How to Write an A+ Essay

Title  

Choose a clear title that reflects the essay’s main point. The title is the most general description of what your writing is about. It is a more general version of your thesis/general topic sentence. Be reader friendly: make it completely obvious:

No good:

• School Uniforms 

• This doesn’t tell the reader anything about the purpose of the essay. 

Better:

• The Disadvantages of School Uniforms 
• The Advantages and Disadvantages of the President’s Proposed Military Aid Package
  
  

See more about punctuation and capitalization rules for titles. 

Introduction 

Hook 

A hook grabs the reader’s attention. At school, the teacher has to read your writing, but in the real world, nobody will read your writing unless the hook draws them in to read the rest.

Basic hooks are questions, especially rhetorical questions:

• Have you ever wondered why...?
• Did you know...?

“If it bleeds, it leads.” 

You can do better than a basic hook. What do TV news shows lead with? They lead with blood and guts because we're afraid of getting hurt. We want to know about dangers out there. That’s why news about murder, violence, war, or disease always goes first.

For an essay, however, the best and easiest-to-find hooks are shocking or surprising facts and statistics. Use the most surprising fact you find during research. Don’t bury your most surprising finding in a body paragraph. Editors call that “burying the lede” (or “lead”).

If you haven’t found anything surprising during your research, then you definitely haven’t done enough research!

• Example: “The most iconic American sports car, the Corvette, was designed by a Russian during the Cold War.”
• Formula hook: If you’re completely stuck, you can use the formula hook: “There is an ongoing debate about…” People are drawn to conflict, to arguments. This at least tells the reader that you’re talking about a controversial topic.

Overview

 The overview provides the basic background information necessary for the reader to understand the topic. This is essential for giving context before diving into your argument. Ideally, the overview should also convey the importance of the issue to make the reader care about the topic.

• Example 1: When writing about the pros/cons of automation, you could provide a brief overview of how the use of automation has grown in recent years and its impact on various industries.
• Example 2: In an English literature/movie critique essay, the overview will briefly summarize the plot.
• Advanced: Start by describing the OPPOSITE opinion: Some people believe… because…

Then transition to YOUR opinion in the thesis…

Thesis

The thesis is the most important sentence in an essay. It states your opinion and main supporting reasons. It is a one-sentence summary of your entire essay.  

The thesis is always the last sentence of the introduction.  

The thesis needs to present a clear argument. It can’t be merely descriptive.  

Note: Reports are structured in the same way as an essay, but instead of a thesis statement, they have a general topic sentence. 

Don’t include any detailed reasoning in the introduction

Details in the introduction overwhelm the reader. Save the details for the body paragraphs. Include only enough information in the introduction for readers to understand the larger context before diving into more focused points. 

A solid thesis includes both your opinion and your supporting reasons.

• Rule of 3: One reason for an argument isn’t compelling. With two reasons, you’re on the right track, but three reasons tell the reader your point is well-supported (this is based on what a prosecutor needs to prove in a criminal case: means, motive, opportunity)
• Example: School uniforms are a good idea because they save students time, save parents money, and improve school spirit.

See more about thesis statements:

• Nuanced thesis statements
• Avoid making strong claims without support

See more about introduction techniques:

• Mirrored introduction-conclusion
• Complementary introduction-conclusion
• The FLIP technique: irony and unintended consequences
  

Body Paragraphs  

Your thesis statement at the end of the introduction states your position on an issue and summarizes your supporting reasons. Each of those reasons is then developed in its own body paragraph. Body paragraphs are an explanation of how you arrived at your thesis. Each body paragraph explains one supporting reason in detail.

Each body paragraph in your essay focuses on a single idea or argument. Don’t try to tackle multiple issues in one section. Keep the structure clear and logical by keeping each body paragraph focused on a single point. If you have many points, use more (shorter) paragraphs.

Body paragraphs have a SINGLE controlling idea, and this idea is developed from general to specific.

Topic sentence  

Each paragraph in the body of the essay focuses on a single reason that supports the thesis. Start with a clear topic sentence that introduces the point. Keep it short. Don’t explain the reason in detail yet.

Think of the first sentence of a paragraph as a mini thesis statement.

Examples:

• The first reason why school uniforms are not a good idea is because they prevent students from expressing their uniqueness.
• The first reason why uniforms are a good idea is because they save students time.

Aim for predictable, reader-friendly writing. Tell the reader exactly what to expect in that paragraph.

