Sean Taylor M.Ed. Reading Sage: Advocating for Every Child to Read, Reason, and Thrive
Evidence-informed reading instruction. Joyful learning. Education centered on the child.
Welcome to Reading Sage, created by Sean Taylor, M.Ed., a special education teacher, dyslexia educator, and literacy advocate with 26 years of teaching and intervention experience.
The Writer's Road: A Full-Stack Montessori–Franklin–Trivium Writing Curriculum
The Writer's Road, a comprehensive writing curriculum that merges the educational philosophies of Maria Montessori, Benjamin Franklin, and the Trivium into a continuous sequence from preschool through high school. This method emphasizes a developmental approach where students progress from sensory letter tracing and hands-on word building to deconstructing mentor texts and rebuilding them in their own voices. Throughout the stages, learners master essential writing components including keyword outlines, grammatical symbols, structural frameworks, and rhetorical appeals. Ultimately, the curriculum guides students from early motor skills and basic sentence construction to advanced analytical essays and persuasive speeches, fostering both technical proficiency and eloquent self-expression.
From the sandpaper letter to the persuasive essay: hand, ear, mind, and voice, in one continuous sequence.
This curriculum fuses three of the best writing traditions in history into a single road.
Maria Montessori gave us the hands-on, bottom-up path: the child touches the letter, hears the sound, builds words with a movable alphabet before the hand must hold a pencil, and sees grammar as colored, tangible symbols. Writing comes before reading, and composition comes before handwriting fluency.
Benjamin Franklin gave us the decompose-and-recompose path. In his Autobiography he describes taking essays from The Spectator, jotting short hints on each sentence, setting them aside for days, and then rewriting the essay in his own words. He compared his version with the original, spotted his weaker word choices and organization, and corrected them. He also turned prose into verse and back again, and shuffled his hints to practice ordering ideas. This is deliberate practice: study a master, take the work apart, rebuild it, compare.
The Trivium gave us the developmental order: Grammar (build the language and the raw materials), Logic (learn to order, connect, and prove), and Rhetoric (learn to move an audience with eloquent, persuasive writing).
The core formula:
Touch it → Say it → Build it → Write it → Take it apart → Rebuild it in your own voice → Argue with it.
Guiding principles
Hand before pencil. Large muscle, then small muscle; sand and sky-writing before paper.
Sound before symbol. Phonemic awareness is the foundation; never name letters before sounds.
Compose before you can copy well. The movable alphabet lets a 4-year-old write a story the hand cannot yet record.
Mentors, not worksheets. Every skill is taught through a great model text, then imitated.
Orality first. Children say it aloud (oracy) before they write it. Talk is the rough draft of writing.
Fidelity to the child. Pace by readiness, not by calendar. Every stage has an entry check and an exit check.
2. Scope and Sequence at a Glance
Stage
Trivium Phase
Approx. Age / Grade
Montessori Anchor
Franklin Anchor
Culminating Product
0. Prepared Hand
Grammar
2.5–4 (Preschool)
Sensorial work, metal insets, sandpaper letters, sand tray
Listening and retelling
Name and first words
1. Letters to Words
Grammar
4–5.5 (Pre-K/K)
Movable alphabet, cursive tracing, word building
Oral "hints" (picture cards)
Own captions and sentences
2. Words to Sentences
Grammar
5.5–7 (K–Gr 1)
Grammar symbols, sentence strips, command cards
Picture-hint retell
Sentences and a mini-book
3. Sentences to Paragraphs
Grammar
7–9 (Gr 2–3)
Grammar boxes, sentence analysis, word study
First keyword cards (3x5), simple Franklin cycle
Model paragraph rewrites
4. The Franklin Workshop
Grammar → Logic
9–11 (Gr 4–5)
Sentence diagramming, research cards
Full keyword-outline cycle, openers, transitions
Summaries, multi-paragraph pieces
5. Logic Stage
Logic
11–13 (Gr 6–7)
Going-out research, Socratic seminar
Jumbled-hint reordering, argument mapping
Analytical and expository essay
6. Rhetoric Stage
Rhetoric
13–15 (Gr 8–9+)
Student-led projects and publication
Imitating great speeches, prose-to-verse and back
Persuasive essay, speech, op-ed
Pace by mastery. A child may spend a year in a stage, or move through it in months.
3. Materials List (Master)
Montessori core: sandpaper letters (cursive, lowercase first), sand tray or salt tray, chalkboards, metal insets, large movable alphabet (consonants blue, vowels red), small objects and picture cards, handwriting paper in graduated line widths, grammar symbol set (see below), grammar boxes, sentence strips and word-card envelopes, command cards.
Franklin core: 3x5 index cards (hint cards), colored pencils, a "Mentor Text Binder" (short model passages), a Franklin Notebook (one for originals, one for rebuilds), timers, highlighters, sticky tabs.
Mentor texts (public domain, short excerpts): Aesop's fables; Franklin's Autobiography and Poor Richard's Almanack maxims; Addison and Steele's Spectator essays; the Gettysburg Address; Lincoln's Second Inaugural; Frederick Douglass's July 4th speech; Shakespeare's Antony speech; Emerson and Thoreau excerpts; Declaration of Independence preamble; Aspasia and Pericles via Thucydides' Funeral Oration (excerpt).
4. The Grammar Symbols (Montessori)
Introduced through the Noun Game, Verb Game, and Adjective Game, then used all the way through Stage 4 for sentence analysis.
