If you’ve ever waited longer than you thought humanly possible for a complete sentence to appear during a writing assignment (only to discover nothing but tumbleweeds and doodles in the margins), you’re not alone. Middle schoolers often have great ideas, but getting those ideas onto paper is the struggle.
Here’s the secret: the more we guide students to talk it out, the more confident and capable they become as writers. Speaking and listening aren’t just side dishes in the ELA standards buffet; they’re the savory spices that make writing flavorful.
The results we want from leveraging speaking and listening come in the consistency and guidance of making this part of the ongoing writing process.
That’s why I’m sharing my five favorite, easily repeatable ELA-specific strategies you can use in your middle school classroom starting tomorrow. I’ll even share ten sentence/question stems for each strategy so you are truly prep-free when ready to implement. Each strategy ties directly to CCSS/TEKS standards (totally applicable even if you use different standards), builds classroom culture, and, most importantly, helps your students put more words on the page.
Turn your classroom into a mini courtroom or debate hall. Assign students character roles from your current novel or short story, and ask them to defend decisions, motives, or actions.
Specific Examples:
Why it works: Oral debate = rehearsal for claims and evidence. Students hear multiple sentence frames and ideas before writing.
Bonus: Builds empathy and teaches respectful disagreement.
Give students sentence starters (like training wheels for their writing). First, they practice saying a full sentence out loud to a partner. Then they immediately write that same sentence.
Why it works: Hearing themselves speak fluently first lowers anxiety and builds confidence.
Say It, Then Write It (Fiction and Nonfiction Stems)
Middle schoolers love to talk, so let’s leverage that! Have students record a 60-second “mini-podcast” on their phone, Chromebook, or even just by speaking to another student in a partner or small group setup. When listening back from a recording device, they jot down keywords and use those notes to jump-start their draft. If doing this with a partner or small group, then that person (or persons) will share the keywords and phrases they jotted down as the talking student spoke.
Quick prompts:
Why it works: Talking is faster than writing. Students realize they already have plenty to say—they just need to capture it on paper.
Pair students and let them interview each other before writing. This works beautifully for personal narratives, reflective writing, or even literary analysis.
My “pro tip” is to have students do this as a bell ringer (warm-up, hook, do-now) once a week for a few weeks leading up to your impending narrative writing unit. By the time you get into that unit, students will have a library of personal accounts to draw from so they’re not starting from scratch when it’s time to think of a narrative topic.
Instant interview questions (serious, funny, off-the-wall, etc):
Why it works: Oral storytelling is the natural bridge to written narratives. Plus, it builds community and makes students feel heard.
This one’s short, sweet, and effective. Pose a big question, give students three minutes to discuss with a partner, then three minutes to write. Repeat throughout the unit.
Sample questions:
Why it works: Low-stakes, timed “bursts” normalize writing fluency and stamina.
[This one is perfect for a closure activity, especially if you’re running a writing workshop]
End class with a mini “feedback circle.” Students read one strong line aloud from their own drafts. Peers respond with sentence stems for feedback, like:
Why it works: Oral feedback boosts confidence and models revision. It also strengthens classroom culture by making peer critique productive and supportive.
None of these strategies require hours of prep or fancy materials. They lean on what middle schoolers are already naturally doing—talking—and channel that energy into stronger, more confident writing.
Next time your students are stuck staring at the page, try flipping the script: let them say it first, then write it down. You’ll be amazed at how speaking and listening can encourage written words that otherwise wouldn’t make it onto the paper.