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Help with writing lit analysis essays


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DS is taking a 7th grade English class. I thought I had him ready. We did 2 years of IEW through SICC A and he can write entertaining stories and summarize paragraphs. We did part of WWS - he is great at writing descriptive paragraphs. He did SOTW and narrates wonderfully. Thus far he he had to write single paragraphs for English class in response to writing prompts, some literary and some not. He got 100% on all of those. However, now he is writing his first 4 paragraph essay.

 

He has been writing for 6 hours on the theme of a short story. The paper is OK but it is taking him forever, and I helped him outline his thoughts before he began. He's a whiz at figuring out the theme of a book, etc...I think the issue is organizing his thoughts in a logical order, being specific and knowing what else to say such that he ends up with 8 sentences per paragraph.

 

Now to be honest, we seem to have some kind of LD going on. Dysgraphia has been suggested to us but not yet confirmed. Nonetheless, my question is where can I find a nice, quick lesson on how to write a literary essay? I don't have a lot of time but we clearly need a guideline for him. IEW worked but where in IEW does he finally explain the 5 paragraph essay and which resource is best? Is WWS better? Is there some other little guide book out there to help him? I need clearcut, easy to follow, and able to be taught in a short amount of time with some success (in other words we don't have 4 months to build up to an essay). And clearly the issue is WHAT to say and flow, not how to say it. He is quite skilled with sentence variety and quality word use from IEW.

 

Thanks! Brownie

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Essay writing requires students to use a different set of writing skills than report or fiction writing. Students need to be able to create an argument, know how to support the argument w/quotes, and tie all the thoughts together w/transitions. It can take a while to get the hang of it, so I would set low expectations for a while.

 

I don't have a favorite source that I can recommend. One that might help you (I would not recommend it for a 7th grader to use alone. For self-education on how to instruct, yes.) and that seems better than others is Norton's Field Guide to Writing. http://www.amazon.com/Norton-Field-Guide-Writing-Readings/dp/0393933814 Another option might be Lively Art of Writing, but its topics are personal persuasive essays vs. literary.

 

I have posted a couple of my dd's essays on the writing board, her very 1st essay which she wrote in 6th grade and then one of her early essays in 7th. The first one is very simple in format. The 2nd one is slightly more complicated. I don't know if seeing her simple essays might help your ds or not, but here are links if you think they might.

 

Very 1st essay: http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/showthread.php?t=228187&highlight=narnia

 

A yr later: http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/showthread.php?t=340747

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Actually, your DS sounds like he is right where most middle schoolers are with writing! Sounds like he is doing fine! You used good, foundational material to teach him writing. He expresses himself well. He can write solid paragraphs. You helped him outline his thoughts for this multi-paragraph essay. All good!

Late middle school is when students start expanding the length of some writing assignments, and it just WILL take more time because the students haven't done this before.

I would like to add that literary analysis is the most complex type of writing, and the average student doesn't really "click" with this type of writing until well into high school.

So, the fact that your DS was given (IMO) a tough assignment, and has thoughts on how to accomplish it is SUPER! Especially now that I see in your signature that DS is only *6th grade*!! That seems extra young to be learning how to write a literary analysis essay... And if there is any "delay" in writing abilities, that's young for any type of longer writing assignment (i.e., 5-paragraphs).

Can you first work up from 1-paragraph assignments to some 3-paragraph assignments to help build "writing endurance"? With a 3-paragraph assignment, the introductory and concluding paragraphs would be shorter -- each only 2-4 sentences long, and then the longer body paragraph with all the supporting examples.

That would also give DS the opportunity to practice "commentary" or "explanation" sentences -- the sentences in the body paragraph that explain HOW or WHY the examples / facts / details / quotations / etc. are working to support his thesis statement. Commentary sentences are the hardest for students to come up with as that is their own thoughts, but they are the *crucial* part of a literary analysis essay.


JMO, but, there is NO quick way to teach / learn how to write a literary analysis essay. It requires many things to be able to accomplish this kind of assignment on your own (all the things that 8FillTheHeart said in her post above):

- knowledge = an understanding of literary elements and how they work

- biological maturity = maturation of the abstract/logic thinking portions of the brain
(which tends to begin developing at about age 12-14)

- practice = develop the ability to analyze literature
(see beyond just the plot, ask those Socratic questions and see how they lead to finding some of the author's "big ideas", understand how literary elements are supporting those big ideas, ability to draw a conclusion)

In order to know WHAT to say, you have to know how to SEE things in the short story or whatever the literature is in order to have something to SAY about it. That's why those above tools and developmental skills are so important.

Here is a past thread, in my post, I listed some questions of ideas of what to look for when reading to then have an idea of what to say in the literary analysis essay. BUT -- those are at a high school level, so don't expect a young middle schooler to be at that same level of answering questions...