Part of Speech
Symbol
Color
Function (child-friendly)
Noun
Large triangle
Black
The name of a person, place, thing, or idea
Article
Small triangle
Light blue
Points to a noun (a, an, the)
Adjective
Medium triangle
Dark blue
Describes a noun
Verb
Large circle
Red
The action or state (the "energy" of the sentence)
Adverb
Small circle
Orange
Describes a verb
Pronoun
Tall triangle
Purple
Stands in for a noun
Preposition
Crescent
Green
Shows position or relationship
Conjunction
Narrow rectangle
Pink
Joins words or ideas
Interjection
Keyhole
Gold
A sudden feeling
Franklin connection: When a child breaks a mentor sentence into hints, they also mark its symbols, so they see how a master builds a sentence before building their own.
5. Stage 0: The Prepared Hand (Ages 2.5–4)
Goal: Strengthen the hand, tune the ear, and love language.
Entry check: Walks, speaks in phrases, shows interest in books.
Daily strands (choose 3 of 5 each day, 10 to 15 minutes each)
Gross and fine motor prep: pouring, tonging, pin-poking, clothespin work, kneading dough, large-arm movements.
Metal insets: trace the frame and inset with colored pencils, then fill with parallel lines left to right. This is the hand's rehearsal for cursive strokes.
Phonemic awareness: I-Spy sound games ("I spy something that starts with /m/"), rhyming, syllable clapping.
Oral language: poems, finger plays, retelling of simple stories with props (the first Franklin step: say it back in your own words).
Sandpaper letters (late Stage 0): begin with sounds, not names.
Sample Lesson: Three-Period Lesson with a Sandpaper Letter
Time: 5 minutes, one-to-one or pair.
Name it (Period 1): Trace the letter s in cursive direction with two fingers. Say, "This says /s/. /s/." The child traces three times, saying the sound.
Recognize it (Period 2): Lay out three letters. "Show me /s/." "Put /s/ on the mat." "Trace /s/." (Repeat in play-like fashion.)
Recall it (Period 3): Point to the letter. "What does this say?"
Extension: Trace the letter in the sand tray, then say a word that starts with it.
Exit check: Knows 6–8 sounds with tracing, can orally segment the first sound of a word.
6. Stage 1: Letters to Words (Ages 4–5.5)
Goal: The child writes before reading by building words with the movable alphabet and tracing cursive letters.
6.1 Cursive Letter Introduction (Letter Families)
Teach letters by stroke family, not alphabetical order.
Family
Letters
Shared Stroke
Curve-back
c, a, d, g, o, q
Counterclockwise curve
Hill
n, m, h, r, p, b
Up and over the hill
Loop-up
l, e, f, h, k, b
Tall loop
Swing
i, u, t, j, w, y
Up-and-down swing
Odd letters
s, v, x, z
Special strokes
Each letter cycle (5 days):
Day 1: Sandpaper letter, three-period lesson.
Day 2: Sky-write and wall-write with a big arm; trace in sand or shaving cream.
Day 3: Chalkboard with guide lines (rooftop, fence, ground).
Day 4: Paper with wide lines; trace a dotted model, then write independently.
Day 5: Use the letter in a word using the movable alphabet; read it aloud.
6.2 Movable Alphabet: The Composition Engine
The progression of the "I can write my thoughts" lessons:
Object boxes: Build the word for a miniature object (cat, pin, mop). The child sounds out the word and places letters one by one.
Picture cards: Build the word for a card, then check it against the card back.
Phonetic phrases:a red hat; a big bug.
Short sentences:The cat sat on a mat.
Little stories: 3–4 sentences about a picture or a classroom event.
Phonogram work: Green letters or sandpaper phonograms for sh, ch, th, ee, ai, oa and others.
6.3 The First Franklin Step: "Picture Hints"
After hearing a short story (three sentences), the child places three picture cards (one per sentence). Later, they retell the story orally using the pictures as hints, then build one sentence with the movable alphabet. This is Franklin's "short hints" at the youngest level.
Sample Lesson: "My First Story" (30 minutes)
Warm-up (5 min): Sing the alphabet sound song; sky-write letter a in cursive.
Mentor (5 min): Read a three-sentence story, such as a simple Aesop fable (The Lion and the Mouse, adapted).
Hints (5 min): Child places three picture cards in order.
Retell (5 min): Child retells aloud using the pictures.
Compose (10 min): Child builds one sentence with the movable alphabet; teacher takes dictation of the rest.
Exit check: Builds three-letter phonetic words independently; traces 10+ cursive letters; builds a simple sentence.
7. Stage 2: Words to Sentences (Ages 5.5–7)
Goal: The child sees sentences as built structures with parts, writes full cursive words and sentences, and uses the first grammar symbols.
7.1 The Grammar Games (Noun → Article → Adjective → Verb)
In this order, each lasting about 2–3 weeks:
Noun Game: Label classroom objects with black triangles; discover that every noun has an article.
Adjective Game: "Bring me the big book." Place a blue triangle before the noun in a sentence strip.
Verb Game: Command cards ("Skip to the door"). Place a red circle over the verb.
Adverb Game: "Walk slowly." Orange circle.
Pronouns, prepositions, conjunctions, interjections follow (see Stage 3).
7.2 Sentence-Building Lesson Path
Sentence strips: The child arranges word cards and checks against a model.
