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I posted this question on a different forum and the only response I got was to ask in this forum.  So, here it is:

 

My son is going to be starting '8th grade' next year. We have always studied writing. He's done WWE 2-4 and WWS 1&2. He worked through FLL 1-4 and then we switched to R&S. He has done Vocabulary From the Classical Roots A&B, and Kolbe Middle School Literature. So, it isn't like he doesn't have a grounding in the language arts.

 

But, he has never had to produce an answer to an essay question. Now, yes, of course I can ask him to do so, and I will. But I would like some guidance. I know there are prob bits of advice and format that need to be taught.

 

Is there a resource out there that can be useful for producing a good essay in short time? I have a feeling it is something he will catch onto in short order, but being VERY 13 he is mostly about producing lackadaisical work. I know that is to be expected in 8th grade and we'll get through it, but I am feeling like this is a skill he needs to have before he starts high school. 

 

And resources for both looking to material provided by the instructor for writing the essay as well as pulling it from his head without the material to look at would be welcome.

 

Thanks for any advice you have to offer me!

 

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Can Windows to the World and/or Elegant Essay be used if we haven't ever used IEW materials before? And how Christian is it? We've become fairly adept at sidestepping with R&S, but there are so many exercises in R&S that it is easy to skip on on occasion. We can deal with a Christian worldview, but I don't want a lit program proselytizing to my kid.

 

I notice that Elegant Essay can be done in anywhere from 3-12 weeks, so it might be a great way to start the school year. And Windows on the World can be done over 26 weeks, so it would be quite possible to do both in the same school year. At least it looks that way on paper....

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Well, your subject title is asking for preparing for essay exams, while your post is requesting curricula for teaching how to write essays, which are different things.

 

For that subject heading of how to prepare for essay exams, you might find this $3 booklet from the Stack the Deck writing program helpful: How to Write an Essay Exam. I'd say it is best for 11th/12th graders preparing for college classes that will have essay exams.

 

Agreeing with previous posters about Elegant Essay and the chapter in Windows to the World on how to write a literary analysis essay. Another helpful resource that covers a variety of essay types (argumentative, persuasive, expository, exploratory...) is OWL at Purdue. If those resources (which are all at a high school level) are just a bit beyond your 8th grader's reach, consider starting with Jump In first, which is more of a whole-to-parts type of curriculum and really helps the student think of what to say, how to organize their thoughts on paper, and how to support their points. (It is Christian, but I think fairly easily can be skipped over.)

 

Here's the basic essay structure:

 

I. Introduction

- "hook"

- sentence of introduction (includes the name/author of the work and very broad overview of paper)

- thesis statement; has 3 parts:

* topic (the subject)

* claim (your position/take on that subject)

* "direction" (the major points that develop your argument about the claim; the essay body)

- optional: transition

 

II. Body Paragraphs

- transition (if previous paragraph did not end with transition)

- topic sentence (which major point you will develop in this paragraph)

- support for that point (facts, examples, details)

- commentary #1 explaining how or why those facts/examples/details support your point  (see  here for specific tip on commentary from Nan in Mass)

- commentary #2 "connecting the dots" of your argument, from the point in this paragraph to your thesis claim

- conclusion

- transition (or, transition can be the first sentence of the following paragraph)

 

III Conclusion

- transition

- broad overview of the argument of the essay/sum up of what you've covered (NOT a direct restatement)

- "clincher" -- the little "extra" thought, call to action, "moral of the story", your reaction to all you've presented, etc.

 

 

In retrospect, the thing that helped our DSs the most in learning to write essays was weekly timed essay practice from past SAT essay prompts. The idea originated from 8FillTheHeart; we would practice a weekly timed essay from a scripted prompt. All 3 of us (starting DSs in gr. 8 and 9 -- AND myself) did it, and then (gently) critiqued each other's essays. Below I give a condensed version of my post from this thread with many WONDERFUL ideas from many ladies on this Board: Resources for teaching writing for high school.

 

We used past SAT essay prompts from here (scroll down the page). We worked our way up slowly from 10 minutes to 25 minutes; from the expectation of 1 complete paragraph to as close to a 5-paragraph essay as possible. I also set a single expectation for each new "level" once we could complete the previous "level's" task. We stuck with a once-a-week essay at that level until we were very proficient at it.

 

Level A

- 10 minutes
- 1 paragraph at least 5 sentences long
- with an introductory sentence which introduces the topic
- at least 3 "body" sentences which support the topic sentence/contention with at least 1 specific example
- and a solid concluding sentence ("clincher")

Level B
- 15 minutes
- a longer paragraph, at least 6-8 sentences long, or 2 paragraphs
- with a "hook" in the introductory sentence
- a topic sentence/contention (can be in the same sentence with the "hook")
- the body sentences all support the topic sentence with at least 1 specific example
- and a solid concluding sentence ("clincher")

Level C
- 20 minutes
- 3 paragraphs
- intro paragraph can be short -- 1-2 sentences -- still must have a hook and topic sentence/contention
- body paragraph sentences must all support the topic sentence/contention, and must have at least 2 specific examples all supporting the contention
- and a solid concluding sentence ("clincher")

