Calling all high school teachers: Tell us about your assignments!

My first encounter with APA Style was in my second year of college at the University of California, Santa Cruz (go Banana Slugs!), in a research methods course. My instructor assigned our class the task of writing a paper that was solely graded on our use of APA Style.

I spent hours trying to wrap my head around the APA Style guidelines. Balancing the content of the material I was writing about (a literature review on aspects of attachment theory, if I remember correctly) with APA Style formatting was overwhelming. I got a C on that assignment.

I still remember the sting of that grade.

Now I am an APA Style expert and clinical neuropsychologist, despite my shaky APA Style beginnings. Thus, fear not, APA Stylers: although the road to achieving your academic goals may be bumpy, it can, with a bit of resilience, be successfully traversed.

With that said, why not set students up for writing success in high school by introducing them to APA Style sooner rather than later? After all, we know that approximately seven out of 10 college students will choose a major in which they use APA Style. Earlier APA Style teaching not only helps prevent students from experiencing the stress and anxiety that may occur when first encountering APA Style in college (as I did) but also helps ensure students develop strong foundational writing skills—skills that will serve them far beyond any one assignment.

So, high school teachers, we want to hear from you! What kinds of writing assignments do you use in your classrooms? Do you ask students to use APA Style? Are there additional parameters you set for assignments that aren’t found in the Publication Manual? For example, do you require that students provide at least five sources or a reference for at least one book? Do you have questions for us, the APA Style experts?

In the comments section, please share teaching strategies, experiences, and questions related to helping students write clearly and responsibly. We are invested in partnering with you to support your students’ development. Let’s talk.