AEM Academy

Writing Program for Kids Fills in Massive Gaps in Writing Skills 

The AEM online writing program for kids bridges the huge gaps  in children's writing skills left by school, and teaches your child everything they need to know to be successful in writing.

Schedule a FREE writing evaluation

We take the time to teach what school doesn't: the fundamentals of writing. Help your child get FAR ahead of their classmates and peers, and protect your investment in their education and future.

How Class Is Taught and How This Leads To Extraordinary Results for Your Child

About all programs:

  • The AEM writing program is customized based on the student's needs. Program length, frequency, and scope can be adjusted following a needs assessment. Call or write to learn more: 416 822 2637, jan@aemacademy.ca

Programs include a weekly online class and THREE weekly writing assignments with revisions. These assignments reinforce what was taught during class and provide more ongoing support and individualized, detailed feedback than any other writing program. That's why our students see such powerful results in such a short period of training.

Between classes, each student receives AT LEAST TWO rounds of descriptive feedback from the teacher on each writing assignment. That's detailed, descriptive, colour-coded feedback four-six times per week between classes. This provides more high-level personalized writing coaching than any other online or in-person writing program. The training stays top-of-mind and students quickly learn how to write well.

After students submit their writing through the course website (which keeps student work and teacher feedback perfectly organized), the teacher reviews it, identifies problem areas, and gives colour-coded descriptive feedback. Students then revise their work and the teacher re-checks it, correcting errors and providing explanations for changes as well as follow-up exercises that target problem areas. The teacher tracks these student issues across assignments and follows up continuously until each issue is resolved.

The first writing assignment focuses on grammar, complex sentences, and editing. The second assignment focuses on paragraph components and accurate descriptions. The following long-form assignment is an essay or report.

  1. Students combine simple sentences into complex sentences using the forms taught in class (these forms are taught cumulatively until 23 complex sentence types are mastered). The teacher checks student work and provides detailed, descriptive feedback. Students then revise their writing for another round of feedback and corrections.
  2. In short paragraphs, students summarize article excerpts and accurately describe data, processes, and diagrams (these ideas will be incorporated into their long form writing assignment in the next class). The teacher checks student work and provides detailed, descriptive feedback. Students then revise their writing for another round of feedback and corrections.
  3. Students include ideas from the previous writing assignment together with new concepts from class into an essay or report. The teacher checks student work at the brainstorming, outline, draft, and final stages, providing detailed, descriptive feedback at every step of the writing process that we train students to master. 



Students are placed in a writing program based on their current level and needs. They can enter the program at any point in levels I to V.


Levels I & II - Accelerated Learning: This program meets students at their current level and brings them up to standard. The focus is on getting students used to the writing process, resolving fundamental grammar issues (run-on sentences, sentence fragments, verb tense issues, subject-verb agreement, punctuation), understanding sentence structure foundations, and mastering essential concepts in paragraph and essay writing.
Students also focus on detailed, descriptive writing. Most student writing is "thin": it tends to be weakly developed and lack detail. Students learn how to identify gaps in their explanations and add details to make their writing come to life. They also learn how to research to support their ideas, and how to summarize and reference in order to avoid plagiarism.


Levels I and II include the following units: 

1. Paragraph Essentials for Academic Writing - Paragraph Elements

  • T.R.E.E.S. paragraphs
  • Sentence structure essentials: Simple sentences, compound sentences, complex sentences with subordinate and relative clauses
  • The A.B.C.D.E. writing process: a fool-proof system for developing ideas for any writing task
  • Academic honesty: avoiding plagiarism, referencing quotes and ideas using standard format

2. Features of Good Writing

  • Clarity of purpose: paragraphs develop one key idea
  • Clarity of language: how to make it easy for the reader to understand your ideas
  • Compelling evidence: how to support ideas with data and examples, the keys to persuasive writing
  • Cohesion and coherence - how to improve the flow of ideas: transitions, matching sentence ends to sentence beginnings
  • Grammar and sentence structure: parallelism in lists, pronoun usage and referencing, relative clauses - type II, complex sentences with multiple dependent clauses

3. Common Paragraph Types

  • Cause-effect paragraphs
  • Comparison paragraphs
  • Classification paragraphs
  • Problem-solution paragraphs
  • Idea development: how paragraphs practically write themselves when you work backwards from data
  • Grammar and sentence structure: subject-verb agreement with long subjects that have both singular and plural nouns, active and passive voice verbs, participles and participial phrases - type I

4. Classification Essays

  • Essay structure essentials: why we use the five-part (paragraph) structure; structuring classification essays; the thesis statement: the most important sentence in an essay; how to mind map using the course software
  • Finding and describing data
  • Grammar and sentence structure: review of relative clauses, participial phrases - types I and II, appositives

