Writing curriculum for grades PreK-8
Step-by-step video lessons that guide PreK-8th grade students in becoming proficient writers of academic essays
- Aligned to State Writing Standards
- Comprehensive program: Narrative, Informative, Opinion/Argument, and Literary Analysis
- Based on The Six Traits of Writing
- Time-saving assessment program providing immediate feedback
- No lesson prep needed from teachers
- Engaging lessons meeting the needs of advanced and emerging learners
No credit card needed. Full access for 30 days. $300/teacher/year thereafter.
Since 1999, educators in 500+ schools, nationally and internationally, benefited from our curricula.
Pacific Grove USD 
Healdsburg USD 
Santa Rosa City Schools 
Giddings ISD
Why EDCON
Most ELA programs teach reading, but skip the steps of explicit instruction of essay writing.
EDCON complements every ELA program. Instead of overworking teachers with designing their own writing lessons and model papers and spending weekends grading stacks of essays, EDCON breaks every essay into small steps, models each one on video, and gives you a faster, more effective way to grade.
4
Essay genres: Narrative, Informative, Opinion/Argument, Literary Analysis
5-17
Video lessons per genre study, depending on grade
0
Lesson plans for teachers to write
30
Days free to try it with your class
How EDCON works
From assignment to graded essay in four steps
- 1
Create an assignment with a few clicks
Pick the genre, assignment name, due date, grading type (right/wrong or 1-4), and turn videos and quizzes on/off. Then, share the link with your class or play the lessons whole-group.
New AssignmentGenreArgument · Grade 7NameArgument Essay #2Due dateNov 14ScoringRight/Wrong1-4Video lessonsQuizzeslearn.edcon.us/a/7Q2X…Copy link - 2
Students learn one step at a time
Short video lessons model each step of the essay. Students apply the skills to their own paper, then share with a partner. Playback speed adjusts for every learner.
Grade 7 · Argument · Lesson 4: Address a counterclaim - 3
Quick checks before moving on
A short true/false or multiple-choice quiz follows each lesson. Once students achieve 100%, they can proceed to the next lesson. You see exactly where everyone is.
Class Progress · Grade 7- Ava M.13/13
- Diego L.13/13
- Jordan K.9/13
- Priya S.7/13
- Sam T.4/13
- 4
Grade essays in a fraction of the time
Students paste portions of their essay that meet each rubric component. You see the evidence sorted, give feedback and a score, and EDCON does the math. Select “Publish” and students receive their grades instantly.
(Ideas is weighted twice as heavily as the other five writing traits because the quality and development of students’ ideas are the primary focus.)
Grading · Maya R. · “Should Middle Schools Require Community Service?”Some people argue that students already have too many responsibilities, and adding community service might create unnecessary stress. This is a reasonable concern. However, schools could require a manageable number of service hours each semester and allow students to choose activities that interest them. Giving students choices would make the requirement more flexible and enjoyable.
Rubric · 1-4
- Idea ×21234
- Organization1234
- Voice1234
- Word Choice1234
- Sentence Fluency1234
- Conventions1234
Score89%
Built for the whole school
Less work for teachers.
Proven-effective lessons for students.
Proficiency results for administrators.
For teachers
- No lesson planning: Every step is taught on video, so now you have time to provide individual support where needed
- Differentiation is easier now as students are engaged and are able to work at their own pace
- Faster grading with evidence sorted by rubric component; your time after the bell is yours again
- Reports help you target remediation
For administrators
- EDCON works! You’ll see increased writing proficiency scores.
- Aligned to State Standards for Writing
- Built on the Six Traits of Writing and the Writing Process
- Works alongside any ELA curriculum
- Nothing for IT to install; runs in the browser
- One clear price: $300 per teacher, 40 students included
EDCON vs other writing programs
Every step of the essay taught, modeled, and graded
| What You and Your Students Get | EDCON | Other writing programs |
|---|---|---|
| Breaks every essay into small, teachable steps | ✓ | – |
| Modeling in every lesson | ✓ | – |
| Students work at their own pace | ✓ | – |
| Built-in support for English learners (visuals, slower playback) | ✓ | – |
| Color-coded, student-friendly rubrics | ✓ | – |
| Built-in essay grading with rubric evidence | ✓ | – |
| Adjustable grading (right/wrong or 1-4 scoring) | ✓ | – |
| No manual to read; No additional materials needed | ✓ | – |
| Revision and editing taught as separate steps | ✓ | Sometimes |
| Aligned to State Writing Standards, The Six Traits of Writing, and follows the Writing Process | ✓ | Vaguely |
What educators say
Teachers and principals on EDCON
My middle schoolers love your videos! If you came to our school, you'd be a rock star!
