This afternoon, Mercer and I reviewed essay-writing skills by editing responses to a writing prompt. We read a peer's response to a writing prompt and discussed its format, the introductory/topic sentence, transitional words, and the concluding paragraph. Mercer was afforded strategies to facilitate cohesive and coherent writing skills, including 'hooking' the reader's interest, using choice words to highlight a desired key word, concept, or phrase, and making a connection back to the introductory hook when writing a concluding paragraph. He was also advised to add a memorable ending that will make the reader think more about the topic - or its author. The lesson drew Mercer's attention to concepts he should consider when developing his essay or when responding to writing prompts.