Level D
same as C above, but now must add an additional "extra" in the concluding paragraph, not just a restatement of the opening sentences -- add a thought, "reason why", "what this leads to" -- this is something out of the student's own thoughts and reasoning

Level E
- 25 minutes
- 3 to 5 paragraphs
- intro paragraph can be short -- 1-2 sentences -- still must have a hook and topic sentence/contention
- body paragraphs must have 3 specific examples which all support the topic sentence/contention, AND must include a sentence for each example which explains WHY the example proves or supports the topic sentence/contention
- concluding paragraph which sums up the essay, plus adds a little "extra" from the students own thoughts

Level F
like E above, but must also finish 2-4 minutes before the time is up in order to quickly proof the essay for typos, capitalization, punctuation, run-on sentences, forgotten word, etc.

 

 

One last tip that really helped move us forward in essay writing (and really, any type of writing in high school) was Marcia Somerville's (of TOG and Writing Aids) suggestion of handing your student a rubric or checklist along with the assignment. That REALLY helped the co-op class I taught last year to see exactly what the assignment needed to look like and what I expected them to have done before turning it in to me at each stage of the assignment.

 

BEST of luck in finding what best helps your family with essay writing! Warmest regards, Lori D.

Edited by Lori D.
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yes, I realized that there is a difference. I was hoping for some resource on how to prepare him to take essay exams, but decided to follow up on the suggestion for essay writing. I actually feel like WWS 1&2 have been great for teaching writing. He can write a perfectly serviceable essay, for a 7th grader. The only problem is that he is used to it taking at least a week to create final product.  It is looking more and more like next year, 8th grade, will be his last at home, and I am feeling like this is a glaring hole.

 

Give me a few more weeks and I am sure I will find several other glaring holes, this is just the one I am currently freaking out about.

 

The resource you linked to called 'how to take an essay exam' is looking like what we need. The funny thing is that I did look at RR, but never thought to be so direct in my search. I was looking through writing instruction etc. I just didn't use the most obvious path.

 

So thanks!

 

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I wonder how many essay tests ps high schoolers do? My impression was that many schools had moved away from them because of the time required to grade and the subjective nature of grading.

Of course AP courses have to prepare students for free response questions some of which are an essay format.

 

My sense having taught a lit coop class is that essay writing is still a developing skill for man high schoolers. I wouldn't panic as you work on getting him faster.

 

You don't need an IEW background for Windows. I think this is also true of Elegant Essay. I would say Christian content in Windows is minimal. There is a worldview chapter and a long project on Biblical allusions. The allusions assignment is similar to what I've seen on ps syllabus to familiarize students with stories used in metaphor.

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You might want to check out resources for timed writing.  Julie Bogart of Bravewriter has suggestions for freewriting, which is a good way to begin timed writing.  Bravewriter has a specific class for timed writing; i.e. ACT and SAT prompts, and the class is excellent.  The student should have experience with basic essays before taking this class.  Help for High School, which focuses primarily on expository essays with documentation, is the curriculum we have used before taking the timed essay class. 

 

 

 

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I wonder how many essay tests ps high schoolers do? My impression was that many schools had moved away from them because of the time required to grade and the subjective nature of grading.

Of course AP courses have to prepare students for free response questions some of which are an essay format.

 

My sense having taught a lit coop class is that essay writing is still a developing skill for man high schoolers. I wouldn't panic as you work on getting him faster.

 

You don't need an IEW background for Windows. I think this is also true of Elegant Essay. I would say Christian content in Windows is minimal. There is a worldview chapter and a long project on Biblical allusions. The allusions assignment is similar to what I've seen on ps syllabus to familiarize students with stories used in metaphor.

 

I live in NY and the students take Regents exams. Essay questions are a large part of those exams in both Language Arts and all the history exams. When I look at AP test prep it looks a lot like my own Regents prep, but we did them every year. I keep waiting for NY to drop the Regents exams and just let the kids who want to take the AP tests. There seems to be a whole lot of crossover.

Anyway, there is quite a bit of it.

 

And thanks for the reminder not to panic. I keep trying to remember that even if he does start public school in 9th grade, he is going to start pretty darn well prepared. My local friends who have already done this transition have told me they will prob put him in all honours classes. Then it is up to him to stay there.

 

 

 

You might want to check out resources for timed writing.  Julie Bogart of Bravewriter has suggestions for freewriting, which is a good way to begin timed writing.  Bravewriter has a specific class for timed writing; i.e. ACT and SAT prompts, and the class is excellent.  The student should have experience with basic essays before taking this class.  Help for High School, which focuses primarily on expository essays with documentation, is the curriculum we have used before taking the timed essay class. 

Thank you! I will check that out. I own Bravewriter, but it was passed on to me. I didn't seek it out. I've never really looked at it because we've done so well with the whole WWE/WWS sequence. I can see how freewriting could be very, very helpful. I will go check out my basic Bravewriter . I am thinking it might be a good idea to start with some freewriting just to let him see how it feels.

 

I will also keep the ACT/SAT prep in the back of my mind. I didn't consider testing prep to include writing, so that is a big help. Gah, those years are coming up fast!