Symbols over words: Place symbols above each word card; discover patterns (article–adjective–noun).
Scrambled sentences:Franklin's jumbled hints at the smallest scale. Child unscrambles and justifies the order.
Dictation: Teacher says a sentence slowly; child writes it in cursive.
Daily "sentence of the day": Copy it neatly and mark its symbols.
7.3 Sentence Frames (Starter Set)
Purpose
Frame
Describe
The ______ (adj) ______ (noun) ______ (verb).
Tell where
The ______ is ______ (preposition) the ______.
Tell how
The ______ ______ (verb) ______ (adverb).
Join
I like ______ and I like ______.
Reason
I like ______ because ______.
Sample Lesson: "The Verb Is the Engine" (25 minutes)
Hook: Teacher acts out three verbs; children guess.
Model: Write The dog ______. on a strip. Children suggest verbs; place a red circle.
Practice: Each child draws a command card, performs it, then writes the sentence in cursive and marks the verb.
Share: Read sentences aloud; others identify the verb.
Exit check: Writes a complete sentence with capital and period in cursive; identifies noun, verb, adjective, and article using symbols; completes a 4-sentence mini-book with illustrations.
8. Stage 3: Sentences to Paragraphs (Ages 7–9, Grades 2–3)
Goal: Build the paragraph as a container of ideas, introduce note-taking on cards, and begin the simple Franklin cycle.
8.1 Grammar Continues
Pronouns, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections are introduced with symbols; sentence analysis begins (subject, predicate, direct object) using arrows and boxes.
8.2 The Paragraph Model: The "Hamburger" Becomes a "Table"
Children build a physical paragraph from cards: Top bun (topic sentence), Fillings (details), Bottom bun (closing sentence). Later, upgrade the language to topic sentence, supporting details, concluding sentence.
8.3 The Simple Franklin Cycle (Weekly)
Day
Step
What Happens
1
Read and Hear
Teacher reads a short mentor paragraph (4–6 sentences) twice. Children underline favorite words.
2
Hint Cards
For each sentence, the child writes 2–3 keywords on one index card (nouns and verbs only; no full sentences).
3
Set Aside
The original is put away. Children do a movement or art activity (Franklin waited several days; we wait at least a few hours).
4
Rebuild
Using only the hint cards, the child writes their own paragraph in cursive.
5
Compare
Place the original and rebuild side by side. Mark with a colored pencil: What did I say better? What did the author say better? What new word will I steal?
Teacher language: "You are not copying. You are thinking the author's thoughts in your own words."
Sample Mentor Paragraph and Hint Cards
Mentor idea: A short factual paragraph about bees.
Card 1: bees / gather / nectar
Card 2: hive / honey / store
Card 3: winter / food / survive
The child rebuilds using these three cards. Later, shuffle the cards and ask, "Does the paragraph still work? Which order is best, and why?"
Exit check: Writes a 5-sentence paragraph with a topic sentence and concluding sentence; completes a hint-card rebuild with at least 70% of the key ideas; identifies all parts of speech with symbols.
9. Stage 4: The Franklin Workshop (Ages 9–11, Grades 4–5)
Goal: Master the full Franklin method, learn the anatomy of multi-paragraph writing, and begin using openers, thesis frames, and transitions.
9.1 The Full Franklin Cycle (Two-Week Rhythm)
Read a mentor text (a Spectator-style essay, a fable, a famous speech excerpt).
Keyword Outline: On cards, write 3–5 keywords per sentence or idea. Number the cards.
Wait (2 to 3 days).
Rewrite from hints only in your own words and style.
Compare and analyze: What did the author do that I didn't? Opener type? Transitions? Sentence length variety?
Revise your version, "stealing" two moves.
Transform:Franklin's remix. Rewrite the same ideas in a new form (summary, letter, speech, poem, or news report).
Shuffle and reorder: Mix the cards and rearrange to see how order changes the effect.
9.2 Paraphrasing, Summarizing, and Quoting: The Three Moves
Move
Definition
Length
Key Rule
Paraphrase
Restate every idea in your own words
About same as original
Change the words and the sentence structure
Summarize
Capture only the main ideas
One-third or less
Keep only the essential keywords
Quote
Use the author's exact words
Short and powerful
Use quotation marks and a signal phrase
Signal phrase frames:According to ______, ... / As ______ argues, ... / In the words of ______, "..."
9.3 The Opener Collection (Ten Ways to Begin)
Children hunt for openers in mentor texts and build an Opener Notebook.
Opener Type
Sentence Stem / Frame
Example Idea
Question
Have you ever wondered ______?
Have you ever wondered why bees dance?
Surprising fact
Did you know that ______?
Did you know a bee visits 2,000 flowers a day?
Vivid scene
Imagine ______.
Imagine a hive buzzing in the early sun.
Quotation
As ______ once said, "______."
As Franklin said, "Well done is better than well said."
Bold statement
______ is the most ______ in the world.
Honesty is the strongest tool a student owns.
Anecdote
When I was ______, I ______.
When I was seven, I could not read a sign.
Contrast
Some people believe ______, but ______.
Some believe homework helps; others disagree.
Definition
______ means ______.
Courage means acting despite fear.
Sound or action
Crack! / Splash! + scene
Crack! The ice gave way.
Direct address
You may think ______, but ______.
You may think history is dull, but ...