Thank you so much for your excellent training! It was very informative and perfectly paced. Teachers said that it was just what they needed and they're excited now to implement the program.
Pricing
One simple price per teacher
Teacher License
$300per teacher / year
Includes up to 40 students.
Try everything free for 30 days first. No credit card required.
Every license includes
- Video lessons for every genre study
- Grading program with rubric scoring and reports
- Student-friendly, color-coded rubrics
- Model papers that build with each lesson
- Peer revision and editing checklists
- Pre- and post-assessments
- Printable/Downloadable handouts for students
- Quizzes after each lesson
- A platform to track student progress
- Help from the EDCON team when you need it
Add-on: Printed Letter & Sentence Formation manual, 132 lessons, $50 including tax and shipping.
Meet your students' writing teacher
Every lesson is taught by the curriculum's author.
Kim has taught writing to thousands of PreK-8th grade students and trained thousands of teachers. She created EDCON's writing and grading program and teaches every video lesson herself, so students get the same clear, modeled instruction in every classroom.
- Writing curriculum author since 1999
- National recognition from former First Lady Laura Bush
- Classroom experience PreK-8, General and Special Education
- Training in ELD, SPED, and SLP
How does the free trial work?
Register with your name, school, and email. You get full access for 30 days. No credit card is required, and nothing is charged when the trial ends.
You will get an email when your trial is ending. If you want to continue, reply or call us and we will set up your licenses.
How much does EDCON cost?
$300 per teacher per year, which includes access for up to 40 students. Special education teachers using the inclusion model may not need separate licenses. Buying for several teachers or a whole district? Request a quote.
How does EDCON fit with our current ELA curriculum?
EDCON works with any ELA curriculum. It replaces or supplements the essay writing section, which most ELA programs cover only briefly.
Genre studies are taught on consecutive days, so schools set aside part of the year for writing, ideally about half of ELA time. For grades K-1, EDCON fits into a daily one-hour ELA block (about 30 minutes each). For grades 2-8, lessons take 45-60 minutes. With a two-hour ELA block, EDCON can run daily all year.
How long are the lessons, and how many are in a genre study?
Genre studies range from about 5 lessons in kindergarten to 17 in 8th grade. Each video runs 5-20 minutes. Because students pause the video to do each task, a full lesson takes 20-60 minutes. Ideally students complete each genre study 1-3 times a year with different topics.
What does our IT department need to do?
Nothing to install or maintain. EDCON runs in any modern browser, on laptops, desktops, or tablets. IT may need to allow edcon.us and learn.edcon.us through the school firewall. Students need headphones in the classroom. See the full system requirements.
Is EDCON aligned to our state standards?
Yes. EDCON is built on state writing standards (primarily Common Core), the Six Traits of Writing, the Writing Process (plan, research, outline, draft, revise, edit) and systematic instruction: objective, direct instruction, modeling, practice, partner share, and self-assessment with the rubric.
How can teachers adapt EDCON for their students?
- Show videos whole-class, in small groups, or let students work individually.
- Students can slow down or speed up playback.
- Teachers choose essay topics, due dates and the order of genre studies, and can repeat a study as often as they like.
- Each assignment can turn videos and quizzes on or off and use right/wrong or 1-4 rubric scoring.
How does the grading program work?
After a genre study, students in grades 2-8 upload their essay and paste the parts that meet each rubric component into the matching box. Teachers see the evidence already sorted, add feedback and a score, and EDCON calculates the grade. Ideas, the most important trait, counts twice as much as the others. Reports show which traits each student, or the whole class, needs to revisit.
Try EDCON free for 30 days.
Set up a class in minutes. No credit card, no IT setup, no lesson planning.