Overcome Middle School Writing Overwhelm with Jump In 

Does this scenario feel familiar?

You’re sitting across from your child, asking them to tackle a short writing project, and you’re encountering … resistance. Maybe this looks like tears, big emotions, or a pencil that keeps mysteriously breaking.

You wonder why it’s so hard for him or her to just write a few simple sentences.

Writing is just putting thoughts on paper, right? And you know your child has plenty of thoughts.

So why does it feel so hard to get them writing a paragraph, an essay, or a book report on a book you know they love?

Support for Middle School Writing Struggles

It turns out that writing is not just one skill. It’s a whole series of skills. Young writers can encounter a lot of barriers, from not knowing where to start, to struggling with too many ideas, to not being comfortable where they are writing.

But not to worry. This post outlines how to get your middle schooler started with writing without the battles and overwhelm.

What Is Jump In?

Jump In is a complete middle school composition curriculum that provides an open-and-go format for homeschool families.

As the name suggests, Jump In, will help you and your middle grade learners get started quickly and easily with writing paragraphs, essays, poetry, book reports, and more without the pressure of a rigid, intimidating writing curriculum.

Instead, fun writing prompts, helpful Dos and Don’ts lists, low-stakes warm-up exercises and suggested writing schedules will get kids comfortable with writing and excited to share their work.

Now available exclusively from Berean Builders, Jump In is part of an extensive writing line up by Sharon Watson available for students in junior high and high school.

What Skills Does Jump In Teach?

Jump In’s gentle approach to teaching middle school writing still provides a solid foundation and comprehensive material.

As a complete middle school writing curriculum, Jump In covers: 

• Paragraph Construction
• Opinion & Persuasive Writing
• Cause and Effect Essays
• Newspaper Style & How-To Writing
• Reports and Biographies
• Book Reports
• Description and Narration
• Proofreading
• and more

Jump In also introduces middle schoolers to several forms of poetry from Haiku to limerick to hymns.

Along the way, students will learn powerful tools they can apply to any writing project, and they will develop a strong base for writing required at the high school level.

Brainstorm, Write, Fix

As an all-in-one curriculum, Jump In helps your middle schooler learn and develop real-world skills that will set them up for a lifetime of writing well.

Whether it’s experimenting with creative brainstorming techniques, knowing when and how to use their “editor brain,” or just figuring out where they write best (in a quiet room? near a window?), students’ confidence and skills will grow.

Using the Teacher’s Edition alongside the Student Text means parents can coach students through applying brainstorming, writing, and revision methods to any writing project. And the best part is that the Teacher’s Edition includes all of the suggested writing schedules, assignment checklists, and Grading Grids needed for a successful experience.

Help for Hesitant Writers

Jump In provides the support that many homeschool parents appreciate when it comes to teaching students who feel nervous or intimidated about writing.

The format is simple but structured so homeschool families can dive right in. All you need to begin is something to write with and a pack of sticky notes for brainstorming sessions.

Jump In is a great fit for enthusiastic writers too. Fun prompts and helpful examples of every essay assignment make Jump In a great fit for family-style learning or homeschool co-ops.

Jump In even teaches some literature lessons and reinforces grammar principles, making it a strong language arts option for students in 5th through 8th grade.

Get Started With Jump In Your Homeschool

Ready to ‘Jump Into’ writing with your middle schooler? Families can choose between paperback and digital versions of Jump In. A Teacher’s Guide and full set are available as well.

Jump In helps take the overwhelm out of teaching writing and gets students excited about their middle school composition possibilities.