9.4 Introductory Paragraph Frame (Stage 4)
Hook: (Choose an opener type.) Bridge: (One or two sentences of context.) Many people know ______, but few understand ______.Thesis:In this essay, I will show that ______ because ______, ______, and ______.
9.5 Transitions Toolkit
Job
Transition Words and Frames
Add
also, in addition, furthermore, another reason is ______
Sequence
first, next, then, finally, after that
Contrast
however, on the other hand, yet, although ______, ______
Cause/Effect
because, therefore, as a result, consequently
Example
for example, for instance, to illustrate, such as
Conclude
in conclusion, in short, above all, all of this shows ______
Now that we have seen ______, let us turn to ______.
While ______ is important, ______ matters even more.
This brings us to the second reason: ______.
Sample Lesson: "Steal the Opener" (45 minutes)
Mentor: Read three short intros (a question, an anecdote, a quote) from famous works.
Label: Students tag each opener type with colored sticky notes.
Remix: Using the same topic (e.g., "my favorite season"), write three different openers.
Vote: Partner chooses the strongest and explains why (oracy).
Reflect: Record the favorite in the Opener Notebook.
Exit check: Completes a full Franklin cycle on a 3-paragraph mentor text; writes a 3-paragraph piece with an opener, thesis frame, and at least two transitions; distinguishes paraphrase, summary, and quote.
10. Stage 5: The Logic Stage (Ages 11–13, Grades 6–7)
Goal: Move from what the author said to how and why the author argued it. Students learn to order, connect, test, and prove.
10.1 Franklin Advanced: Decomposing Structure
Students now take hints at the level of ideas, not sentences, then build a structural map:
Claim map: Underline the thesis, the reasons, the evidence, and the counterargument.
Move labeling: Mark each sentence as claim, reason, evidence, example, concession, rebuttal, transition, or call to action.
Style audit: Count sentence length variety, identify figures of speech, list the strongest verbs.
10.2 Logic Tools
Tool
Student Question
Writing Application
Claim–Reason–Evidence
What do I think, why, and how do I know?
Body paragraph structure
Cause and effect chains
What led to what?
Expository essays
Compare and contrast grids
How are they alike and different?
Analytical essays
Fallacy detectives
Where is the reasoning weak?
Critique writing
Counterargument
What would a smart opponent say?
Strengthening the thesis
10.3 Thesis Statement Frames (Graduated)
Level 1 (informative):______ is important because ______, ______, and ______.
Level 2 (analytical):Although ______, ______ because ______ and ______.
Level 3 (arguable claim):Contrary to the belief that ______, I will argue that ______ since ______.
Level 4 (nuanced):While ______ holds merit, ______ proves stronger because ______, ______, and ______.
10.4 Body Paragraph Frame: C-E-E-L (Claim, Evidence, Explanation, Link)
Claim:One reason that ______ is ______.Evidence:For example, ______. / According to , "."Explanation:This shows that ______ because ______.Link:Therefore, ______, which supports my thesis that ______.
10.5 The Franklin Reordering Game (Logic Gym)
Give students a mentor essay's keyword cards, shuffled.
Students work in pairs to order them logically and justify (oracy).
Reveal the author's order; compare.
Ask: What if we reversed it? What changes?
10.6 Structured Academic Controversy (Oracy Bridge to Writing)
Two pairs argue opposite sides, switch sides, then synthesize a position. Students then write a one-page argument that includes the strongest counterargument.
Mentor: Short excerpt from a Franklin essay or a famous editorial.
Map: Students color-code claim (yellow), evidence (green), counterargument (red).
Draft: Write one body paragraph with C-E-E-L.
Add a concession:Admittedly, ______; however, ______.
Peer response: Partner points to the evidence and asks one question.
Exit check: Writes a 5-paragraph analytical essay with Level 2–3 thesis, C-E-E-L body paragraphs, and a counterargument; maps the logical structure of a mentor essay independently.
11. Stage 6: The Rhetoric Stage (Ages 13–15, Grades 8–9+)
Goal: Write with eloquence and persuasive power. Students study how the greatest speakers and writers move audiences, then craft opinions, persuasion, and speeches with purpose.
11.1 The Rhetorical Toolbox
Appeal
Definition
Student Prompt
Ethos
Credibility and character
Why should I trust you?
Pathos
Emotion and values
What do I want my reader to feel?
Logos
Reason and evidence
What facts and logic prove it?
Kairos
Timeliness
Why does this matter now?
Five Canons (simplified): Invention (find ideas) → Arrangement (order) → Style (language) → Memory (internalize) → Delivery (speak or publish).
11.2 Franklin at the Highest Level: Imitating the Greats
The Rhetoric Cycle (3 weeks per speech or essay):
Week 1: Decompose. Keyword-outline a famous speech (Gettysburg Address, Douglass, Lincoln, Churchill excerpt). Label structure, appeals, and devices (repetition, antithesis, tricolon, metaphor).
Week 2: Recompose. Rewrite the speech's argument for a modern issue using the same structure and devices (a deliberate imitation).
Week 3: Transform. Turn prose into verse and back (Franklin's own exercise); write a second version for a different audience (peers, parents, school board).
11.3 Persuasive Frames
Introduction (persuasive):
Hook: (Anecdote, bold claim, or striking question.) Context:In recent years, ______ has become ______.Stakes:This matters because ______.Thesis:Therefore, ______ should ______ because ______, ______, and ______.
