Writing Curriculum | Incite To Write

The Incite to Write Method

Does your child stare at the page, write three sentences, and say "I can't think of anything else?

You’re not alone. But this is not a writing problem. It’s a thinking problem.

Spelling, grammar, sentence structure — these are teachable, learnable skills, and if your child needs extra support with any of them, that support matters and has its place. But even a child who’s mastered every mechanic can still stare at a blank page. That’s because what makes writing possible is the thinking that comes first: coming up with an idea, then knowing what to do with it once you have one. Skip that part, and mechanics alone won’t get a child past “I don’t know what to write.” Master it, and everything else has something to work with.

Incite to Write is built on a thinking process with documented results — including a 97% success rate across five states in federally funded programs. [More on that below.]

Writing starts with thinking. And the best place to start with thinking is, “I don’t know!”

“I don’t know” is not a problem to fix, or a sign that your child is stuck. It’s actually the doorway, not the dead end. It signals openness to something new, openness to discovery. Ideas can’t come to a mind that’s already decided it knows everything.

For centuries, education has praised “I know.” But idea generation starts with an open mind that gives permission for your child’s innate curiosity to take over. So the next time your child says, “I don’t know what to write”, you can respond with, “Great! That’s the best place to begin.”

Once “I don’t know” stops feeling like failure and starts feeling like an opening, the mind is free to do some interesting thinking. That thinking process is what the Incite to Write Method is built on. And because thinking takes center stage, you don’t have to worry about AI doing the thinking for your child. They can do it for themselves. As they get older and their thinking skills grow, they can become adept at using AI as their tool, but it won’t be the other way around.

The Incite to Write Method

From curiosity, comes questions. When we don’t know, we start asking questions, and those questions generate more questions. This is how your child walks through the doorway and begins to explore their mind.

At the heart of the Incite to Write Method is the Incite to Write Inquiry Process — the foundation that makes everything else possible.Students learn to ask their own questions and follow them wherever they lead. Not questions they are handed. Questions that are entirely their own.

One question leads to an answer. That answer sparks another question. Before long, a child who had “nothing to write” has a trail of their own thinking to follow — and something they actually want to say.

This is what Module 1: Wake Up Your Mind! How to Build & Write Paragraphs teaches. Your child learns how to think, question, and generate ideas — the skill every other kind of writing depends on. Thinking skills are fun to learn and fun to teach. Many of the strategies are interactive and oral, and work well with the whole family or a full classroom.

From there: Module 2 teaches the basics of Grammar, Module 3 covers Narrative Writing, and Module 4 covers Expository/Persuasive Writing. Each module stands on its own foundation from Module 1 — so you’re not locked into a sequence.

All four modules include Strategies and Worksheets. Strategies can be repeated again and again as mastery grows, and work at any grade level — often hands-on, fun, and done orally. Worksheets support the strategies. Short videos demonstrate many of the strategies in action.

Who It’s For

Parents and teachers of students in elementary and middle school who want a new way to work with reluctant writers that is easy and fun for them to use. Incite to Write was built as a fun, interactive, hands-on curriculum to get kids out of their seats and enjoying using their minds. It’s for kids who need a sequence of tools that make sense to them, that they can do right from the start, and that give them confidence to keep going. No more freezing, no more “I hate writing”. Starting from wherever they are at is just fine.

Why It’s Different

Many writing curricula lead with grammar and written output. But research points the other way: the biggest obstacle for most students isn’t mechanics — it’s coming up with an idea, and then expanding on it once they have one. Incite to Write treats “how do I go from blank to something” as a teachable, sequenced skill.

Because the process builds thinking skills, students don’t even need to pick up a pencil until around the 10th strategy. Critical and creative thinking skills are done orally at first, and they are fun to do.

Incite to Write does not teach to one grade level, so there is no concern over the question of “Is my child at the right grade level?” The skills for good writing are the same, whether you’re in 3rd grade or college. Each child comes in at their own level. The strategies are designed to be used again and again as students achieve writing mastery.

This also means that if you are homeschooling children at different grade levels, they can all do the same strategies. It works the same for a 3rd grader and a 7th grader — so they can build writing skills together, each at their own pace, using the same sequence.

The evidence: Incite to Write’s strategies meet ESSA (Every Student Succeeds Act) Tier 1 evidence standard — the same bar required for federal education grant funding. Under that standard, Incite to Write was used across five states in Title I programs for 6 years, with an average 97% success rate in helping struggling students meet their Language Arts goals. All strategies and worksheets also align with Common Core standards for Writing, Language Usage, and Speaking & Listening, with the corresponding standard noted on every strategy and worksheet. This is useful if you’re a teacher or tracking standards for your state’s homeschool requirements.

Who is Incite to Write for?

Teachers and Parents who work with Elementary & Middle School Students who:

Love writing but desire an accelerated program
Hate writing, struggle with writing, or find writing boring
Freeze and are too scared to pick up a pencil
Need an easy-to-understand yet sophisticated writing curriculum
Need to address learning gaps
Didn’t get it the first time
English Language Learners
Kids who are homeschooled, unschooled or engaged in alternative education

INCITE TO WRITE MODULES

The skills for good writing are the same regardless of how old you are or what level you are at. Incite to Write addresses all the skills students need to become competent, confident, and powerful communicators. The strategies are designed to be used at any level and used again and again as students achieve writing mastery.

While the Incite to Write activities are positioned for elementary and middle school students, many college professors use these strategies successfully, as well as parents homeschooling with K-2nd grade children.

Each module incorporates thinking and imagination strategies that are proven winners with kids and have been used successfully with thousands of students in classrooms and homes around the country.

The Modules Consist of:

Strategies:
Strategies are learning tools that can be used with all age groups and with the same students again and again until mastery is achieved.

Worksheets:
Worksheets are generally used once and reinforce the strategies. Worksheets provide step-by-step practice in a systematic way to increase understanding.

Videos:
Short, 5-15 minute videos in Modules I, II and III show teachers and parents demonstrating several of the strategies during a workshop conducted by Incite to Write creator Carol Aubrey. You will learn writing tips and how best to implement the strategies.