If anything in the paragraph is not related to the topic sentence, it should NOT be in that paragraph.

Reason/Rationale/Reinforcement  

Include a general explanation of the reason. Reinforce the main idea.   

This is where most people’s writing stops. They have a topic sentence, a general explanation, and maybe a summary, but they’re missing evidence (which is a requirement of academic writing) and an example, which brings the evidence to life for the reader. Can you prove to the reader that you know what you're talking about?

Evidence

Present evidence to back up your reason, such as statistics, facts, or logical reasoning. Without evidence, all you have is an unsupported opinion.  

Example: In an essay on school uniforms, a body paragraph could argue that uniforms save time. The topic sentence might be: "The first reason school uniforms are beneficial is that they save students valuable time each morning." The reasoning explains how students no longer have to decide what to wear. The evidence might cite a survey that shows students take less time getting ready when uniforms are mandatory. Finally, an example could describe a typical student who saves time every morning because of uniforms.  

In academic essays, every claim needs evidence to back it up. The best kind of evidence is data from research studies, but you can also use expert opinions or historical examples. The key is that your argument must be well-supported.  

Example: If you claim that school uniforms reduce bullying, you might provide evidence from a study showing that schools with uniforms report fewer bullying incidents. You could further enhance the argument by citing specific examples of schools that have seen a reduction in behaviour issues from implementing uniforms.  

At higher levels, each body paragraph should include more than one piece of evidence to support the main point. This helps create a stronger, more persuasive argument. A single piece of evidence may not be enough to convince the reader.  

Example: If discussing job losses due to automation, include data on various job sectors such as cashiers, retail workers, and administrative assistants, rather than focusing on only one group. 

Example 

“1,000,000 dead Russian soldiers is a statistic. One dead Russian soldier is a tragedy.” 

• Attributed to Joseph Stalin 

When Joseph Stalin’s generals were arguing about the best way to present horrendous World War 2 battle casualties to the public, Stalin told them that big numbers, like “a million dead,” are an abstraction that means nothing to the average person. He told them to focus on a single, relatable example.   

Large numbers and statistics can be hard for readers to grasp. Use specific examples to make abstract concepts more relatable. A well-chosen example helps readers visualize and understand the significance of your argument.  

Note: Many students don’t understand what an example is. An example is something that the reader can visualize. It has to be a specific person or incident that can be PICTURED. General concepts cannot be pictured. Bring the evidence to life with a vivid example.

Summary/Significance 

People are easily confused and forget quickly. Remind readers of the main point of the paragraph they just read. The summary/significance statement should mirror the topic sentence of the paragraph. It should clarify how that paragraph supports the thesis. 

Why was this paragraph important?

• In summary, ...
• For that reason, ...

Read more about body paragraphs and evidence:

• Where does the 5-paragraph structure come from?
• Comparing Data Using Percentages
• “Dimensionalizing” Data
• Transitions for Clarity and Cohesion
• Percentage Point vs Percentage Change
• Advanced: Starting the body paragraphs with the opposite point of view

Conclusion 

The conclusion of an essay should wrap up the main points without introducing new ideas. It summarizes the key arguments and may include a final thought: an observation, prediction, or suggestion. 

The structure is deliberately repetitive. Sage advice: “Say what you're going to say, say it in detail, and then say what you said.” 

Your conclusion is the mirror of the introduction: it begins with your thesis statement.

Thesis 

The conclusion begins with a restated thesis: your thesis from the introduction but in different words. Summarize the reasons in the same order as they appear in the body paragraphs and in the thesis in the introduction.

Observation, Prediction, Suggestion 

The conclusion ends with a final thought, which could be an observation, prediction, or suggestion. Include one or more of these to wrap up the essay. This should logically follow from the content of the essay and should not be surprising or entirely new.  

By convention, we do not include new ideas in the conclusion. The reader is not expecting them there. If it’s something important, it belongs in a body paragraph.  

Example prediction: “In conclusion, while automation may lead to significant job losses, it remains to be seen whether it will open up new fields of employment.” 

Example suggestion: If you’ve written an essay about the benefits of school uniforms, a suggestion for more schools to adopt uniform policies flows naturally from your content.

Repetition for Clarity  

In academic writing, repetition is important to help the reader stay on track. The introduction tells the reader what the essay will cover, you elaborate on these points in the body paragraphs, and finally, you restate the main points in the conclusion. This repetition reinforces the argument and helps ensure the reader understands the structure and logic of the essay.  

