A different way to teach essay writing

[BusyMom5]

I am having some issues teaching my 7th grader essay and report writing- we have used Hake and EIW, both use step-by-step processes but our final result leaves a lot to be desired ;)  Transforming a list of facts into a cohesive paragraph that flows and a report that flows is impossible.  Are there some other sources for teaching essay writing?  How did your student learn this?  Do you know of a place that shows good examples of Middle School level essays?  And the note-taking!  Are there some books you could recommend to me or my student? 

[Cindyz]

We are using Writing with Skill.  It's not a fast approach, but little by little I am seeing progress.

[sbgrace]

EIW--Essentials in Writing, Matthew Stevens by grade level curriculum or IEW--Institute for Excellence in Writing, Andrew Pudewa leveled curriculum?

 

I own both, but I sometimes confuse the two with initials.

 

I have some reservations about IEW, but if it's not what you've used it might get you closer to what you want.
 

A lot of people like the old book Lively Art of Writing and it focuses on the essay, but I don't have personal experience.

 

 

[SilverMoon]

I can't tell by your post if the paragraph needs work or just the essay format that needs work.

 

If her paragraphs are solid, in order, and transition well, she'd be ready for Lively Art of Writing. LAW is a one semester book you can find dirt cheap on Amazon, which is a great little primer on essays, from thesis to conclusion. Somewhere in the high school forum a boardie has made a workbook to go with it to make your work easier. My 7th grader has been using this lately, and my teens used it ages ago. We read the chapter together and discuss as we go along, then he works on the exercises. Be prepared to change the topics in the writing assignment in the exercises. (It talks about drag racing a lot. DS/7th saw his first NHRA drag race this year and gives the author brownie points for this.) We've been blending it with Art of Argument, which compliments LAW nicely.

 

If her paragraphs themselves need work, perhaps a Killgallon paragraphs book would help. R&S English books 5 and 6 writing lessons lay a nice ground work for solid paragraphs. DS/7th using LAW first broke into good paragraphs using Wordsmith Apprentice in 5th. Wordsmith Apprentice gone through quickly and chased with Wordsmith could have an older kid on their feet ready for essays.

Edited March 26, 2016 by SilverMoon

[BusyMom5]

I think it's more of an issues of comprehensive paragraphs, she has the 5 paragraph form down and is getting better about keeping same topics with same topics (with strange phrases and facts thrown in).  I used EIW with Matthew Stevens, and we just started Killgallon Sentences for MS, I will probably do the paragraph one next year if we like this one.  We need work making interesting thesis statement, topic sentence w/ detail sentences that flow from topic to topic instead of reading like a list of facts with a few unrelated facts as well.  We also need to work on length and depth, not using the same word 3-5 times in the same paragraph, working on staying in the same tense for the entire paper, and working on 'tone' (like not saying "you" in an essay/report, using the right tone for her audience).  I think the form is okay, it's the content that needs work.  We also need better information on note-taking (hers read like a rough draft, not notes).  Our research paper ended up sounding more like a travel brochure- after 5 weeks and a LOT Of help from me.  It's so hard b/c we did work quite a bit on it, and she is trying, but just not getting it.  We are going to try again with a historical figure research paper next week.  I actually typed up  her report here last week to ask for help, but never posted it- it was so bad, and I don't know what to do.  The first paper she gave me was a solid C- issues w/ tense, strange pairings in sentences  (including one that said "England has a lot of dialects and architecture."  Seriously- this was the sentence, she was talking about speech dialects and architecture from the ancient Roman baths, cathedrals, castles, ect.- but she used no facts and did not say anything else about them).   I will also need to hit grammar again w/ tense, run-on sentences, verb-subject agreement.  That is another issue, she's a speed reader and apparently doesn't pay attention to tense when reading or writing, she says she just skips over those words and most punctuation, so she doesn't pay attention in her writing.  When she writes, there are verb-subject disagreements all over the place b/c she really doesn't pay attention.  I am going to come up w/ a personalized checklist for the things I see recurring in her writing. 

Edited March 26, 2016 by BusyMom5

[Sahamamama]

We are using WWS 1 at half-pace for 5th grade. It is incremental, but the skills begin to build up into something useful.

 

https://peacehillpress.com/c/writing-handwriting/writing-with-skill-middle_grades/wws-level-1/

[SilverMoon]

Based on your second post, I'd take a back to basics approach and hold off on the essays/theses. Focus on the paragraph level to address your concerns, and don't skip the edit/revise stage.

 

I found note taking was best taught by modeling it. I'd sit down with them with my own paper, discuss the content aloud, and make my own notes.

[Tiramisu]

Killgallon helps with better sentences to put into those essays.

 

I liked Jump In for a friendly into to essay writing.

