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If you wanted to improve your coming senior's writing...


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If you wanted to improve your coming senior's writing, how would you do it? He's gifted in math, etc, but not so much in writing, nor does he enjoy reading (but he does what is needed for school - just nothing else for 'fun'). His Critical Reading scores on the SAT were ok (630). His writing scores are only average (SAT and otherwise), but I'd like them to be better for his future college experience.

 

To top it off, it's probably somewhat genetic as his papa be [sic] an engineer and mama be [ditto] a physics/math person. Reading between the lines, this also means we MAY not be the best folks to teach him better skills... Is there a decent online course that focuses on writing but doesn't cost a small fortune?

 

I've checked... we are not in an area with affordable CC for highschoolers...

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We have found practicing timed essay writing once a week from real, past SAT essay prompts to be extremely helpful. Both boys (gr. 9 and 10) and I each pick a prompt, then set the timer and write (right now, we're only writing for 15 minutes; we'll be kicking that up for next year). Then we read them aloud and critique them. The key is for me to pick ONE thing at a time and have them work that on for several months. Right now they have down:

- a solid beginning, middle and end to each essay

- and are working on getting SPECIFIC examples/facts/details to support their assertion

 

Next year we'll work on:

- writing longer essays

- and practicing going back and correcting/revising

 

Later we can work on:

- creative "hooks" to initially draw in the reader

- developing the "how" the specific examples/details/facts back up their assertion in more depth

 

See past SAT essay prompts at (scroll all the way to the bottom of the page):

http://www.onlinemathlearning.com/sat-test-prep.html

 

 

As far as finding meaning in works...

 

We read a lot of history and literature together and discuss aloud together. Literature guides really help us find themes (see the free lit. guides at: http://www.sparknotes.com/sparknotes/ Looking for connections, consequences, repetitions of choices/consequences, etc. in history is also very helpful -- just like in science when you begin to see repeated patterns, you begin to be able to make predictions, so, too in history. And those patterns and repetitions help you find themes in literature. In addition, we discuss films and TV shows (fantasy and sci-fi is especially good for this) all the time, looking for themes. Even check out ads for fallacies or see if you can figure out what connections are the advertisers subtly (or not so subtly) trying to get you to make (example: sexy girl draped over hood of car = "buy this car and you'll get this girl!")

 

A formal logic program can also be helpful in constructing an essay argument, and a wide variety of critical thinking types of puzzles can help "limber you up" to "think outside the box" -- in this case, to be looking for intuitive leaps, metaphors, images, symbols, etc. that are not necessarily cut and dried in the way math and science can be.

 

In addition to literature guides, you may also find the resources below helpful in training both yourself and your student to learn how to "see" the deeper meanings -- many may be available at your library! BEST of luck! Warmly, Lori D.

 

 

 

- Teaching the Classics

(the Socratic method; questions to ask yourself and your students to see worldviews, themes, deeper meanings in books, films, etc.)

publisher: http://www.centerforlit.com/ttc.htm

see more samples: http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/product?item_no=123615&netp_id=501475&event=ESRCN&item_code=WW&view=covers

 

- Deconstructing Penguins

(quick read showing the series of leading questions used by the children's book club leaders to help the parents and their children in the book club find deeper meanings and themes)

see it at: http://www.amazon.com/Deconstructing-Penguins-Parents-Kids-Reading/dp/0812970284/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1242886789&sr=1-1

 

- How to Read A Book

see sample pages: http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/product?item_no=12095&netp_id=149915&event=ESRCN&item_code=WW&view=covers

 

- The Well Educated Mind

publisher : http://www.peacehillpress.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=15

see more sample pages: http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/product?item_no=050947&netp_id=315645&event=ESRCN&item_code=WW&view=covers

 

- How to Read Literature Like A Professor

(covers the most frequently used symbols in literature and what they tend to stand for)

see it at: http://www.amazon.com/How-Read-Literature-Like-Professor/dp/006000942X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1242886546&sr=8-1

 

- Windows to the World

(beginning literary analysis through annotating as you read; also, the most specific, helpful info I've seen yet on how to *write* a literary analysis)

publisher: http://www.excellenceinwriting.com/index.php?q=product/windows-world%3A-introduction-literary-analysis

see table of contents and more sample pages: http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/product?item_no=5007348&netp_id=523467&event=ESRCN&item_code=WW&view=covers

Edited by Lori D.
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The Art of Lively Writing is a great book. It gives concrete suggestions and assignments. IEW is awesome too. My son loves to listen to Andrew Pudewa (IEW) becuase Andrew talks about how he once hated writing too. I third the SAT practice. Whatever you do, be consistent. Give your son lots of practice. No matter what he does in life, he will need to know how to communicate well.

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Thanks for the suggestions. I'll look into a couple of the books. They're worth a try. It's not really that he hasn't had writing experience. It's mainly that we're not seeing any improvement. He can look at other writings and gauge what is better or worse, but he can't seem to put his own thoughts on paper in an up to par way, nor see anything wrong with his own writing. He is a good speaker (by many peoples' accounts, not just mine)... and is good at literature discussions, etc.

 

I think once the writing clicks in his mind it will improve, but I'm looking for some other way of explaining things to help it click. I know he's not likely to turn into a world class writer as his talents lie elsewhere, but some improvement would really help - esp when it comes to scholarships this coming year.

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