Teaching essay writing at home doesn’t have to be overwhelming—especially for middle school students. If you’ve ever stared at a blank page with your child and thought, “I know what I want the final essay to look like… but how do I teach the steps?” you’re not alone.
Many homeschool parents have a clear vision of the end result: a strong introduction, organized body paragraphs, logical thinking, and a conclusion that actually wraps things up. The challenge is breaking that big goal into teachable, manageable steps—and then figuring out how to grade without drowning in red pen.
Essay writing can feel difficult to teach at home because students are asked to do too much all at once:
That’s a lot—especially for middle schoolers. And as a homeschool parent, it can feel like you’re juggling teacher, coach, editor, and grader all at the same time.
One of the most common misconceptions about writing is that grammar is the main focus. Grammar matters, but it isn’t the foundation.
Without structure and organization:
Whether a student is writing for school, a co-op, or future college-level work, the expectation is the same: clear thinking, strong organization, and logical development come first. Grammar comes last.
Most students don’t need “more writing.” They need clear writing
instruction that shows them what belongs in each paragraph—sentence by sentence—before they’re asked to write a full essay independently.
When students understand the job of each paragraph, they stop guessing. Writing becomes less mysterious and more repeatable.
Instead of giving a broad prompt and hoping it works out, a strong approach teaches:
This is where essay writing video lessons can be a game-changer for homeschool families.
In my essay workbooks, students get short, focused video lessons where I teach them as if we’re sitting together in a classroom. The videos are linked directly in the workbook and also available through a QR code (and yes—students tend to think scanning a QR code is pretty fun).
The lessons include:
Students can pause, rewind, and rewatch as often as they need—and they can work independently at their own pace.
For parents, this approach reduces pressure because you don’t have to go through trial and error. I’ve already done that work in the classroom and refined the lessons. All the steps outlined above are included and explained so that students have what they need to write essays now and in the future.
You can absolutely add your own “parent spin” on instruction (and that’s encouraged). But you don’t have to build the structure from scratch.
When students learn a clear pattern for essay writing, they gain:
Instead of starting over every time, students learn a repeatable structure they can use again and again—then expand their word choice and voice as they mature.
“This curriculum makes informational essay writing simple and approachable. It breaks down the process in a way that removes the mystery of essay writing, helping students work at their own pace with ease—and to my surprise, they actually enjoyed the essay practice! Oh—and did I mention that she teaches it for you on video? It’s true! This is an insane value!”
Q. Do homeschool parents need to be strong writers to teach essays?
A. No. A structured system with modeled instruction allows students to learn independentlywhile parents guide and support.
Q. Is this appropriate for struggling writers?
A. Yes. Lessons break writing down clearly and make the process accessible for a wide range of learners.
Q. Can homeschool students work at their own pace?
A. Absolutely. Video lessons can be paused, replayed, and revisited whenever students need reinforcement.
Q. Is grammar taught in this program?
A. Grammar is important, but it comes after structure and organization are solid. Once students know what they’re trying to say and where it goes, editing becomes far more effective.
If you’d like a parent-friendly way to teach middle school essay writing at home—without overwhelm—this workbook + video lesson approach was built to do exactly that.
Start here: Grab the free sample
Then take a look at the workbooks:
Thanks for reading!
— Lisa from Mrs. Spangler in the Middle
Contact me:
Lisa@mrsspanglerinthemiddle.com
Explore more middle school ELA solutions: https://www.mrsspanglerinthemiddle.com
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