"Say what you’re going to say, say it in detail, and then say what you said": 

• The thesis statement in the introduction previews the essay’s argument and reasoning. 
• The topic sentences at the beginning of each body paragraph remind the reader of the paragraph's focus in relation to the thesis. 
• The final sentence of each body paragraph summarizes the paragraph’s point in relation to the thesis.  
• The thesis is restated in the conclusion. 

3. The Writing Process 

The ABCDE Writing Process Produces High Quality  Writing Every Time

The Elements of Composition

2000 years ago, the Roman statesman Cicero, who was considered the greatest public speaker at the time, pointed out that composition is made up of five elements:  

1. Invention: Invention is finding good ideas, facts, or arguments to include in your writing or speech. I often refer to it as content. 

2. Arrangement: Once you have your ideas, arrangement means organizing them in the best order. 

3. Style: Style is how you choose to express your ideas. It involves picking the right tone and way of speaking or writing to make your message clear and interesting to that specific audience.  

4. Memory: Memory is about knowing your content well enough so that you can talk about it without always looking at your notes.  

5. Delivery: Delivery is how you present your work to others. For a speech, it means using eye contact, voice, and body language to keep the audience’s attention. In writing, it means making sure your ideas are easy to understand. 

All five elements are crucial for speeches. However, for academic writing, "#3 style" will be formal and "#4 memory" applies in class – the teacher might ask you to orally summarize your ideas without reference to notes. For our purposes, we can simplify the elements to 1) content, 2) arrangement, and 3) delivery.  

Most students just sit down and start writing, but smart writers don’t do this. If you just sit down and start writing, you are simultaneously dealing with content, arrangement, and delivery. This is multi-tasking, and no one is good at it.  

That’s why smart writers do one step at a time. They know that what you do before you start writing is more important than what you do after. Process determines quality of outcome:  

1. Analyze the prompt: First determine the requirements of the task, so you know what you need to find. This is called “defining the scope of the task.”

2. Brainstorm: What do you already know about the topic? This tells you what gaps in your knowledge you need to fill in. Research and fill in the gaps.

3. Compile, chunk, and chuck: First compile the information you need. This involves copying and pasting because you still don’t know what you’re going to keep or what you’re going to leave out. Related ideas are chunked into groups. To avoid clutter and confusion, unrelated ideas are chucked. The result is an outline in point form (bullet points) on one side of one sheet of paper. This is your essay map – all thinking is done at this stage.

Yes, the outline needs to be no longer than one side of one sheet of paper. This is to give you a snapshot of the entire work at a glance – think of it as a map of your essay.

Winston Churchill, the British Prime Minister during World War II, once demanded of the First Lord of the Admiralty:

An editor I follow has a reputation for fixing novels where the writer has gotten stuck and can’t resolve conflicts in the plot. When such an author comes to him for help, he asks to see the author’s outline. As a rule, these authors don’t have one, which is why they’re stuck. He tells them to come back only after they have gone through their novel and produced an outline - on one side of one sheet of paper. This exercise alone fixes the problem – for the first time, the author can see the entire story at a glance, and it becomes easy to identify where the problems are.

On a practical level, when students spend a lot of time writing a draft, they are reluctant to make changes because of all the effort they have put into it. That’s why you do not want students to invest time in writing sentences and paragraphs at this point – they won’t want to change what they’ve spent time writing.

NEVER start writing without an outline. You’re wasting your time.

4. Draft: Once you’re happy with the outline, transform bullet points and information you’ve copied and pasted into a draft.

5. Edit: Edit the draft yourself several times before giving it to an editor, family member, or friend to check. This is then revised several more times before the final copy is published.

One of my favourite writers, the essayist Malcolm Gladwell, said in an interview about his writing process that his editor makes him revise his draft five or six times before the book is published. Gladwell is already one of the world’s best writers, and even he has to revise his work multiple times before the public sees it.

When students read great writing and compare it to their own, they can get discouraged. It’s important to tell them that what they are reading has probably been revised at least 10 times. The perfection they see on the page is the result of this powerful process.

The ABCDE Process 

Analyze the prompt 

• What is required to thoroughly answer the question? This determines the scope of what you need to do. 

Brainstorm 

• What do you already know?  
• What do you need to know? W5H questions are good prompts: 
• Who? 
• What? 
• Where? 
• When? 
• Why? 
• How? 
• Play the role of Devil’s Advocate and test the strength of your arguments by considering counterarguments and refutations (explained later). 