Counterargument and rebuttal:
Critics argue that ______. However, this overlooks ______.
It is true that ______; nevertheless, ______.
Some may object that ______, but the evidence shows ______.
Conclusion (persuasive):
Imagine a world where ______. (vision)
The choice is clear: ______. (call to action)
If we fail to ______, we risk ______. (stakes)
11.4 The Style Gym (Sentence-Level Craft)
Skill
Practice
Sentence variety
Combine short punchy sentences with long flowing ones
Letter to a decision-maker (principal, council member)
Literary analysis
Personal essay with an argument
Public debate followed by a written reflection
Sample Lesson: "Rebuild the Gettysburg Address" (Two 45-minute sessions)
Session 1: Keyword outline the speech by paragraph; label its three-part structure (past, present, future); note devices (four score, we cannot dedicate, we cannot consecrate...).
Session 2: Choose a modern cause (school start times, school gardens, reading time). Using the same three-part structure, write a one-minute speech. Share aloud; peers identify the borrowed moves.
Exit check: Produces a polished persuasive essay or speech that includes a strong opener, Level 3–4 thesis, ethos/pathos/logos, counterargument with rebuttal, and a call-to-action conclusion; can explain which Franklin-style moves were borrowed from mentor texts.
12. Weekly Lesson Template (All Stages)
Day
Focus
Time
Mon
Mentor and Grammar: read the model; grammar lesson or symbol work
20–40 min
Tue
Decompose: hints, keyword cards, map of structure
20–40 min
Wed
Oracy and Frames: say it aloud; practice stems, openers, transitions
Daily micro-habits (5 min): Handwriting (cursive warm-up) · One sentence of the day · One "steal" in the Franklin Notebook.
13. Assessment: Rubrics and Checkpoints
13.1 Growth Rubric (Four Levels)
Trait
1 Emerging
2 Developing
3 Proficient
4 Advanced
Ideas and Content
Few relevant ideas
Some ideas, thin support
Clear ideas, adequate support
Insightful, well-supported
Organization
Little order
Basic order
Clear intro, body, conclusion
Purposeful structure and transitions
Voice and Style
Flat
Some personality
Distinct voice
Memorable, adapted to audience
Sentence Fluency
Choppy
Some variety
Smooth, varied
Rhythmic and polished
Conventions
Many errors
Some errors
Few errors
Nearly error-free
Handwriting (K–Gr 4)
Letters unformed
Some correct forms
Legible cursive
Fluent, even, beautiful
Franklin Moves
Needs prompting
Uses hints with help
Independently decomposes and recomposes
Transfers moves to original writing
13.2 Portfolio
Keep three binders: Mentor Binder (originals), Franklin Notebook (hints and rebuilds), Publishing Portfolio (final pieces). Review each trimester with the child, who selects a favorite and explains growth (oracy and metacognition).
14. Differentiation and Supports
Dyslexia and dysgraphia: Keep multisensory work (sand, sky-writing, movable alphabet) as long as needed; allow keyboarding or voice-to-text for composing while continuing cursive tracing for motor and memory benefits; use colored overlays for line spacing; cut copying volume and prioritize oral rebuilds.
English learners: Use cognates, picture hints, and bilingual hint cards; allow oral rebuild in the home language first.
Gifted writers: Use harder mentor texts; require imitation of two rhetorical devices; add a blind-comparison task (compare a rebuild to a second professional version).
Pacing: Never skip a stage's exit check; spiral back when a skill wobbles.
15. Scope Map: Which Skills Spiral Where
Skill
Introduced
Practiced
Mastered
Cursive letter formation
Stage 0–1
Stage 1–3
Stage 4
Movable alphabet composition
Stage 1
Stage 1–2
Stage 2
Grammar symbols
Stage 2
Stage 2–4
Stage 4
Hint cards (keywords)
Stage 1 (pictures)
Stage 3–4
Stage 5
Franklin cycle
Stage 3
Stage 4–6
Stage 6
Openers
Stage 4
Stage 4–6
Stage 6
Thesis frames
Stage 4
Stage 5
Stage 6
Transitions
Stage 4
Stage 5–6
Stage 6
Counterargument
Stage 5
Stage 5–6
Stage 6
Rhetorical appeals
Stage 6
Stage 6
High school
16. A Sample Year-at-a-Glance (One Stage 4 Year)
Quarter
Focus
Mentor Texts
Product
Q1
Full Franklin cycle; paraphrase and summary
Aesop; Poor Richard maxims
Fable summaries and rebuilds
Q2
Openers and intro paragraphs
Short Spectator-style essays; Franklin letters
Opener Notebook; 3-paragraph essay
Q3
Thesis frames and transitions
Gettysburg Address; Declaration preamble
Opinion essay with transitions
Q4
Transform and publish
Student choice of mentor
Portfolio and class publication day
17. Teacher's Closing Notes
The road runs from the finger tracing sand to the voice persuading a room. At every step the child is doing: touching, saying, building, comparing, imitating. Montessori gives the child the hand and the joy of discovery; Franklin gives the child a method to learn from the masters; the Trivium gives the order in which the mind is ready. Trust the sequence, watch the child, and let the writing come.
Touch it. Say it. Build it. Write it. Take it apart. Rebuild it. Make it yours. Then make it move the world.
