From Spark to Flame: How Writing Our World Transformed One Student’s Writing Journey

writing

Written by Kelsey Coca, Co-Writer of Writing Our World & Lead Writing Instructor at Redwood Schools

As we all well know, the summer of 2020 was anything but ordinary. Amid the uncertainty and isolation of the COVID-19 lockdown, education underwent a seismic shift. Schools pivoted to Zoom classrooms, leaving students and teachers grappling with new challenges. It was during this time that Callum* first appeared on my screen, lying on a skateboard like a luge toboggan, zipping back and forth. My initial thought? How am I supposed to get him to write?

What unfolded over the next three years, however, was nothing short of extraordinary.

A Challenging Start

Callum joined our school during a time when education felt disconnected, chaotic, and full of unknowns. Along with his boundless energy and penchant for silliness, I saw in him a spark—a spark of creativity and excitement that could be nurtured with the right tools and support.

That first summer, my online writing class was more about adaptability than tradition. To keep Callum’s creative spark alive, I gamified writing lessons, introduced countless brain breaks, and encouraged students to tell stories aloud. It wasn’t easy, but our school’s mission—to foster confidence, creativity, and clarity in every writer—remained my North Star.

From Zoom to the Classroom

When Redwood Schools reopened in the fall of 2020, Callum finally walked through the doors. I was eager to work with him face-to-face, to help him build strategies for organizing his thoughts and transforming his vibrant imagination into written words.

But the transition wasn’t without hurdles. Callum loved telling stories aloud with passion and detail, but the moment he faced a blank page, frustration set in. His familiar refrain—“I don’t know what to write!”—reflected the very real challenges he faced: difficulty organizing his ideas and a lack of confidence in his writing abilities.

Our sessions became a blend of oral planning, graphic organizers, and structured practice. While these tools helped Callum organize his thoughts, writing itself remained a daunting task. Attention and fine motor challenges often reduced his written output to a handful of words—far from the vivid stories he so eagerly shared aloud.

The Game-Changer: Writing Our World

Everything changed when Callum was introduced to Writing Our World and its Assistive Technology integration. These lessons, along with tools like Co:Writer™ and the dictation feature in Google Docs™, became his lifelines.

Initially, we used Co:Writer™’s Topic Dictionary and Predictive Text to ease the physical strain of writing during his lessons. With repeated practice, Callum began to master these tools, learning how to optimize his environment for text-to-speech, edit the software’s imperfections, and embrace his role as “Editor in Chief.” Through the use of assistive technology, and the structured, explicit skills covered in Writing Our World, Callum’s writer’s block had dissipated.

The results were remarkable. Where Callum once struggled to write 18 words in a session, he now toggled fluently between Co:Writer™ and Grammarly™, applying what he had learned through the Writing Our World curriculum to craft polished pieces with ease. This fall, he wrote a 193-word fairy tale—complete with zero spelling errors—in just two class periods.

Celebrating Growth

After three years of working with the Writing Our World curriculum, Callum has transformed into a confident and capable writer. His progress was on full display during our Celebration of Learning, an event where students set goals and present their achievements to their families.

In preparation, I pulled out Callum’s first piece of writing from 2020—a short, clunky paragraph about Pokémon. As he reread it, I saw the quiet recognition in his eyes. He didn’t need to say much; his growth spoke volumes.

Today, Callum’s writing is strong, clear, and organized. His voice shines through every piece he creates, and I have no doubt he will carry that confidence with him wherever he goes.

The Writing Our World Impact

Callum’s story is just one of many at Redwood Schools that highlights the effectiveness of Writing Our World. This curriculum has proven to be a powerful tool for improving student writing. This past summer alone, students in Redwood’s Immersive Program saw an average 28% growth in their writing skills, from structured planning to final drafts.

Through repetition, creativity, assistive technology, and unwavering support, Writing Our World continues to ignite the spark of storytelling in every student, helping them grow into confident, independent writers.

*Student’s name was changed to protect their privacy