tests while also helping them fall in love with learning. In ELA classrooms, that often means navigating the tightrope between test prep and authentic writing experiences. But what if we didn’t have to choose?
At Teaching with Temprano, we believe that a strategy grounded in student voice and academic conversation can do both—raise scores and create joyful, engaged writers.
A Strategy Built in the Classroom, Not a Conference Room
This is not a scripted curriculum or one-size-fits-all program. It is a writing strategy built with real students—tested in classrooms from grades 3 to 8, refined daily, and driven by what actually works for reluctant and struggling writers.
By modeling and practicing academic conversations and using a cohesive writing process, students learn to engage deeply with complex texts and articulate their thoughts through writing. The results?
✅ 3–5% gains in overall NJSLA-ELA scores ✅ 5–10% growth for struggling and reluctant readers and writers ✅ Classrooms where student voices shine, and ideas thrive
Why This Matters for Your District
Whether you’re leading a single school or a full district, implementing a unified writing strategy helps teachers align their instruction and gives students a clear, consistent approach to academic writing.
It’s not just about the scores, although the data is promising. It’s about equipping students with the skills and confidence they need to become lifelong thinkers, readers, and writers.
Professional Development That Meets You Where You Are
I’m a full-time teacher and a Teacher Consultant with the National Writing Project, which means I’m still in the trenches—and every strategy I share is rooted in lived classroom experience.
Here’s how we can work together:
✏️ Professional Learning Community (PLC) Facilitation
Collaborative, tailored sessions to align teacher practice and boost instructional impact across grades.
📚 Dynamic Workshops
Hands-on, engaging training focused on writing instruction that works for teachers and students.
🗂️ Curriculum Design Support
Custom pacing guides and writing units that center student voice and improve performance on writing assessments.
Let’s Connect
Interested in exploring how this strategy could support your district’s goals?
I’m currently available for a 1:1 consultation:
🕗 Now through June 18: Mondays–Thursdays, 8:00–8:20 AM and 3:30–5:00 PM
🕣 After June 18: Mondays–Thursdays, 8:30 AM–3:00 PM
Together, we can raise scores and build confident, joyful writers in the process.
Teaching with Temprano is an Educational Consulting company whose sole purpose is to collaborate, educate, inspire, and provide real-world ELA strategies and lessons that you can use with your students tomorrow. Districts that wish to hire me for PLCs or PD workshops, email me at teachingwithtemprano@gmail.com
In today’s interconnected world, elementary classrooms are not just places to learn academic content but powerful spaces for fostering empathy, critical thinking, and social change. Educators can amplify the dreams and needs of all students by integrating collaborative writing focused on advocacy. This approach enriches writing skills and cultivates a sense of purpose and agency in young learners. It allows students to see themselves in the books they read and the material they write.
Why Advocacy Through Collaborative Writing?
Advocacy writing invites students to use their voices to make a difference. In elementary classrooms, this means empowering students to identify issues they care about and work together to craft messages that inspire action. Often, elementary students feel invisible. Their teenage counterparts explore more complex issues, while they remain stuck in their collective innocence. Frustration begins earlier than we think, as students become increasingly aware of cultural and community issues without an outlet or way to express their voices.
Anxiety plays a crucial role in all students, regardless of age, but presents itself differently. Stomach aches, frequent nurse visits, and absences are symptomatic of anxiety in the classroom.
In the Edutopia article “Teaching Advocacy in Your Classroom,” Katie Schellenberg discusses how arguments and discussions will continue to spark a young child’s curiosity while preparing them for the real world. (https://www.edutopia.org/discussion/teaching-advocacy-your-classroom)
Collaborative writing fosters teamwork, builds communication skills, and emphasizes that change is most impactful when it is community-driven. It alleviates the high pressure from the learning and allows students to focus on what they want to say.
When students collaborate on advocacy projects, they learn to:
Understand and respect diverse perspectives.
Recognize the power of their voices in addressing community needs.
Connect their learning to real-world issues, making education meaningful and relevant.