5. Cause-Effect Essays

  • Structuring cause-effect essays
  • Bringing ideas to life: dimensionalizing data
  • Grammar and sentence structure: unreal conditional - present, past, and mixed, review of relative clauses and participial phrases

6. Comparison Essays

  • Structuring comparison essays
  • Parallelism in comparisons: avoiding apples-to-oranges comparisons
  • Grammar and sentence structure: sentence structure parallelism with phrases and clauses; participial phrases - types I and II; review of conditionals, relative clauses, and participial phrases

7. Problem-Solution Essays

  • Structuring problem-solution essays
  • Grammar and sentence structure: noun clauses in subjunctive mood for orders and suggestions; review of conditionals, relative clauses, and participial phrases


Level III - Intermediate Training: Students continue to develop their descriptive and persuasive writing skills as well as an extensive repertoire of complex sentence types. Students also learn to use a variety of reliable, academic sources to bolster their writing with real-world information and data, and how to accurately summarize it.

Level III includes the following units: 

1. Essay Essentials for Academic Writing – Introductions, Body Paragraphs, and Conclusions

  • Essay structure essentials: the five-part (paragraph) structure; the thesis statement: the most important sentence in an essay; the hook: how to easily create a compelling hook without any additional effort; the conclusion: a simple but hard-working formula for effective conclusions
  • T.R.E.E.S. paragraphs
  • How to support ideas with data, the gold standard of academic writing: understanding tables; making comparisons: absolute vs relative difference
  • The A.B.C.D.E. writing process: how to develop ideas for a writing task
  • How to mind map using the course software
  • Academic honesty: avoiding plagiarism, referencing quotes and ideas using standard format
  • Sentence structure essentials: simple sentences, compound sentences, complex sentences with subordinate and relative clauses

2. Cause-Effect Essays

  • Structuring cause-effect essays
  • Supporting ideas with data: the best sources for finding data; idea development: how paragraphs practically write themselves when you work backwards from data; describing data accurately; bringing ideas to life: dimensionalizing data
  • Improving language: avoiding wordiness, avoiding vague language and using specific language
  • Grammar and sentence structure: unreal conditional: present, past, and mixed; noun clauses; appositives

3. Comparison Essays

  • Structuring comparison essays
  • Parallelism in comparisons: avoiding apples-to-oranges comparisons
  • Cohesion and coherence - how to improve the flow of ideas: transitions, matching sentence ends to sentence beginnings
  • Improving language: precise descriptions, using concrete language that the reader can visualize
  • Grammar and sentence structure: relative clauses - review and types III and IV; participial phrases: -review and types III and IV

4. Argument Essays

  • Structuring argument essays
  • The four essay topics
  • The four types of arguments
  • Balanced arguments: improving persuasiveness by acknowledging the opposing side, counterarguments and refutations
  • Grammar and sentence structure: unreal conditional - present, past, and mixed

5. Problem-Solution Essays

  • Structuring problem-solution essays
  • Grammar and sentence structure: noun clauses in subjunctive mood for orders and suggestions

6. Reaction/Reader Response Essays

  • Structuring reader response essays
  • Making connections to yourself, other texts/media, world events
  • Grammar and sentence structure: relative clauses - review of types I-IV; participial phrases - review of types I-IV


Level IV & V - Advanced Training: At Levels IV and V, we complete the sentence structure system. Students apply all grammar and sentence structure forms with the goal of attaining grammar mastery. Training continues in improving writing style and substance.

Essays are explored in depth. This program offers an intellectual challenge for students as they learn the core principles of argumentation and how these are applied in developing an essay. Concepts learned in this course are essential for responding to advanced level humanities essay prompts (sociology, psychology, law, philosophy, politics).

This level also teaches students how to write English literature essays, film reviews, and media critiques, which are quite different from social sciences essays and require their own vocabulary to discuss themes, character development, plot arcs, and aesthetic features.

Levels IV and V include the following units: 

1. Essay Essentials for Academic Writing – Introductions, Body Paragraphs, and Conclusions

  • Essay structure essentials: the five-part (paragraph) structure; the thesis statement: the most important sentence in an essay; the hook: how to easily create a compelling hook without any additional effort; the conclusion: a simple but hard-working formula for effective conclusions
  • Conclusions and cohesion: connecting conclusions to hooks
  • T.R.E.E.S. paragraphs
  • Sentence structure essentials: simple, compound, and complex sentences with subordinate and relative clauses

2. The Writing Process

  • Choosing a topic: the four essay topics, the four types of arguments
  • The A.B.C.D.E. writing process: how to develop ideas for a writing task, how to mind map using the course software
  • Grammar and sentence structure: subject-verb agreement in long subjects with both singular and plural nouns; participial phrases: types I and II