Compile, Chunk, Chuck 

• Compile information. At this stage, copy and paste. Put quotation marks around anything you copy and always include the URL.
• Once you have enough information, chunk it into related groups.
• Chuck unrelated information. You don’t want clutter.
• The end result of this stage is a one-page outline.

Draft  

• Transform your outline into a draft. 

Edit  

• If you want high quality, you’ll revise your draft several times.  
• It’s easier to notice problems after a break. 
• We are poor judges of our own work. Share your draft with a friend, family member, or editor.  
• You’ll revise several more times. 

How do you brainstorm?   

Start with what you know and then figure out what you need to know.  

First note in point-form what you already know about the issue. Essay topics are generally problem-oriented and fall into one of the following four categories, so you can start with these questions:  

• What’s the problem? Describe it. 
• Who or what is to blame for the problem? Explain the cause-effect relationship. 
• What’s the solution? Explain. 
• Is the solution practical vs alternatives? 

What do you not know that you should know? Think about the information you need to find in order to have a better understanding of the issue. Your goal is to become much better informed about the topic so that you can provide a thorough answer to the question assigned by your teacher. 

The W5H question prompts  

What do you need to know? W5H questions are good prompts:  

• Who? 
• What? 
• Where? 
• When? 
• Why? 
• How? 

Advanced: Start by looking for evidence 

What makes academic writing different is that you need to provide evidence for everything you say, for every claim you make. You can’t present unsupported opinions. Prove to the reader that you know what you’re talking about. 

One brainstorm method that works well is to do an image search for statistics related to the topic. You can quickly get an idea of available proof. What reasons could I support with this data?  

Body paragraphs proceed from general to specific: 

• Topic sentence 
• Reason in general terms 
• Specific evidence 
• More specific example 
• What’s the significance (the importance, the point) of what you’re saying?  

Your evidence is quite specific. Therefore, your reason, whatever it is, has to lead into the evidence, so you might as well start by figuring out what you can prove. Remember, data is the gold standard, so a good place to start is an image search for “statistics about…”  

Devil’s Advocate, Counterarguments & Refutations  

When lawyers are preparing for a case, they brainstorm what the other side is going to argue. This is called “playing Devil’s Advocate.” It means arguing against yourself in order to clarify your own reasoning. 

For each argument you come up with, think of a counterargument, which is what the opposite side would argue. Then come up with a refutation, which is your response to the counterargument. 

A Framework for Critiquing Ideas  

You can critique arguments in terms of facts, what those facts mean, how those facts should be interpreted, and whether they are relevant.

1. You can dispute facts.
2. You can dispute what the facts mean.
3. You can dispute values, i.e. whether facts should be interpreted positively or negatively.
4. You can dispute relevance.

It is easiest to understand this framework with reference to court cases:  

1. Disagreements about facts 

In a court case, the prosecution will argue that Mr. Smith was responsible for killing Mr. Jones. Mr. Smith’s lawyer will argue that Mr. Smith didn’t do it. This is an argument about the key facts of the matter: true vs not true.  

2. Disagreements about definitions/meaning 

You can argue about what something means. 

In the courtroom example, if it turns out there is indisputable evidence that Mr. Smith killed Mr. Jones, such as video footage of Mr. Smith shooting Mr. Jones, then Mr. Smith’s lawyer can dispute the meaning of the facts.  

• The prosecution will argue that this was premeditated murder (“1st degree murder”). 
• His lawyer might argue that Mr. Smith only meant to frighten Mr. Jones, and the gun went off accidentally. This is no longer premeditated murder. 

3. Disagreements about values 

Many arguments come down to differences in values. After addressing facts and definitions, consider how values (e.g., freedom, fairness, well-being, justice) influence people’s positions on an issue. Sometimes, it’s not about which argument is “right” but about which values take priority. 

In the court case example, the defense might argue that it’s a good thing that Mr. Smith killed Mr. Jones because Mr. Jones had secretly been plotting a terror attack, and it’s a good thing that he’s now dead. 

Note that these critiques are sequential: disagreeing about values assumes you’re not disagreeing about the meaning of anything or about the facts. It’s when you can’t dispute the facts that you move on to disagreements about meaning, and when there’s no ambiguity in the matter, you move on to disagreeing about values. 

