My eighth grade daughter is one month into EIL year one. The first module is short stories, and so far it is has been good. However, this week she is supposed to write her first essay, a comparison/contrast literary analysis of two of the stories. This has really thrown her for a loop. She has done a fair amount of writing, though it has all been narration, summary, etc.--nothing critical or analytical. I feel like I need to provide her with some scaffolding for this leap. I have always avoided IEW writing curricula due to my own personal prejudice against it, but now I'm beginning to wonder if I missed to boat for this particular child. She balks at writing and loves math, so I think the IEW formula might appeal to her. I am considering jumping in with The Elegant Essay to help her move into essay writing. However, I am open to suggestion and would love to hear from anyone who has successfully navigated these late middle/early high school waters. (I'm cross-posting to the K-8 board.)

My dd completed WWS 1 and The Creative Writer as an 8th grader. It was a huge year for her - solidifying skills and confidence building. I wrestled with continuing onward with WWS 2 (and then 3) or move directly into "just" MFW AHL for 9th grade. We did begin MFW AHL and the writing component has completely thrown us off. The focus is on the argumentative essay - same format throughout the year. There is instruction in that type of writing, but my dd looks at me with "deer in the headlights" expression asking for help. She is very frustrated. There are obviously gaps from the end of WWS 1 to "write a 5 paragraph argumentative essay". She has ASKED to go back and do WWS 2. Is it realistic to "add" WWS 2 to our already full day? Or do I have her do WWS 2 and omit part of AHL? The literature supplement is tied into the grammar/composition AND the history assignments so it would be difficult to separate it all. sigh. How in the world do I "teach" writing skills where WWS 1 left off and still follow AHL lesson plans? Feeling a bit overwhelmed --- Someone please help me sort out the confusion.

Can you tell me what program you think is the best prep for high school essay writing? I remember how many essays my older boys wrote for ap classes and I am trying to decide how best to prepare my eighth grader now. I am not a writer and this is one class I think he might do better with an online class or something where he has input from someone else. Thanks!

I found this very helpful web site about writing argument essays in college. Take a look: http://writing-program.uchicago.edu/resources/collegewriting/

I have just finished working with my 7th grader ds and I feel like I've just gone 15 rounds. First, we are using Winning with Writing and are working on the persuasive essay. His position is that smoking is a nasty and dangerous habit, so no one should smoke. He came up with a few well thought out details supporting his position, but his essay in general is very weak. He has written in complete sentences and his grammar is generally fine, but the composition itself leaves much to be desired. Here's a little taste of how it went: ME: This is a good idea here but I think the sentence itself is too vague. How else could you word this to make it sound more specific? DS: I don't know. ME: Let's make a rule to no longer use the words stuff, things, good, or bad. DS: Then I got nothin'. ME: Do you remember what a metaphor is? DS: Yeah. (he then correctly defines one for me) ME: Can you think of a metaphor that might be appropriate here? DS: (After much pause) No. I then find myself leading him along with MANY open ended questions that eventually get us to a better sentence with regard to word choice. When we are finally finished with the essay rewrite, he says to me, "Mom, I know it sounds better now, but I don't know how to come up with these kind of sentences myself. I need you to help me think of them. My brain is just empty." I really feel for him, because I know he is trying. How do you help you child edit and improve their writing without essentially rewriting it yourself? I could never just ask him to work on improving sentence A or sentence B on his own. He'd just sit there blankly for hours. He understands concepts like sequence words, metaphors, similes, hyperbole, alliteration,descriptive words,strong verbs, etc. He can pick them out of things he reads, but to ask him to then come up with some in his own writing, is like asking him to jump the Grand Canyon.:confused: Advice, anyone? Thanks.

I am on the fence about Elegant Essay. I asked on here and that review plus some others I have found since- I am not for sure if that is what we want to use- but I haven't totally ruled it out yet either! What can you recommend? TIA

I found a cool resource for literary periods and analysis. A Guide to the Study of Literature The page from this site for the whole course (Emergence of Modern) has a syllabus, writing guide, sample essays, sample midterm and study guides for some of the authors studies. This page by the same prof has even more examples of essay assignments and sample essays.

My 15 yr old almost freshman cannot write an essay. He hears the word 'essay' and locks up, panics, cries...you get the picture. He can write reasonable paragraphs, lovely poems, good outlines and stories that make sense. I know I have failed in my duty to educate him in this. Please help me. We have tried Jump In (went fine until the first essay. He took 5 hours to write it.), IEW SWI-B (this method does not work for him. Too $$$.), Writing Skills, Writing Strands (ugg!) and probably some others I am forgetting over the years. Each one goes along fine (except IEW and WS. They were just awful) UNTIL he has to write more than one paragraph then he breaks down. How do I help him over this?

I was reading some political commentary this morning and thinking that there were interesting examples of style that I wanted to point out to my kids, since they'd just spent two weeks writing an essay for a contest. It occured to me that while my kids read a lot, they probably don't get a lot of persuassive essay reading. Even the big chunks of non-fiction they get is probably mostly narrative. So I'm wondering if I need to start directing them to more essays to read so they better understand the style. Do your kids read much in the styles that you're teaching them to write? What are some good sources for well written essays?