3. Using Original Sources

  • How to support ideas with data, the gold standard of academic writing: where to find reliable data; when to quote vs when to summarize/paraphrase; accuracy in paraphrasing, understanding data; making comparisons: absolute vs relative difference
  • Academic honesty: avoiding plagiarism, referencing quotes and ideas using standard format
  • Grammar and sentence structure: appositives vs relative clauses; unreal conditional: present, past, and mixed

4. Cause-Effect Essays

  • Structuring cause-effect essays
  • Supporting ideas with data: the best sources for finding data; idea development: how paragraphs practically write themselves when you work backwards from data; describing data accurately; bringing ideas to life: dimensionalizing data
  • Better topic choices and deeper development: the irony of unintended consequences
  • Grammar and sentence structure: verb tense consistency, noun clauses

5. Comparison Essays

  • Structuring comparison essays: block vs point-by-point method; parallelism in comparisons: avoiding apples-to-oranges comparisons
  • Cohesion and coherence - how to improve the flow of ideas
  • Improving language: precise descriptions; using concrete language that the reader can visualize
  • Grammar and sentence structure: avoiding problems with parallelism in sentence structure; relative clauses: review and types III and IV; participial phrases: review and types III and IV

6. Reaction/Reader Response Essays

  • Structuring reader response essays
  • Making connections to yourself, other texts/media, world events
  • Grammar and sentence structure: relative clauses: review of types I-IV; participial phrases: review of types I-IV

7. Argument Essays

  • Structuring argument essays: the four essay topics; the four types of arguments; balanced arguments: improving persuasiveness by acknowledging the opposing side; counterarguments and refutations
  • Grammar and sentence structure: unreal conditional: present, past, and mixed; noun clauses in subjunctive mood for orders and suggestions; nominative absolutes

8. Research Papers

  • Choosing a research topic
  • Evaluating sources
  • Developing ideas
  • The writing of Malcolm Gladwell: nesting ideas
  • Grammar and sentence structure: using passive voice appropriately


IELTS Writing Preparation: Our IELTS writing program has been developed by former IELTS examiners to help students get Band 7+. Powerful templates for each prompt type show you how to give the examiner exactly what they are looking for in the shortest way possible. 100 model responses show you how the writing system is applied and give you ideas you can apply in your own work, saving you precious brainstorming time.

In our unique two-stage program, after students submit their writing, they receive a Band score breakdown, colour-coded identification of errors, and detailed descriptive feedback. Students then revise their work for a 2nd round of feedback, which confirms or corrects their understanding of errors. The instructor then provides corrections and explanations for changes.


  • Program length is determined after a FREE diagnostic assessment and interview. Get in touch to receive a free diagnostic assessment and Band score for both Writing Task 1 and 2.
  • One-to-one training with former IELTS examiner: 4 one-hour classes + 8 writing tasks = 390 CAD (no tax, not USD). Please note that the program is fully customizable based on the student's current level, Band score requirements, and deadline.
  • Group classes run throughout the year. Get in touch for schedule and prices.
  • Writing feedback is provided within 24 hours. If you are taking the boot camp, feedback can be provided within an hour at pre-arranged times.


Online Small Group Writing Program

  • Students master essay writing, precise descriptive writing (summaries, statistics, and processes), grammar (the verb tense system), and 23 types of complex sentences.
  • Ideal for students in grades 5-10
  • Program length: Program length is 4 months per level. This is determined during the FREE, no obligation writing evaluation (the sign-up form is at the bottom of this page).
  • Up to 5 students in class (each class is 90 minutes)
  • Tuition: The 4-month program is $960 Canadian (not USD, no tax). This includes a 90-minute class, TWO weekly writing assignments with two-stage feedback for each assignment, and unlimited QA throughout the week.
  • Monthly payments are available: $240 CAD per month (no extra fee for monthly payments, not USD, no tax)

1-1 Academic Writing Program

  • Students master essay writing, precise descriptive writing (summaries, statistics, and processes), grammar (the verb tense system), and 23 types of complex sentences.
  • Ideal for students in grades 5-10
  • Each class is 60 minutes.
  • Friends and family (anywhere in the world) can join your class for only a small additional fee per student.
  • Program length: Program length is 4 months per level. This is determined during the FREE, no obligation writing evaluation (the sign-up form is at the bottom of this page).
  • Tuition: The 4-month program is $1440 Canadian (not USD, no tax). This includes a one-hour class, THREE weekly writing assignments with two-stage feedback for each assignment, and unlimited QA throughout the week.
  • Monthly payments are available: $360 CAD per month (no extra fee for monthly payments, not USD, no tax)
  • Large tuition discounts are available if you wish to enroll more than one child in your own VIP small group class.

Additional Areas of Program Focus

Research, Brainstorming, Organizing

We developed the ABCDE approach to writing, which breaks down writing assignments into easy steps that students complete one at a time. Big assignments no longer feel overwhelming!

