The Pobble blog

Make the most of Pobble's differentiated prompts to support every student in your class

Every class is different. Within each group, students come with a wide range of writing abilities, interests, and needs. Some struggle to get started. Others fly ahead but forget their punctuation. Some need a clear scaffold, while others are ready for a deeper challenge.

So, how do you support everyone in one writing lesson?

These seven strategies are built around Pobble’s daily writing prompts. With every premium prompt offering three levels of challenge and fully editable content, they make it easy to adjust your lesson to suit your class, without doubling your planning time. The ideas are realistic, teacher-tested, and designed to save time while helping every student make progress.

1. Start with a shared image or hook

A single image can unlock ideas for every student, whatever their starting point. Pobble’s daily prompts give your class a shared starting point. Use the image to prompt discussion, build vocabulary, or make predictions. Talking first gives even reluctant writers something to build from.

Try it: Show today’s Pobble 365 image on the board. Ask students to write three questions about what they see, then pair up and discuss.

2. Use challenge levels to pitch appropriately

Every Pobble prompt includes three levels: Easier, Original, and Harder. Teachers can pick the right level for each student, or start with one and offer others for support or stretch. It’s a simple way to ensure everyone accesses the same content at the right level.

Tip: Begin with the Original version, then move students up or down based on confidence and progress.

3. Model one sentence, then adapt

Less can be more. Try modelling a single sentence to demonstrate a skill. Then ask students to adapt or build on it. Pobble’s prompts include guided sentence starters, vocabulary banks, and examples you can tweak to suit your class.

Challenge twist: Ask confident writers to rework the sentence using more advanced vocabulary or sentence structures.

4. Offer sentence starters or word banks

A blank page is often the biggest barrier. Pobble’s sentence-level activities provide scaffolded starts and curated vocabulary to build confidence. With a subscription, everything is editable so you can adjust the words or prompts to match the age or ability of your students.

Try it: Display a Pobble sentence starter and ask students to finish the sentence in their own style.

5. Set flexible expectations

Not every student needs to produce the same amount of writing. One may craft a strong paragraph. Another might extend their story with dialogue. Pobble’s open-ended prompts make this easy, supporting high expectations while removing pressure.

Tip: Focus on progress, not page length. A well-edited paragraph can show more growth than a rushed page.

6. Use peer talk for planning or feedback

Writing improves through talk. Try paired planning, co-writing, or short feedback swaps. Even a few minutes of discussion can help students shape their ideas or spot what needs improving.

Try it: After completing Pobble’s “Question Time,” pair students to discuss what could happen next in the story.

7. Make time for improvement

Differentiation isn’t just about how students start writing; it’s how they reflect and improve. Pobble supports this through daily prompts you can revisit. Students can add to, edit, or redraft a piece later in the week.

Extra benefit: Pobble subscribers can edit any prompt, shuffle slides, or add new tasks. It’s easy to adapt on the fly without starting from scratch.

Make differentiation easier, not harder

Effective writing lessons don’t need to be complicated. Pobble’s tools help you teach writing with more flexibility, less stress, and better outcomes for all learners. With three challenge levels and editable slides for every prompt, it’s never been easier to plan for mixed-ability classes.

Already a Pobble subscriber? Try switching challenge levels this week and see what changes.

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