The curriculum fuses these three traditions into a unified path by pairing Montessori's sensory, hands-on mechanics and Franklin's deliberate analytical practice within the Trivium's three-stage developmental progression[1][2].
1. The Core Role of Each Tradition
Montessori (The Bottom-Up "Hand"): Provides the tangible, multisensory foundation[1]. Children trace sandpaper letters, sound out words, assemble compositions with a physical movable alphabet before their hands can hold a pencil, and learn syntax visually using colored geometric grammar symbols[1][3]. Writing and composition precede reading and handwriting fluency[1].
Benjamin Franklin (The Analytical "Voice"): Supplies the decompose-and-recompose method of deliberate practice[1]. Students analyze master mentor texts, break them down into short keyword hint cards, set them aside, rebuild the text in their own words, compare their version against the original to spot weaknesses, and transform prose into new formats[1].
The Trivium (The Developmental "Mind"): Establishes the overarching framework and sequence, ensuring skills match the child's readiness across three phases: Grammar (building raw language materials), Logic (ordering, connecting, and proving claims), and Rhetoric (persuading an audience with eloquent style)[1].
2. How They Synthesize Across Developmental Stages
Montessori tools and Franklin exercises are integrated directly into the Trivium’s three phases as the child matures[1]:
Grammar Stage (Ages 2.5–11 / Stages 0–4):
Montessori Anchor: Sensory tools (metal insets, sandpaper letters, movable alphabet) and colored grammar symbols (e.g., black triangles for nouns, red circles for verbs) teach foundational mechanics and sentence structure[1].
Franklin Anchor: Begins with oral retellings using "picture hints" in early childhood, progressing to 3x5 index keyword cards and full paragraph rebuilds from mentor texts[1].
Logic Stage (Ages 11–13 / Stage 5):
Trivium Focus: Transitions from what an author said to how and why they argued it, focusing on cause-and-effect chains, counterarguments, and fallacies[7].
Integration: Combines Montessori-style independent research with Franklin's "jumbled-hint" reordering games and claim-reason-evidence mapping (C-E-E-L framework) to write structured analytical essays[1][7].
Rhetoric Stage (Ages 13–15+ / Stage 6):
Trivium Focus: Focuses on moving an audience through public speaking, writing, and classical appeals (Ethos, Pathos, Logos, Kairos)[7].
Franklin Anchor: Advanced imitation where students decompose famous speeches (such as the Gettysburg Address or Frederick Douglass's speeches), rewrite them for modern causes using identical stylistic devices, and transform prose into verse and back[1].
3. The Unified Formula
At every level, the combined method operates through a 7-step pedagogical cycle:
> Touch it → Say it → Build it → Write it → Take it apart → Rebuild it in your own voice → Argue with it[1][2].
In short, Montessori gives the child the hand and the joy of discovery; Franklin gives the method to learn from master writers; and the Trivium orders the skills so they match the natural readiness of the mind[2].
During the Rhetoric stage (Ages 13–15+ / Stage 6), students practice imitation through Franklin at the Highest Level, moving beyond basic paragraph rebuilds to study, dissect, and emulate master speeches and essays[1].
Imitation is practiced primarily through a 3-week Rhetoric Cycle focused on mentor texts, complemented by targeted sentence-level craft in the Style Gym[1][2].
1. The 3-Week Rhetoric Cycle
Week 1: Decompose (Analysis): Students create keyword outlines of famous mentor texts—such as the Gettysburg Address, Lincoln's Second Inaugural, or speeches by Frederick Douglass and Churchill[1]. They analyze the macro-structure, identify classical appeals (Ethos, Pathos, Logos, Kairos), and label specific rhetorical devices such as repetition, antithesis, tricolons, and metaphors[1].
Week 2: Recompose (Deliberate Imitation): Using the keyword outline as a guide, students write an original speech or essay on a modern issue (e.g., school start times or reading time), mirroring the exact three-part structure and stylistic devices of the mentor text[1][2].
Week 3: Transform (Remixing & Audience Shift): Students practice Franklin’s signature exercise of converting prose into verse and back again[1][2]. They also rewrite the piece tailored for a completely different target audience (such as adapting a presentation meant for peers into one for a school board)[2].
2. Sentence-Level Craft: The Style Gym
Students refine their rhetoric by imitating specific syntactic patterns found in mentor texts[2]:
Parallelism: Building balanced triads (e.g., "I came, I saw, I conquered")[2].
Antithesis: Mirroring contrasting sentence structures (e.g., "Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country")[2].
Sentence Variety & Cadence: Blending short, punchy statements with long, flowing sentences, followed by reading aloud to trim any awkward phrasing and refine rhythm[2].
3. Practical Classroom Example: The Gettysburg Address
Deconstruction: Students outline the speech by paragraph, map its three-part temporal structure (past → present → future), and tag key phrases (e.g., "four score", "we cannot dedicate, we cannot consecrate...")[2].
Reconstruction: Students select a modern cause and draft a one-minute speech using the identical past-present-future progression and borrowed cadence[2].
Oral Feedback: Students deliver their speeches aloud while classmates listen specifically to spot and name the borrowed rhetorical moves[2].
In the Rhetoric Stage (Stage 6), the Style Gym focuses on sentence-level craft, where students hone their eloquence and rhythm by isolating and practicing specific syntactic techniques from mentor texts[1].
Students practice six targeted sentence skills within the Style Gym:
Parallelism: Building balanced, three-part structures or triads (e.g., "I came, I saw, I conquered")[2][3].
