Helping Struggling Writers Plan Without a Graphic Organizer

Tell me if you’ve seen this before:

You’re working on personal narratives.

Your student has chosen an idea.
They can tell you all about it.
They give you some details – some relevant, some not.

Then you say, “Let’s start planning our piece.”
Maybe you give them a graphic organizer.
Maybe you don’t.

Either way, nothing happens.
They just stare.
All those ideas they had? Gone, when they are faced by their nemesis: the blank page.

They’re just stuck!
So how do you get them unstuck?

This easy, hands-on strategy is perfect for helping kids plan and get their ideas on paper, in a logical order.

All you need is a pencil and sticky notes! (You can try it, too – just follow along with the video and get planning!)