Write first, talk second--it's a simple strategy, but one that's underused in literature classes, writes Paul Bambrick-Santoyo. The author describes a lesson on Shakespeare's Sonnet 65 conducted by a middle school English teacher, who incorporates writing as an important precursor to classroom discussion. By having students write about the poem and giving them feedback on their responses before the conversation begins, the teacher accomplishes ensures that all students have an opportunity to think about the poem independently and verbalize their thoughts. She also gains insight into students' understanding of the poem, which she uses to guide the discussion to address students' needs. This adaptation of traditional discussion-based learning, writes Banbrick-Santoyo, "is more likely to produce meaningful, rigorous learning, in which 100 percent of students grapple with the text and improve their ability to read deeply."