Antithesis: Mirroring contrasting sentence structures to heighten persuasive impact (e.g., "Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country")[2][3].
Sentence Variety: Blending short, punchy statements with long, flowing sentences to control pacing and maintain reader engagement[2][3].
Strong Verbs: Hunting vivid action verbs in mentor texts and using them to replace weak "is/was" verbs in their own drafts[3].
Concrete Imagery: Swapping out abstract descriptions in favor of specific, vivid scenes[3].
Rhythm & Cadence: Reading draft sentences aloud to audit their sound, trimming anything that stumbles, and refining natural rhythm[2][3].
By practicing these micro-skills in isolation, students develop the sentence-level muscle memory needed to execute complex rhetorical moves in their larger speeches, op-eds, and persuasive essays[1].
The Franklin Reordering Game (also known as the "jumbled-hint game") is a deliberate logic exercise where students rearrange scrambled keyword outline cards to discover how sequence, structure, and pacing alter an argument's clarity and impact[1][2].
It originates in Benjamin Franklin’s own practice of taking notes on master essays, shuffling his hint cards, and trying to reconstruct the ideas in the most effective order[1].
How the Game Works (Stage 5 Logic Gym)
In the Logic Stage (Ages 11–13 / Stage 5), the game is played in four distinct steps:
Shuffle: The teacher takes the keyword hint cards from a mentor essay and gives them to students in a completely randomized, shuffled order[2].
Order & Justify: Working in pairs, students collaborate to reassemble the cards into what they believe is the most logical sequence, speaking aloud to justify their choices[2].
Compare: The teacher reveals the mentor author's original structure, and students place their version side by side with the original to see where their logic matched or differed[2].
Stress-Test Structure: The class explores structural questions, such as *"What if we reversed the argument? How does the overall effect change?"*[2][3].
Progression Across Stages
While featured heavily as a Logic Gym exercise in Stage 5, the reordering concept spirals upward across the curriculum:
Stage 2 (Grammar): Begins at the sentence level with scrambled word strips that children unscramble and explain[4].
Stages 3 & 4 (Paragraph Level): Children shuffle 3x5 index cards from short paragraphs to test whether a different sentence sequence still works[5].
Stage 5 (Logic Level): Students use it alongside claim-reason-evidence mapping (C-E-E-L) to analyze macro-structure, cause-and-effect chains, and transition logic in full analytical essays[2][3].
In the Rhetoric Stage (Ages 13–15+ / Stage 6), students work with public-domain mentor texts—such as the Gettysburg Address, Lincoln's Second Inaugural, Frederick Douglass's July 4th speech, and Churchill's addresses[1]. Rather than simply reading these texts for content, students practice "Franklin at the Highest Level" by studying, dissecting, and emulating master writers across four main practices[1][3]:
1. The 3-Week Rhetoric Cycle (Macro-Structure & Appeals)
Students work through a structured 3-week cycle for each major mentor text[1][3]:
Week 1: Decompose (Analysis): Students create keyword index cards (3–5 keywords per sentence or main idea) to outline the mentor text[1]. They map the macro-structure (such as a past → present → future temporal arc), label classical appeals (Ethos, Pathos, Logos, Kairos), and tag specific rhetorical devices like repetition, antithesis, tricolons, and metaphors[1].
Week 2: Recompose (Deliberate Imitation): Using only their keyword outline as a guide, students write an original speech or essay on a modern issue (such as school start times or reading time) while mirroring the exact structural progression and stylistic moves of the mentor text[1].
Week 3: Transform (Remixing & Audience Shift): Students practice Franklin’s exercise of converting the mentor text's prose into verse and back again[1][3]. They also adapt and rewrite their argument for entirely different audiences (such as shifting a presentation meant for peers into one tailored for a school board)[1][3].
2. The Style Gym (Sentence-Level Imitation)
Students isolate and emulate specific syntactic patterns and stylistic choices found in mentor texts[3]:
Pattern Imitation: Practicing structures like parallelism (e.g., "I came, I saw, I conquered") and antithesis (e.g., "Ask not what your country can do for you...")[6][7].
Verb Hunting: Searching mentor texts for vivid action verbs and using them to replace weak "is/was" verbs in their own drafts[3].
Cadence & Rhythm: Blending short, punchy statements with long, flowing sentences from mentor models, then reading their drafts aloud to polish sentence flow[3].
3. Opener Hunts & "Stealing" Moves
Students analyze how master writers begin their pieces (using questions, anecdotes, contrasting claims, or striking quotes)[8]. They tag these openers in mentor texts with colored sticky notes, record them in an Opener Notebook or Franklin Notebook, and systematically "steal" and adapt two specific moves from the author into their own revisions[4].
4. Side-by-Side Comparative Audit
After drafting from their keyword outlines, students place their own version side by side with the original mentor text[4][6]. They analyze the differences by asking: "What did the author do that I didn't?", evaluating word choice, sentence variety, and structural pacing to refine their final draft[4][6].
In the Logic Stage (Ages 11–13 / Stage 5), the C-E-E-L framework serves as the core body paragraph structure for writing analytical and expository essays[1][2]. As students transition from simply understanding what an author said to analyzing how and why an argument works, C-E-E-L provides a formula to organize, connect, and prove their claims[1][2].
