Four Square Writing Method : A Unique Approach to Teaching Basic Writing Skills for Grades 1-3

Admittedly, I was one of those teachers who believed that following a formula meant forfeiting creativity. Boy, was I wrong! I found that once my students had a solid understanding of the organization, creativity and improved word choice quickly followed. My students come from an English Language Learner background, so writing was a struggle for most of them. But, by using the building blocks put in place by the creators, and following them to a T, I saw remarkable improvement even though I only started about two months before our standardized testing. As a result of this program, my students averaged in the 80th percentile - better than the state average in Arizona. I am looking forward to starting earlier this year, and getting the majority of the students to the vivid adjectives and adverbs - I believe this will be the key to helping them take their writing to the next level. I cannot stress enough starting from the beginning, do not skip any steps because you believe it to be "beneath" your students. In conjunction with what is recommended in this book, I recommend that the teacher not only model the lesson, but do it once as a WHOLE CLASS as well, BEFORE having students practice on their own. This step has been CRUCIAL for my classes. It is especially helpful if you can make the topic something the students can buy into as a class. (Take a vote on the topic?) Secondly, spend a lot of time helping students come up with vivid adverbs and adjectives. I find that a good old-fashioned 64-count box of Crayola crayons is a great place to start. They can see a wide variety of creative names for colors. Obviously, take it to the next level with a thesaurus. Thirdly, use the method to become a better writer yourself. Why you enjoy writing, it will show when you teach writing! Overall, I find the 4-Square books to be an excellent tool for helping improve student writing!

This approach is soooo much better than the outlining approach I learned over 30 years ago. I have no idea why it is so much easier for kids to fill in boxes than fill out an outline, but for some reason it is. My kids are writing basic reports quickly and easily and without the tears and frustration we had last fall. The method is easy to learn and use, and I highly recommend it. However, if you are more interested in teaching creative writing, then I wouldn't use this approach - in my view, 4-square is well suited to non-fiction reports and essays, but not for writing adventure stories, etc...

This is the best writing curriculum ever! When I taught my daughter the first lessons, she responded, "That was school? I didn't even know we were doing school!" It's easy to teach, very visual, and makes the child feel like a writing pro with the first lesson.

I love this method of teaching. I have taught 4th grade for the past 2 years. The school I taught at last year used this method. My class loved this method and their writing improved. I moved to a new school this year and loved this method so much I had to buy my own book. I started using it with my class now, and they love it. It makes writing so much easier. My class always wants to know when it is time to write. I recommend this book to anyone who teaches writing.

This is a very practical, useful book for teachers working with writers grades 4-8. The 4-square method offers a simple, yet innovative graphic organizer which my students (7th grade reg. ed. and grades 5-8 learning dis./lang. impaired) found extremely easy to understand and use. The method is also helpful in notetaking from text or narrative, and the authors give some lesson ideas across curriculums.The graphics are serviceable, but seem more appropriate for younger students.