The UIL A+ Editorial Writing contest is designed to help very young students develop persuasive writing skills as they learn how to choose a side based on an issue on a prompt. As students learn to "think through" a stance logically, they also learn to be prepared to debate the other side's arguments. Sixth, seventh and eighth-grade students have 45 minutes in which to complete their editorials and advocate for a specific point of view. The goal is to write a mature paper that is interesting to the reader, and of course, to place as high as possible in the contest. However, not all students can win, and the most valuable part of participating in any UIL A+ contest is self-improvement. Logical thinking and good reading and writing skills benefit all participants and last a lifetime!