The Four Components of C-E-E-L
The acronym stands for Claim, Evidence, Explanation, Link, structured as follows[1]:
Claim (The Point): States the specific reason or sub-argued point supporting the thesis[1].
Sentence frame:"One reason that [topic] is [reason]."[1]
Evidence (The Proof): Supplies a concrete detail, example, or direct quote from a mentor text or research[1].
Sentence frame:"For example, [fact/detail]." or "According to [Author], '[quote].'"[1]
Explanation (The Analysis): Unpacks the evidence to demonstrate how and why it supports the claim[1].
Sentence frame:"This shows that [claim] because [reasoning]."[1]
Link (The Connection): Connects the paragraph's point back to the essay's overarching thesis statement[1].
Sentence frame:"Therefore, [summary of point], which supports my thesis that [thesis statement]."[1]
How C-E-E-L Integrates into the Logic Stage
Claim-Reason-Evidence Mapping: Before writing, students color-code mentor essays—marking claims in yellow, evidence in green, and counterarguments in red—to visualize the logic before drafting their own C-E-E-L paragraphs[1].
Pairing with Counterarguments & Concessions: After drafting a C-E-E-L body paragraph, students strengthen their reasoning by adding a concession or addressing an opponent's perspective (e.g., "Admittedly, [counterpoint]; however, [rebuttal]."), preparing them for analytical essay writing[1].
Synergy with the Franklin Reordering Game: Students use the C-E-E-L structure alongside shuffled keyword hint cards to test whether rearranging claims or evidence strengthens or weakens paragraph coherence and argument flow[2][3].
In the Rhetoric Stage (Stage 6), the curriculum introduces four classical appeals: Ethos, Pathos, Logos, and Kairos[1]. Together, they make up the foundation of the "Rhetorical Toolbox" that students use both to dissect master speeches and to construct their own persuasive arguments[2].
Here is how each appeal is defined and framed for the student:
Ethos (Credibility and Character): Focuses on establishing authority, trust, and moral standing[3].
Student Prompt: **"Why should I trust you?"**[3]
Pathos (Emotion and Values): Appeals to the audience's emotions, values, and shared humanity[3].
Student Prompt: **"What do I want my reader to feel?"**[3]
Logos (Reason and Evidence): Uses logic, facts, structured claims, and proof to support an argument[3].
Student Prompt: **"What facts and logic prove it?"**[3]
Kairos (Timeliness): Leverages the right moment, urgency, and immediate relevance of the message[3].
Student Prompt: **"Why does this matter now?"**[3]
During Week 1 (Decompose) of the Rhetoric Cycle, students analyze mentor texts—such as the Gettysburg Address or Frederick Douglass's speeches—by tagging where and how the author employs each of these four appeals[1][2]. In Weeks 2 and 3, students incorporate all four appeals into their own persuasive speeches, op-eds, and letters to decision-makers[2][4].
In Stage 5 (the Logic Stage, Ages 11–13), a Structured Academic Controversy (SAC) serves as the ultimate oracy-to-writing bridge[1]. It brings together independent research, argument mapping, oral debate, and essay writing so students don't just write an opinion, but construct a rigorous, balanced analytical argument[1].
Here is what the full-stack SAC process looks like from initial research to final written essay:
Step 1: Research & Evidence Gathering (Montessori "Going-Out")
Before arguing, students engage in independent research on a multi-sided issue (such as historical, environmental, or social questions)[1][2].
Collecting Raw Materials: Students gather facts, statistics, quotes, and primary source details[1].
Note Cards: Information is broken down into structured note cards and keyword hints to prevent mindless copying and force active processing[1].
Students analyze the raw arguments before speaking or drafting:
Argument Mapping: Using highlighters, students color-code claims (yellow), evidence (green), and counterarguments (red)[1].
The Franklin Reordering Game: Shuffled keyword cards are arranged into logical sequences to test which order creates the strongest cause-and-effect flow[1][4].
Fallacy Detection: Students inspect opposing claims to spot weak reasoning or gaps in evidence[1].
Step 3: The 4-Phase SAC Oral Process (Oracy)
Working in two pairs representing opposing sides of an issue, students execute the oral debate protocol[1]:
Present Side A: Pair A presents their position using structured evidence while Pair B takes notes without interrupting[1].
Present Side B: Pair B presents their counter-position while Pair A listens and takes notes[1].
Switch Sides:Pair A must now present Pair B’s argument, and Pair B presents Pair A’s argument[1]**.** This forces students to truly understand the opponent’s perspective rather than merely trying to win a debate[1].
Synthesize: Both pairs abandon their assigned roles, sit together, and collaborate to find common ground or articulate a shared, nuanced position[1].
Step 4: Writing the Analytical Essay (Full-Stack Synthesis)
Following the oral synthesis, each student individually writes a 1-page to 5-paragraph analytical essay[1]:
Nuanced Thesis Statement: Built using advanced Level 3 or 4 thesis frames (e.g., "While [Side A] holds merit, [Side B] proves stronger because [Reason 1] and [Reason 2]")[1].
C-E-E-L Body Paragraphs: Written using the Claim, Evidence, Explanation, Link structure to ensure every point is backed by proof and tied back to the thesis[1].
Concessions & Counterarguments: Incorporates explicit concessions ("Admittedly, [counterpoint]; however, [rebuttal]") so the essay directly addresses the strongest opposing view discovered during the SAC debate[1].