Edited March 26, 2016 by Tiramisu

[Mrs Twain]

IEW could be what you need, especially with note-taking and style. Mr. Pudewa's courses have made the greatest impact in my kids' writing skills. You could use the Student Writing Intensive B course.

 

I agree about continuing to edit and revise which I find to be the best way to help my kids improve grammar in their papers. This is also where you point out a certain word was used 3-5 times in one paragraph. I often have my child read his paper aloud, and he can appreciate how it doesn't sound good with repeated words.

 

Writing with a Thesis was a very helpful book to appreciate how to write a solid thesis. It also has many examples of good quality essays that demonstrate the lessons in each chapter.

 

In addition I have my kids read essays written by adults so they can learn what a good quality essay is. For example my husband found an interesting essay in the Wall Street Journal this weekend about Easter. I am going to print it out and analyze it with my son this week. I would rather my kids read adult-level essays and aim to imitate those rather than to imitate how other middle schoolers write.

[Ms Brooks]

Recently I was having trouble with DD's writing--7th grade. Her writing was just OK. I opened Twisting Arms, a book that has been sitting on my shelf for years, and gave DD a format to follow in her writing. The type of writing I want her to work on: Written responses requiring evidence to support her assertions. After a trial essay modeling the style together, her next essay was outstanding. Her essay was cohesive and her opinions supported. 

 

In the past I've been a big fan of Thinking in Threes, and Twisting Arms is much like Thinking in Threes. These two books address essays and not creative writing.  My older daughter still uses the ideas she learning in Thinking in Threes in her college essays. The format each book lays out makes the process of writing easy to follow.

[Carrie12345]

Just want to share that you're not alone!

 

My dds did WWE and FLL 1&2 for 3 years. They followed with some Killgallon and MCT.  WWS bombed when we first tried it, so we went to IEW.  They have so much of the technical aspects drilled into their heads, but it's like there are no signs of life on the page.  They're both big readers, too, so I don't know how things wind up falling so flat.

 

 I'm thinking of taking another shot with WWS and The Creative Writer with my 8th grader.  Possibly my 9th grader, too.  But first I'm going to look into some of the recommendations above!

[DavidIR]

When it comes to writing essays, no one can say that the work can be done easily. I realize some students have natural talent in written, but this process usually requires too much time. I always recommend my students to dig in a big pile of information before writing. I am really delighted to share the awesome list of top 20 best essay writing services which supposed to invest the academic writing skills.

Edited October 23, 2017 by DavidIR

[Targhee]

We are using Writing with Skill. It's not a fast approach, but little by little I am seeing progress.

WWS does not teach essay writing per say. It teaches academic writing, but not thesis driven work, but

[Lori D.]

:grouphug:  I'll just throw in encouragement that your student sounds right about where a majority of students are for 7th grade writing, so you're right in the midst of the long/slow process that is learning to write, and not at all behind. The previous posters have all given you some great ideas. :)

 

I've been teaching grade 7-12 Lit. & Comp. co-op classes now for 4 years, and what I am seeing over and over is that students each mature in writing on their own unique timetable. Most of my 7th and 8th graders are right about at the same level you describe for your 7th grader, and are just beginning to clear the hurdle of putting together a solid paragraph. We spend the first half of our semester just writing solid paragraphs, and then the second half of the semester is spent slowly building up the longer multi-paragraph  essay or research paper.

 

In fact, that would probably be my suggestion -- whatever you use as far as instruction for writing, do lots and lots of single paragraphs to practice going from key word outlines and facts into complete sentences, and then into solid single paragraphs. Once you've gone through the first three steps of the writing process (brainstorming ideas, make an outline or organize the ideas in some way, and write a rough draft), having a checklist to talk about organization can help, before moving on to the revising stage (which is where you can deal with the subject/verb agreement, verb tense change, and other minor issues like punctuation, run-ons/fragments, etc.). Some ideas of organizational types of questions:

 

- Do I clearly state what the topic of this paragraph is in my first sentence?

- Do all the facts/sentences belong together in this paragraph? Do they all talk about the topic?

- Are the sentences in an order that flows, or do they "skip around" or "ping-pong" back and forth?

- For an argumentative or literary analysis essay, do I have a sentence of commentary that explains how/why the facts and examples in my paragraph support my topic? (To help write the sentence of commentary, try starting with the words: "This shows that…")

- Do I clearly sum up /re-state what I've just talked in my concluding sentence? (One of my students called it "putting a bow on the package of the paragraph".)

 

BEST of luck! Warmest regards, Lori D.

Edited July 23, 2016 by Lori D.

[Garga]

. Somewhere in the high school forum a boardie has made a workbook to go with it to make your work easier.

Do you know where I can find this? I bought the Lively Art of Writing and I'd like to look at the workbook.

 

Nevermind! I found it! http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/471529-lively-art-of-writing-formatted-workbook-and-key-x-post/

Edited July 23, 2016 by Garga