Case Study: How Russell Elementary made writing a success across grade levels, including ESL & GT

Amy Matthews, a 2nd-grade GTE (Gifted and Talented Education) teacher at Russell Elementary School in Warner Robins, Georgia, has always been passionate about becoming a stronger writing teacher. She wanted her students to enjoy writing, but she also knew that started with having a system that made writing instruction easier and more effective to teach.

Before Simplify Writing®, Amy’s school tried multiple writing resources. The first curriculum they purchased was difficult to understand and challenging to implement consistently. They later tried another writing curriculum from Teachers Pay Teachers, but teachers found it overwhelming and felt it lacked a clear progression of writing skills and genres.

They needed something more structured.

At the beginning of the school year, Amy and her colleagues were introduced to Simplify Writing®. She quickly noticed a difference.

“The changes in my writing block were so drastically different from the previous year,” Amy shared. “I enjoyed teaching writing, and my students were enjoying it as well!”

For Amy, that was one of the biggest wins.

Her goal wasn’t just to teach writing. She wanted to become a better writing teacher. She knew that when she felt confident and excited about instruction, her students were more likely to feel the same way about writing.

One of Amy’s biggest challenges had always been keeping writing instruction consistent and engaging throughout the entire school year.

Simplify Writing® gave her the structure she needed. With organized lessons, ready-to-use writing prompts, student handouts, and clear instructional tools, Amy no longer had to spend hours searching for resources or planning each step on her own. Instead, she could focus on teaching.

As the year progressed, Amy noticed her students taking more ownership of their writing. By March, they were using editing checklists during peer review, working together to strengthen their details, and encouraging one another throughout the writing process.

Her students weren’t just completing writing assignments; they were learning how to think like writers.

Before starting new assignments, Amy and her students reviewed writing samples together. They discussed what made a piece of writing basic, proficient, or advanced, giving students a clear understanding of what strong writing looked like.

Those examples became a powerful reference tool that helped students set goals and improve their own work.

Amy also saw improvements after switching to the Simplify Writing® grammar curriculum.

Previously, she had used a program that introduced one grammar skill each week, but she noticed her students needed more opportunities for review and application. After transitioning to Simplify Writing® grammar lessons in January, she quickly saw positive changes — and her teammates experienced the same success.

The impact extended beyond Amy’s classroom.

Across Russell Elementary, teachers began seeing growth in student writing scores and credited the consistency of Simplify Writing® as a major factor.

Amy shared one example of a former student who had struggled with writing in second grade.

“I talked to the ESL teacher about a former student because he struggled in second grade with writing and getting his ideas on paper,” Amy explained. “The teacher reported that he didn’t write very much, but the content of what he wrote was excellent, and he scored a 4 out of 4!”

For Amy and her colleagues, the consistency across grade levels made all the difference.

“Teachers in the upper grades came to observe the primary grades, and we were ecstatic about seeing the same graphic organizers, the same highlighter coding, and the same editing checklist they use being used in second grade,” Amy said.

“We are believers, and we are excited to see how Simplify Writing helps our students grow into amazing writers for years to come.”

With a clear framework, engaging lessons, and resources that support both teachers and students, Simplify Writing® helped transform Amy’s writing block into something she and her students looked forward to.

Her classroom became a place where young writers felt supported, confident, and ready to grow.