How to Develop Ideas and Avoid Information Gaps  

Outlining Before Writing 

Before you start writing, it’s important to create a point-form (bullet point) outline. The outline is essential because it allows you to organize your ideas before drafting. It’s where your thinking and planning should happen, NOT at the draft stage.  

Using point form bullets is important: if you write everything in full sentences, it’s much harder to see the connections between ideas. At this stage, you are only concerned with the quality of the ideas and their organization. If you write everything out in full sentences, it takes much longer to review your own content because you have to read so much.   

ALL of your thinking goes in the outline. Follow this process and the writing stage becomes the EASIEST part of the assignment. 

How to edit for content gaps: probing and clarifying questions 

When reviewing or editing an essay, ask probing and clarifying questions to develop ideas more fully.  

• Probing questions ask for more detail about vague or general statements. 
• Clarifying questions ensure the meaning is clear.  

Probing and clarifying questions help strengthen vague sections of writing.  

Example: If a sentence says, “Kennedy was a prominent politician,” a probing question might be: “What major policies did he enact?” “What did he accomplish?”  

How to Edit  

Read aloud for proofreading 

Reading your writing aloud helps you catch mistakes that your eyes might miss. The ear catches awkward or unnatural phrasing more effectively than the eyes, which often skip over errors in favor of meaning.  

If you read a sentence aloud and it doesn’t sound smooth or natural, it’s a good indication that the sentence needs revising. Imagine you’re writing for a younger, less informed audience. This will force you to clarify and simplify. 

Prolix versus concise writing 

“I apologize for the length of this letter. If I’d had more time, it would be shorter.”  

• Attributed to Oscar Wilde 

The golden rule of editing: If you can say the same thing using fewer words, do it. 

Most students’ writing is thin: ideas are superficial and there is very little content to “sink your teeth into." As a result, students have trouble reaching the minimum word count for an assignment. They then maximize the number of words to describe every concept. 

However, when you follow the ABCDE writing process, your problem will be having too much content. This is a good problem to have. That’s why you will need to edit for conciseness - so you can fit in more of the great ideas you find. 

Precise word choice & “visible” writing 

Avoid vague or general nouns like “tool” or “vehicle” that don’t create clear images in the reader’s mind. Use specific nouns that readers can visualize. This technique, called “visible writing,” enhances clarity and keeps the reader engaged.  

Example: Instead of saying “I bought food,” say “I bought sweet and sour chicken balls from Mandarin.”

Avoiding Redundancy 

Avoid using unnecessary double verbs or repeating the same idea in slightly different words. This creates redundancy and makes the writing less clear.  

Example: Instead of “Half the population is fed or supported by synthetic fertilizers,” simplify to “Half the population is fed by synthetic fertilizers.” 

4. Plagiarism and Referencing 

Summarizing and paraphrasing without plagiarism 

Creativity is not needed for high marks in school. This is because every single idea has already been posted online at least 100 times. There is nothing unique you need to come up with.  

I’m not saying you shouldn’t try to come up with unique ideas! I’m just saying you don’t need to. 

Why do we summarize and paraphrase instead of quoting? Extensive quotes are a red flag - they mask a lack of understanding. In fact, many teachers/professors have strict limits on the percentage of an essay that can be direct quotes. It might be as low as 5%. The rest must be in your own words. 

When summarizing, the goal is to condense the text while retaining the core ideas. A summary should always be significantly shorter than the original and should include only the key points and most important details.  

Avoid paraphrasing a sentence word by word or chunk by chunk. You can do this for one sentence, but when you do it for a few sentences in a row, it’s called “light plagiarism." A better method is to look away from the original text and put it in your own words as if you were explaining it to a younger person. This will help you avoid copying the sentence structure of the original. 

Always cite your sources when paraphrasing to avoid plagiarism. 

Plagiarism  

Plagiarism means copying someone’s exact wording without quotation marks or copying an idea without giving credit. To avoid plagiarism, always put direct quotes in quotation marks and provide a reference for both quoted ideas and ideas that are paraphrased.   

If you copy three or more words in a row from any source, they MUST go inside quotation marks. Watch out for “light plagiarism”: this means simply rearranging words or copying the structure of the original too closely.

Ideally, you want to read the passage and then look away as you think of your own way to state the information. It helps to imagine you’re explaining it to a younger person – this way you’ll use straightforward language.

Plagiarism is completely unnecessary. The teacher is NOT looking for original content; the teacher wants to see that you did research and that you understood what you found.

Referencing  

Referencing shows your effort in research and prevents plagiarism.   