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I was hoping for some resource on how to prepare him to take essay exams, but decided to follow up on the suggestion for essay writing. I actually feel like WWS 1&2 have been great for teaching writing. He can write a perfectly serviceable essay, for a 7th grader. The only problem is that he is used to it taking at least a week to create final product.  

 

 

Gotcha! :) Your DS sounds like he is quite far along and confident in the writing process, so disregard my post!

 

Two ideas to help speed up that final product:

 

1. Reduce time for assignments from 1 week to 3 days.

Have DS do a second shorter writing session in the afternoon, or, start requiring more steps in the writing process per day, so that he has three days to complete a final product instead of five. Once he can confidently handle that speed, in the last 12 weeks or so of 8th grade, start requiring final product in two days. That will also help DS prepare for the faster rate of homework/output when he goes to high school.

 

2. Doing a weekly timed essay (like I outlined above).

Do it together, don't grade it (just orally (gently!) critique one another's essays). There's nothing like regular practice with the stress grades removed for just getting used to writing a lot. The timed aspect is important, too, as it gets you to think quickly, while not being overwhelming because you also know you'll only be doing this for a short time (15-25 minutes) and then you're moving on to something else. And it's great practice for ACT/SAT testing later on.

 

 

Sounds like you've got things covered! BEST of luck with your 8th grade writing adventures! Warmly, Lori D.

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I'm not sure if you've seen the suggestions in this thread about considering SAT essays in terms of archetypes and collecting examples to use for different types.  I thought it was pretty helpful and potentially applicable in other timed essay contexts.

 

Look at posts #23 & 39

 

Thank you, that is very helpful indeed. It was kind of you to link to all that.

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Just approaching from another system: most GCSE exams taken in the UK require essays.  The exam boards publish examiners' reports about the previous year's entrants: how they approached particular questions and where they had difficulty (on average).  I found these invaluable when preparing Calvin to take GCSEs.  Is there something similar for the exams your pupil will be taking?

 

L

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For essay exams, I find that a large QUANTITY of practice writing essay answers is very helpful. Last year, I gave weekly biology exams and included about FIVE essay questions (generally requiring a couple paragraphs each) along with lots of short answer/mult choice/etc. They were long exams. At the beginning of the year, the kids took close to two hours to get through them. By the end of the year (35 exams later), they could churn the whole deal out in a little over an hour. They just learned to whip out the information, forming thoughts on the fly. Personally, I think a lot of practice writing one to two paragraph essay answers is a great preparation for actually writing full 4 to 5 paragraph essays exams. 

 

One great idea I read in the MCT lit books that I will be implementing this year is to provide the student with a list of essay prompts -- maybe ten -- in advance of the exam. Then, for the exam, assign three of the prompts, letting the student pick just two of them to answer (in an hour total). I love this idea of giving the student a chance to prepare/brainstorm before the exam itself. Having a long list of prompts makes sure they cover a lot of material in preparation, too.

 

I plan to use this approach with my 9th grader this year. For the first exam, I'll probably just give him four or five prompts to prepare, then I'll inch that up towards the end of the year when I'll give him a longer list (maybe 10 or so) to prepare. It allows you to help him brainstorm outlines/ideas during the study period and then will help him bang out great essays during the exam. I might even allow him to use his notes/outlines as an open-book-essay-exam for the first couple exams. 

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I live in NY and the students take Regents exams. Essay questions are a large part of those exams in both Language Arts and all the history exams. When I look at AP test prep it looks a lot like my own Regents prep, but we did them every year. I keep waiting for NY to drop the Regents exams and just let the kids who want to take the AP tests. There seems to be a whole lot of crossover.

Anyway, there is quite a bit of it.

 

And thanks for the reminder not to panic. I keep trying to remember that even if he does start public school in 9th grade, he is going to start pretty darn well prepared. My local friends who have already done this transition have told me they will prob put him in all honours classes. Then it is up to him to stay there.

 

 

 

Thank you! I will check that out. I own Bravewriter, but it was passed on to me. I didn't seek it out. I've never really looked at it because we've done so well with the whole WWE/WWS sequence. I can see how freewriting could be very, very helpful. I will go check out my basic Bravewriter . I am thinking it might be a good idea to start with some freewriting just to let him see how it feels.

 

I will also keep the ACT/SAT prep in the back of my mind. I didn't consider testing prep to include writing, so that is a big help. Gah, those years are coming up fast!

 

 

Hey redsquirrel,

 

It's great to see you over here. Your son has a solid foundation for answering essay prompts. Personally, I don't think you need to do anything really elaborate to build from where he is, maybe work through The Lively Art of Writing and then be sure to practice writing timed essays frequently. You don't even have to do the entire essay every time. Offer one or more prompts and have your student write out their thesis with their supporting points. The goal is to get the student to quickly arrange their thoughts and arguments in a coherent fashion and to not freeze.

 

Also, something to keep in mind is that you will probably teach your son to write a good general academic essay (argument with support, not report) and then you will have to teach how to write to meet particular test requirements, say for an AP history exam.

 

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