Apprentice Essays

Apprentice texts short pieces, a sentence or a paragraph long, that introduce students to the style of good writers. Remember that wonderful turn of phrase or vivid image that just leaped out at you? Students find the cadence and the style and mimic it with a topic of their own.

Another similar approach is to type out entire texts, word for word, just to get a feel for the rhythm of good writing. It’s something to try with essays.