Students are under the mistaken impression that teachers are looking for original work. Nothing could be further from the truth! As you get older, you won’t be writing personal narratives and unsupported opinion pieces. The purpose of writing assignments is to get students to read and remember what they read by writing it down in their own words. 

As a rule, if you have more references, you’ll have a stronger essay. It’s just a reflection of doing more research. Remember, writing is composed of three elements: content, arrangement, and delivery. Content is primary – the more you read about a topic, the more knowledgeable you will be, and your work will be more interesting because you’ll know more interesting things to share. 

Do you have to reference everything you look up? 

No, you don’t have to reference general facts or explanations. If you say the Earth revolves around the Sun or that water boils at 100C, you don’t need references.  

However, you do need to reference data or less commonly known facts. In university, a teaching assistant explained it like this:  

• Student: “Miss, what do we need to reference?”  

• Teaching assistant: “The capital of Canada is Ottawa. Everything else needs a reference.”  

• Student: “But that means my two-page essay will have 20 references!” 

• Teaching assistant: “Exactly!” 

The reader wants to know how you know what you're talking about. You have to tell the reader where you found those facts so that the reader can check and make sure that you didn't misinterpret them or come to the wrong conclusion.  

Example: A student wrote: "Since the 1950s, when chemical fertilizers became more common, population levels doubled compared to what they would be without these fertilizers.”  

This is not a commonly known fact. This is something that has to be looked up. You have to tell the reader where you found it (see below for a sample reference).  

How to Reference 

Referencing has TWO parts. It includes a brief in-text citation right after the information and a corresponding Works Cited entry at the end of the essay.  

In-text citations are placed immediately after the information or quote in your writing. The citation includes either the author's last name or the title of the article in quotation marks if there’s no author. The in-text citation doesn’t include all the reference information because it would clutter up your writing. If the reader wants to know more about this source, they scroll down to your Works Cited section to find the full reference.  

The Works Cited page at the end of an essay lists full details for all sources used. The Works Cited section should include the following information:  

• Author’s last name, first name. If there is no name, the Works Cited entry will start with the article title in quotation marks, which will match the in-text citation.
• Title of the article in quotation marks 
• Website name in italics 
• Date of the article
• URL 
• If there is no date (this is common with reference resources), include the date you accessed the resource. 
  

Example:   

In-text citation (this goes in the text itself, right after the information you looked up): 

Since the 1950s, when chemical fertilizers became more common, population levels have doubled compared to what they would be without these fertilizers (“World population with and without synthetic nitrogen fertilizers”).   

Works Cited section entry (it starts with the same information to match the in-text citation):  

“World population with and without synthetic nitrogen fertilizers.” Our World in Data, https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/world-population-with-and-without-fertilizer?tab=chart&country=~OWID_WRL . Accessed 21 Oct. 2024.  

To clarify, EVERY item in the Works Cited section must have a corresponding in-text citation, and vice versa. Works Cited entries are listed in alphabetical order.  

Conclusion 

I hope this guide has shed light on the essential requirements of academic writing.  

The HOT TREES TOPS system tells students exactly what to write in every part of an essay. It’s easy to understand, but it takes practice to learn how to use it. 

The AEM Academy Academic Writing Program is an online course where we apply the HOT TREES TOPS system to a wide variety of essay types. Students have extensive opportunities to practice writing with detailed feedback from the teacher. After receiving feedback, students have unlimited revision opportunities to fix issues and receive additional feedback, suggestions, and corrections. Teacher support is provided seven days per week. 

If you want to make sure your child can write well, I encourage you to sign up for a complimentary writing assessment.  

1. Have your child write a short response to one of the prompts at this link: https://aemacademy.ca/prompts-for-writing-assessment/

2. Send the writing sample to janw@aemacademy.ca no later than the night before the meeting. 
3. Book your meeting here: https://calendly.com/aemacademy/aem-academy-writing-assessment.  Appointments are available throughout the week.
4. We’ll meet for a 30-minute Zoom call to go over your child’s writing in detail and discuss what’s working and what isn’t. I’ll provide suggestions and share resources to help you help your child right away. You’ll also see exactly how the program works so you can decide whether it would meet your child’s needs. There is no obligation to purchase anything. 

Updates and Additional Resources 

This resource is periodically updated, and I often share lessons, exercises, and quizzes. Be sure to sign up for email updates here: https://aemacademy.ca/how-to-write-an-effective-academic-essay-extras/