Essay Writing Summer Camp (2026)

An online-only writing instructional program designed to help students develop clear, organized, and effective writing across informational/explanatory, argumentative, and narrative forms. Students learn to analyze prompts, read passages, plan responses with graphic organizers, and apply genre-specific writing strategies.

Writing an Informational/Explanatory Essay:

Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts, and information by selecting, organizing, and analyzing relevant content.

• Introduce a topic; organize ideas, concepts, and information, using strategies such as definition, classification, comparison/contrast, cause/effect; include formatting (e.g., headings), graphics (e.g., charts, tables), and multimedia when useful to aid comprehension.
• Develop the topic with relevant facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples.
• Use appropriate transitions to clarify the relationships among ideas and concepts.
• Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to inform about or explain the topic.
• Establish and maintain a formal style.
• Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from the information or explanation presented.
  

Students will read passages, learn how to analyze prompts, and use graphic organizers to plan their writing. They will be provided with writing models, checklists, and rubrics.

Writing an Argumentative Essay:

Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence.

• Introduce claim(s) and organize the reasons and evidence clearly.
• Support claim(s) with clear reasons and relevant evidence, using credible sources and demonstrating an understanding of the topic or text
• Use words, phrases, and clauses to clarify the relationships among claims and reasons.
• Establish and maintain a formal style.
• Provide a concluding statement or section that follows the argument presented.

Students will read passages, learn how to analyze prompts, and use graphic organizers to plan their writing. They will be provided with writing models, checklists, and rubrics.

Writing a Narrative:

Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective techniques, relevant descriptive details, and well-structured event sequences.

• Engage and orient the reader by establishing context and introducing a narrator and/or characters; organize an event sequence that unfolds logically and naturally.
• Use narrative techniques, such as dialogue, pacing, and description, to develop experiences, events, and/or characters.
• Use a variety of transition words, phrases, and clauses to convey sequence and signal shifts from one time frame or setting to another.
• Use precise words and phrases, relevant descriptive details, figurative language, and sensory language to convey experiences and events.
• Provide a conclusion that follows from the narrated experiences or events.

Students will read passages, learn how to analyze prompts, and use graphic organizers to plan their writing. They will be provided with writing models, checklists, and rubrics.

Schedule:

Week 1: Monday, July 20 – Thursday, July 23 | Informative Writing
Week 2: Monday, July 27 – Thursday, July 30 | Argumentative Writing
Week 3: Monday, Aug 3 – Thursday, Aug 6 | Narrative Writing

Grade Specific Schedule (all times in Eastern Time):

Middle School (Grades 6-8): 10:00am – 11:00am
High School (Grades 9-12): 11:30am – 12:30pm

Meet the Teacher

Arzoo Shaikh holds a Master of Education in Reading and Literacy (Summa Cum
Laude) from City University of Seattle and recently completed a two-year Orton-
Gillingham scholarship program at Fairleigh Dickinson University, specializing in an
evidence-based approach particularly effective for students with dyslexia and
reading challenges. She also holds a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education
from Wichita State University (Magna Cum Laude).

With over 25 years of classroom experience teaching grades K–8 in English
Language Arts and Social Studies, Arzoo brings extensive knowledge and a
genuine passion for helping students become confident readers and writers.

In addition to her classroom experience, she has spent many years
providing individualized tutoring and small-group instruction for students in
grades K-12, tailored to each student’s unique learning needs. Arzoo is also the
founder of Literacy Roots LLC, a reading and writing tutoring practice dedicated to
helping students build strong literacy skills and academic confidence.