Empowering Student Voices Through Writing

Third grade students at South Elementary recently proved that student voice has power, no matter your age.

As part of their opinion writing work, they drafted a persuasive letter to their principal, Mrs. Alt, requesting materials like stationery and multicolored pens to support their writing.

Since their assignment centered on a real need that mattered to them, students put extra care and effort into their work. Writing for an authentic audience gave their learning purpose beyond the classroom.

“Their creativity and effort are evident in their writing pieces,” said Instructional Coach Megan Gidcumb. “I loved how they even shared that they needed to create their own stationery because all they had was blank paper to work with. The beginning stages of advocacy are alive in our little learners!”

This project not only strengthened students’ writing skills but also showed them that their voices can create change; an early and powerful lesson in communication, problem-solving, and advocacy.