Bringing Advocacy Writing into the Elementary Classroom
Inside our elementary curricula are spaces and places where advocacy is introduced. Taking some small steps to help students understand the process and ways they can write about those issues further improves their ability to communicate effectively. Here’s how teachers can introduce and scaffold advocacy-focused collaborative writing in elementary classrooms:
1. Start with Stories
Begin by sharing age-appropriate stories or articles about young changemakers from diverse backgrounds. For example, read about Malala Yousafzai’s advocacy for education or a local student-led initiative. Discuss how these individuals used their voices to inspire change. Encourage students to reflect on issues that matter to them—from playground fairness to environmental concerns.
Activity Idea: Create a “Dream Wall” classroom where students post their dreams for their school, community, or world. Use these dreams as a starting point for writing projects.
2. Analyze Models of Advocacy Writing
Introduce students to examples of advocacy writing, such as letters to local officials, opinion pieces in children’s magazines, or campaign posters. Discuss the features of effective advocacy writing, including clear messaging, emotional appeal, and a call to action.
Activity Idea: In small groups, have students analyze a sample letter or flyer, identifying its key components. Use graphic organizers to help them break down how the writing advocates for change.
Global Changemakers
Malala Yousafzai – Advocate for girls’ education and the youngest Nobel Peace Prize laureate.
Greta Thunberg – Environmental activist inspiring global action on climate change.
Nelson Mandela – Champion of racial equality and peace in South Africa.
Wangari Maathai – Founder of the Green Belt Movement, promoting environmental conservation and women’s rights.
Youth Changemakers
Mari Copeny (Little Miss Flint) – Advocates for clean water in Flint, Michigan, and beyond.
Autumn Peltier – An Indigenous water protector from Canada advocating for clean water rights.
Haaziq Kazi – an Indian teen who designed a ship concept to clean the ocean plastics.
Naomi Wadler – Advocate for gun control and awareness of violence against Black women.
Literary Changemakers
Maya Angelou – Poet and activist whose work championed equality and justice.
Amanda Gorman – Youngest poet laureate who spoke at President Biden’s Inauguration and has written several poetry books.
Jacqueline Woodson – Writes stories that amplify the voices of marginalized communities. She is the author of Each Kindness.
Malorie Blackman – British author who tackles racism and inequality in her works for children and teens.
3. Collaborative Brainstorming and Writing
Collaboration while brainstorming is a crucial and effective aspect of the writing process. This is a low-pressure strategy aimed at harnessing the power of its effectiveness to help even the most timid student. Guide students in selecting a community issue to address. Facilitate group brainstorming sessions where students discuss their ideas and decide on a specific message or solution. Place a poster as a mat to write down thoughts, quotes, and ideas about their issue. Allow students to talk, argue, and explain their viewpoints. Assign roles within groups, such as researchers, writers, and illustrators, to ensure every student contributes.
Activity Idea: Use shared writing sessions where the teacher acts as a scribe, modeling how to structure a persuasive letter or an advocacy statement. Gradually shift responsibility to students as they grow confident in their writing skills.
4. Scaffold Projects with Mini-Lessons
Incorporate mini-lessons on persuasive techniques, organizing ideas, and revising collaboratively. Teach students how to:
Use an “I statement” to express personal connections to the issue.
Support their arguments with facts or examples.
Create compelling calls to action.
Activity Idea: Practice crafting strong opening sentences as a class. Share and celebrate compelling examples.
5. Use Journals to Build Self-Esteem
Journals can be a powerful tool for helping students build self-esteem while engaging in advocacy writing. Encourage students to reflect on their strengths, accomplishments, and the positive impact they hope to make.
Activity Idea: Introduce prompts like:
“What is something you’re proud of that could inspire others?”
“Write about a time you helped someone. How did it make you feel?”
“What is one change you would like to see in the world, and how can you contribute to it?”
As students share their journal entries, they can connect their personal reflections to their advocacy work, reinforcing a sense of capability and value.
Decorate your journal and make it yours!
6. Share Writing with Authentic Audiences
Give students a platform to share their work with the broader community. Whether they present to school administrators, send letters to local leaders, or publish in a school newsletter, authentic audiences amplify the impact of their advocacy.
