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12 grader writing, needs HELP. . . SOS call


Guest Barb B
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I am trying to bridge the gap between high school writing and college. DS handing in 2 essays last week and I am so upset - its like he forgot all he learned in the previous 3 years. I was trying to show him that not all writing should be the typical, formula 5 paragraph essay; with the typical "listing" theses (list 3 points that you talk about in 3 middle paragraphs). Well - he forgot all else. His writing was like back in elementary school. I guess I didn't make myself clear and he thought nothing I taught him pertains to writing any more. I need some book, info from the web or whatever that will teach him how to write a good thesis and then how to go about organizing your essay. Any good info out there for this type of thing? Especially, about writing in 12th grade? Hope I made myself clear. I am in panic mode - trying to figure out how to get him ready for next year.

 

SO, I repeat my title - HELP!!! SOS call going out here!

Barb

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Writers Inc is a modern high school writing textbook. My oldest used it in public school. Uncharacteristically, the students were required to buy their own copy. I think the rational was that then they could take it to college with them and use it as a reference? Anyway, it has different types of writing, like book review, literary analysis paper, response to literature, history paper, etc. There are many check lists. And best of all, there are actual student examples of each type of writing. It isn't necessarily the most popular choice for classical homeschoolers, but in your situation, where you are trying to pull your son away from the 5 paragraph model, it might be helpful, especially since it contains examples and checklists. Like many modern textbooks, the information is presented in as brief a form as possible. It also contains information on style, format, oral presentations, note-taking, plagerization, and some other things. The last is something you will especially want to cover for college writing. It has some handy lists of words, too.

HTH

-Nan

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For focusing on thesis and argumentation, I like The Lively Art of Writing. It is very short and sweet. It teaches exactly how to structure this kind of paper, build your arguments, and it doesn't dictate the number of paragraphs.

 

For writing in general, we are enjoying Kane's The New Oxford Guide to Writing. It is lengthy, but you could go through and select the topics you think need review.

 

Two things that really help around here:

1) My kids are required to show/discuss their thesis and main points with me before they write. 90% of their writing problems are in the organization and lack of clear thinking. Saves a ton of re-writing time. Sometimes, that IS the writing assignment because that is what need the most practice.

2) Give me a statement of your intended audience. Sometimes my speech & debate kid's papers sound too casual, but there is a place for that kind of writing. Adults write differently for different audiences, our students should learn to do so, too.

 

Good luck!

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I wouldn't, at this point, throw away the 5-paragraph essay. What I mean is why not just have him write like he always has, BUT tell him to add or delete paragraphs in the body as needed? I have Essay Voyage by MCT and in it, the 5-paragraph model is used to some extent. However, MCT stresses that it should be expanded when necessary to include many more or fewer paragraphs.

 

For older students, Academic Writing by MCT is all about getting the student to write correctly for college. Here's the link: http://www.rfwp.com/series78.htm#824 You might check that out.

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Thanks, So far I don't know if he truly is poor in his writing suddenly, or if he is being lazy and trying to get poor essays past me to just get done with them (also very, very likely). I was just so depressed last night after reading 2 essays he did! I said - getting away from the 5 para essay is like ridding a bike without training wheels - most of the ridding of the bike is the same (you don't suddenly not peddal, hold the handle bars. . . ).

 

Some days this homeschooling stuff wears me out!

 

Barb

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I think we all have days like this. I do, anyway. So far this year, mine has thrown me into a panic by not remembering anything about coordinate geometry, not remembering classification (bio), claiming never to have heard of Charlmagne, and several other pretty major things that he has most certainly done before, sometimes yearly. Ug. I have nothing comforting to say. I just sympathize greatly. It seemed like last year so much was wrong with my son's papers that I couldn't even begin to help him. Finally, somebody here mentioned the Schaffer format and I got the curriculum (another writing curriculum - grrr) and we followed that for a few papers. Somehow, the combination of that format combined with the various other formats he had learned from Writing Strands somehow all clicked and this year he can now write a non-format paper. He's cranking out one a week now, some report-type papers for history or science, some literary analysis papers, all between 1 and 3 pages long. I am very happy. They aren't perfect papers by any means, and he hasn't done many of the persuasive sort outside of literature or the personal sort (the SAT or college app essay ones), but at least he can now write fast enough to practise enough to improve. I would just try a few different formats and then give an assignment which doesn't strictly fit into any particular format and tell him to write it however he thinks best.

-Nan

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