In this episode of TransformED with StepUp, we sit down with April Smith, accomplished author and creator of the popular Simplify Writing curriculum. April shares her transformative approach to teaching writing, designed to make instruction accessible and effective for students. Her curriculum focuses on bite-sized, differentiated lessons that empower teachers to deliver meaningful feedback and support to every student—no matter their skill level.
April discusses her goal to move beyond traditional writing workshops, instead advocating for a more direct, broken-down approach that makes writing instruction efficient and engaging. Her book, Simplify Your Writing Instruction, offers educators actionable strategies for prioritizing writing in the classroom. She emphasizes the importance of teachers as writing role models, inspiring students to see writing as a vital part of everyday life.
Join us as we explore how the Simplify Writing system can help teachers guide students to meet and exceed grade-level standards, without overwhelming their schedules.
Show notes:
The Science of Writing: How Writing Fits Into SoR
Engage Every Student During Writing
How to Support Your Teachers and Raise Your Writing Scores
The Science of Writing: What Leaders Need to Know
Building Strong Writing Foundations in the Homeschool Setting
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
My Favorite Murder with Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark
My Favorite Murder is a true crime comedy podcast hosted by Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark. Each week, Karen and Georgia share compelling true crimes and hometown stories from friends and listeners. Since MFM launched in January of 2016, Karen and Georgia have shared their lifelong interest in true crime and have covered stories of infamous serial killers like the Night Stalker, mysterious cold cases, captivating cults, incredible survivor stories and important events from history like the Tulsa race massacre of 1921. My Favorite Murder is part of the Exactly Right podcast network that provides a platform for bold, creative voices to bring to life provocative, entertaining and relatable stories for audiences everywhere. The Exactly Right roster of podcasts covers a variety of topics including historic true crime, comedic interviews and news, science, pop culture and more. Podcasts on the network include Buried Bones with Kate Winkler Dawson and Paul Holes, That's Messed Up: An SVU Podcast, This Podcast Will Kill You, Bananas and more.