  • Analyze: Students first learn how to analyze questions and success criteria so they know what the teacher is really looking for. 
  • Brainstorm: Students then learn how to generate ideas, find appropriate content to support their ideas, and organize their work using mind maps.
  • Chunk, check, and chuck: Ideas need to be grouped and checked against the success criteria. Many students are afraid to let go of content they've found, but ideas that are not directly related to the success criteria need to be chucked.
  • Develop: Point form ideas are developed into a draft. We teach a 100% foolproof formula that students follow to make sure their ideas are thoroughly developed.
  • Edit: Students learn a little-known but highly effective method to find mistakes on their own.


Academic Honesty

Over half of students in high school and about a quarter of university students cheat on assignments, mainly by plagiarizing. However, getting caught cheating can ruin your academic and professional future!

  • When students understand the writing process and how to generate ideas, writing assignments no longer feel overwhelming and the temptation to plagiarize disappears.
  • When students are confident in their writing abilities and know how to properly summarize and paraphrase, the need to plagiarize disappears.
  • When students know how to properly quote and reference the information they find, the reason to plagiarize disappears.


Essays & Descriptive Writing

You CANNOT get high marks if you don’t master essay writing and precise, descriptive prose. 

  • Even if your child is struggling with writing right now, this program will quickly help them master academic writing rules and style.
  • We teach easy-to-remember formulas for reports and essays that are 100% effective every time. What's best is that these formulas do not limit creativity and the reader cannot tell that a formula has been used!

Grammar & Complex Sentences Mastery

Complex sentences are the secret to great writing! 

  • We first make sure that students have mastered sentence structure essentials and the verb tense system. However, we don't stop there because this approach it only effective at reducing errors. It doesn't lead to great writing. 
  • We have organized the English complex sentence system into the 23 most commonly-used types of complex sentences. Your child has seen and heard all of them repeatedly in children's books and shows so they will all feel familiar. Now, your child will be able to assemble sentence parts like Legos to construct great writing. 

Substance & Style

The biggest problem with student writing is that it is often vague and abstract.

  • Students learn how to add specific details and vivid descriptions to make their writing come to life.

Exciting Course Content and Intellectual Development

Outstanding content both teaches about the world and inspires students' own writing.

  • For writing assignments, students receive InfoKits with different perspectives on the topics they will write about (scientific perspectives, social science perspectives, statistics, stories, news), which they then integrate into their own writing. 

Practice, Practice, Practice (with Feedback and Revisions)

Learning to write requires LOTS of writing and re-writing with a coach's ongoing help. This is the ONLY way to improve.

  • Many teachers hope students will magically absorb the rules of grammar from reading. Unfortunately, this is a horribly inefficient process. Other teachers simply correct students' writing errors, which is almost as bad: the student glances at the corrections and forgets them immediately. This is like a swimming coach showing you how she swims instead of helping you improve how you swim. 
  • Our approach is completely different. Every class includes three writing assignments: one focused on complex sentences, one focused on developing rhetorical elements or editing, and one focused on paragraph/essay writing. Students receive detailed, descriptive feedback on all writing assignments as well as targeted follow-up exercises, AND THEN revise their work for a 2nd round of feedback, which confirms or corrects their understanding of errors. This is the difference between teaching and coaching.

Thinking & Learning Skills

Critical and creative thinking can be taught!


  • This program teaches students a wide variety of powerful thinking tools including integrative and lateral thinking. We use a system developed by one of the world's leading thinking skills trainers.


Memory Improvement

Memory is not fixed - it is a skill that can be trained.

  • Our program includes training developed by one of America's top memorization masters to help students radically improve their memory. The techniques are easy and fun, can be applied immediately in every class, and massively raise kids' confidence in their learning skills. 

Vocabulary Building

Class texts are used to develop a large academic vocabulary.

  • Research shows that quizzing is the single most effective study tool. Printable training sheets and online quizzes help students learn hundreds of new words. 

Start with a free evaluation of your child's writing:

The evaluation includes a 45min Zoom meeting where we talk about your child's writing issues and how to solve them. There is no obligation to buy anything. 

Let's talk about helping your child write well. Get in touch for a free writing evaluation and planning session for academic success in writing. 

Use the form below or call 416-822-2637.

Send me a message describing the typical issues your child faces with writing. You can include a recent writing sample with or without teacher feedback (please include the OneDrive, DropBox, or Google Drive link), or I can provide an appropriate prompt. Within 24 hours, we'll set up a telephone or Zoom call where we'll go over your child's writing in depth and talk about how to help your child get far ahead in writing.

Please describe the writing issues your child is struggling with.
What is the biggest change you would like to see in your child's writing?
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100% Satisfaction Guarantee

You are fully protected by our 100% Satisfaction Guarantee. If you are not happy with the program for any reason, just let us know and we'll send you a prompt and courteous refund for the entire month, even if it's after the last class of the month.

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