Activity Idea: Host a “Changemaker Showcase” where students present their advocacy projects to families and community members. Include a “Next Steps” station where attendees can sign petitions or pledge support for the students’ causes.
Outcomes of Advocacy Writing
When students engage in collaborative advocacy writing, they develop the following:
Empathy: Understanding diverse experiences and perspectives.
Agency: Realizing their potential to effect change.
Writing Skills: Crafting purposeful and persuasive texts.
Community Connections: Building relationships with peers and local stakeholders.
Self-Esteem: Recognizing their own strengths and contributions through reflective journaling.
More importantly, students learn that their voices matter—a lesson that will resonate throughout their lives. Advocacy writing is not just an academic exercise; it’s a pathway to creating a more equitable and compassionate world.
Dreaming Big Together
As educators, we have the privilege and responsibility to nurture the dreams of our students and the communities they represent. Through collaborative advocacy writing, we amplify unheard voices and empower the next generation to dream boldly and take courageous action. Together, we can build classrooms where writing becomes a tool for transformation and hope.
Teaching with Temprano is an Educational Consulting company whose sole purpose is to collaborate, educate, inspire, and provide real-world ELA strategies and lessons that you can use with your students tomorrow. Districts that wish to hire me for PLCs or PD workshops, email me at teachingwithtemprano@gmail.com
Helping Young Readers Think Critically and Love Reading
This weekend, as I spoke to one of my book friends on Instagram messenger, it occurred to us that not everyone understands how to annotate or recognizes it as a way to think critically or have fun with the book you are reading. As Beth Kempton says, this blog post flowed from me “like spilling ink.”
When we think about becoming better readers, we often imagine spending hours with highlighters and sticky notes, marking up pages of text until they’re practically unreadable. But annotation isn’t just for college students or literary critics. It’s an essential skill that can transform how young readers in grades 3-5 engage with texts—helping them think critically while still savoring the joy of reading. It could be simple or complicated. It is up to the reader.
Annotation, at its heart, is about making a conversation between the reader and the text. It’s a way to actively engage with words on a page, to question, wonder, and connect. For young students, this practice builds not only comprehension but also confidence. Here’s why annotation matters and how we can guide our students to use it effectively.
Why Annotation Matters for Young Readers
Active Engagement: When students annotate, they actively engage with the text, making it more meaningful. Instead of merely absorbing information or passively reading, students are encouraged to pause, think, and interact with the text. This deepens their understanding and makes reading a fun exercise rather than a required task.
Critical Thinking: Annotation promotes critical thinking by asking students to underline key details, circle unfamiliar words, or jot down questions. Students begin noticing patterns, themes, and relationships within the text, preparing them for more advanced analytical skills later. Most standardized tests postulate they assess thinking, but they assess a student’s ability to analyze the text they read. Annotation allows students of all levels to actively and critically think about their reading content.
Retention and Recall: Annotating helps students remember what they read. Highlighting main ideas, writing quick summaries in the margins, or drawing connections to prior knowledge makes revisiting and recalling information easier
Joyful Discovery: When done right, annotation can enhance the reading experience. It’s not about “messing up” the book; it’s about uncovering layers of meaning and creating a personalized journey through the story.
Making Annotation Accessible for Grades 3-5
Younger students need guidance to see annotation as a helpful and enjoyable tool to help them understand the text they read. Here are some strategies to get them started:
1. Simple Symbols
Introduce students to basic annotation symbols and tools, such as:
Underlining: Important ideas, phrases, or captions under pictures.
Circling: New or interesting vocabulary words or words they like hearing.
Stars: Favorite parts or surprising moments that happen to the characters.
Question Marks: Parts they find confusing or want to learn more about. These visual cues make annotation manageable and fun, especially for younger readers.
2. Model the Process
Read a passage aloud and annotate it in real-time, explaining your thinking. Modeling helps all students regardless of their level of academic performance. For example:
“I’m underlining this sentence because it tells me about the character’s main problem.”
“I’m circling this word because I’ve never seen it before. Let’s look it up together.” Seeing annotation modeled helps students understand its purpose and how to apply it.
3. Make It Purposeful
Tie annotation to specific reading goals. For instance:
Analyzing Characters: Highlight traits, actions, or dialogue that reveal a character’s personality.
Identifying Theme: Circle clues that hint at the author’s message.
Summarizing Key Ideas: Jot down a quick sentence in the margins about what happened in a section. Purpose-driven annotation helps students focus on meaningful details rather than marking everything.
4. Use Annotation Prompts
Provide prompts to guide their thinking. Questions like:
What surprised you about that event or character action?
What does this remind you of?
Why do you think the author included this? These prompts encourage curiosity and help students dig deeper without feeling overwhelmed.
5. Incorporate Technology
Students reading digitally can use built-in annotation tools to highlight, add notes or tag sections. Digital annotation can be incredibly engaging for tech-savvy young readers.
6. When Writing on the Text Isn’t an Option
Not all reading materials, such as library books or shared classroom texts, allow direct annotation. In these cases, teach students to use their notebooks as an annotation tool. They can:
Write down key lines or sentences they find interesting or important.
Use headings or page numbers to organize their notes for easy reference.
Add personal reflections, questions, or summaries for each section of the text. This approach ensures students can still interact with the material without marking the original text. (This could be done in a book club or a writing group conversation style.)
Balancing Annotation with Joy
The key to making annotation work for young readers is balance. We don’t want annotation to feel like a chore that takes the fun out of reading. Here’s how to maintain the joy:
Focus on the Big Picture: Remind students that the goal is to understand better and enjoy the story, not to mark up every page or write every sentence.
Celebrate Personal Connections: Encourage students to jot down how a part of the story makes them feel or what it reminds them of from their lives. This process will help the students write effectively after the reading is completed.
Keep It Flexible: Let students choose their annotation style as they gain confidence. Some may prefer drawing symbols, while others might write short notes. (Start with the sentences, then add symbols.)
Closing Thoughts
Annotation is more than a reading strategy; it’s a doorway to deeper thinking, stronger comprehension, and greater enjoyment of texts. By teaching our students to annotate thoughtfully and purposefully, we help them become readers who understand what they read and engage with it meaningfully.
As evidenced by the picture of my notebook above, annotating does not have to be complicated or time-consuming. It can be fun and reveal a creative side of yourself you didn’t realize was there.
So, let’s hand our students a pencil, some sticky notes, or a digital highlighter and invite them to start a conversation with the text. Together, we can help them light up their reading lives—one thoughtful note at a time.
Teaching with Temprano is an Educational Consulting company whose sole purpose is to collaborate, educate, inspire, and provide real-world ELA strategies and lessons you could use tomorrow with your students. Districts that wish to hire me for PLCs or PD workshops email me at teachingwithtemprano@gmail.com
The first thing I wonder each time I stumble upon a new education blog is “how did they get their name?” In my case, I was sitting with some of my favorite colleagues and they kept joking that students learn with Temprano. I thought, “So if students learn with Temprano, colleagues teach with Temprano” and BINGO! My blog name was officially coined!
We have all attended those workshops where we are dreading it the entire time thinking, “I will never use this.” Inspiration hit me – What if there was a blog where strategies would be uploaded and shared in a no-nonsense way, where teachers can say, “Yes – this makes sense. I can use this tomorrow morning with my students.”? Teaching with Temprano is a clear, concise blog for ELA teachers in the 3-5th grades looking for strategies to enhance the current ELA curriculum your district is using and provide PLC and Professional Development opportunities for your cohort or district.
Since I value collaboration so very highly (with strangers here as well as within the school where I work), there is no better idea for me than creating a blog. I hope you come back again and again—for inspiration, for collaboration, for sharing…to help yourself be the best teacher you can be. I can’t wait to share with you the wonderful ideas I have found from other teachers, and to share with you some of the things that happen in my room, my classroom and my travel to other districts and states. Feel free to contact me on Social Media or Email and let’s begin the collaboration!
Teaching with Temprano 