A 5-paragraph literary analysis essay: JMO, but this is the type of assignment that requires a LOT of TOGETHER time -- a lot of guidance from you, with you slowly, during the course of several years, more and more stepping back and letting the student go without training wheels. I would not expect the *average* student to be able to handle these types of assignments totally on their own until along about 10th grade -- later, if you have a delayed student -- perhaps earlier if you have an advanced student. Your student will especially need help at these points:

- brainstorming
(you asking questions to help student think through what he/she "saw" in the Literature to have something to talk about in the paper)

- organizing
(the key word outline; which ideas belong in the essay and which don't)

- revising
(adding a "hook", a "clincher", or "dressing up" the writing; refining the arguments and/or examples; subtracting/substituting for weak examples or arguments; etc.)


As far as it taking so much time... That is totally understandable. One suggestion for tackling these longer essays, since you are familiar with the IEW method, is to divide the work into several days.


Our younger DS has mild LDs ("stealth" dyslexia, and difficulties with both writing and spelling); tackling longer writing assignments in the way I outline below worked VERY well for him. An 8-sentence paragraph in one sitting was a manageable amount for him in middle school, IF we had brainstormed previously AND he was working from a previously-made key-word outline.

For DS, a 5-paragraph essay initially took 2 weeks, and looked like this:
day 1 = in the a.m. = together, brainstorm ideas / in the p.m. = work the ideas into a series of key word paragraph outlines
day 2 = turn 1st line of key word outline into full-written paragraph
day 3 = turn 2nd line of key word outline into full-written paragraph
day 4 = turn 3rd line of key word outline into full-written paragraph
day 5 = turn 4th line of key word outline into full-written paragraph
day 6 = turn 5th line of key word outline into full-written paragraph
day 7 = revise: add/subtract, "dress ups", add "hook", "clincher", etc.
day 8 = proof read; fix all errors; print final copy

By the end of middle school, DS had built up "stamina" and a 5-paragraph essay took 1 week:
day 1 = in the a.m. = together, brainstorm / in the p.m. = together, work ideas into key word outlines
day 2 = in the a.m. = 1st line of key word outline into paragraph / in the p.m. = 2nd line of key word outline into paragraph
day 3 = in the a.m. = 3rd line of key word outline into paragraph / in the p.m. = 4th line of key word outline into paragraph
day 4 = in the a.m. = 5th line of key word outline into paragraph / in the p.m. = together, revise
day 5 = proof read; fix all errors; print final copy

If you really need an even shorter time frame AND ONLY if your DS is ABLE to go at this speed, you could try compressing to 3 days:
day 1 = a.m. = brainstorm and key word outline / p.m. = finish outline; write first paragraph from outline
day 2 = a.m. = write next 2-3 paragraphs from outline / p.m. = finish writing paragraphs from outline
day 3 = a.m. = revise / p.m. = proof and print final essay

Make sure your DS realizes he won't have to go longer than 30-45 minutes in a sitting. That helped our DS a LOT -- knowing there was a manageable amount and a short enough time duration that he could "see the light at the end of the tunnel" and not bog down.

BUT -- I strongly encourage you: it is GOOD to start slow, build good habits, and go for quality output, not quantity, to start with. If that means you only get through a few 5-paragraph essays in this school year, as long as they are well thought-out, and your DS is grasping the process, then that's GOOD! You've accomplished the goal.


One thing your DS might find helpful is if you create a very specific checklist for each part of the assignment. Below is an example for a 1-paragraph assignment -- please add/subtract to make this work for a 5-paragraph essay:

Assignment: a persuasive paragraph
Write a persuasive paragraph (sway reader to your position), that includes support (facts, examples, quotes, etc.).

____ 1. Choose a topic. Ideas:
- plea or request to support an event, cause, position, political candidate, etc.
- political campaign speech, persuade others to vote for you, etc.
- argument agreeing/disagreeing with a law, social practice, custom, etc.
- advertisement for a product or service (why it is so great you should buy it)
- a letter to the editor stating your opinion and why others should feel/act the same

____ 2. Make Key Word Outline.
1."Hook" Sentence__________________________________
2. Topic Sentence __________________________________
3. Supporting Detail #1__________________________________
4. Commentary #1 (HOW detail #1 supports the topic) __________________________________
5. Supporting Detail #2__________________________________
6. Commentary #2 (HOW detail #2 supports the topic) __________________________________
7. Concluding Sentence __________________________________
8. "Clincher" Sentence __________________________________

____ 3. Write. Turn EACH line of the key word outline into a complete sentence.
A complete sentence is:
- a complete thought, with a subject and predicate (a "who" and a "what happens").
- begins with an uppercase letter.
- ends with proper punctuation (period, exclamation point, or question mark).

____ 4a. Revise. Add/subtract information.
Add anything needed to help the paragraph make more sense, and to make it more vivid to the reader.
Remove anything that is confusing or doesn't belong in this paragraph.

____ 4b. Revise. Fine tune by adding.
Add a little to each sentence to make it more specific, detailed, and interesting:
- adjectives (add onto nouns)
- adverbs (add on to verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs)
- phrases (add the additional information of "how", or "why", or "in what way")

____ 4c. Revise. Fine tune by removing.
- Substitute for repeated words.
- Replace general or over-used words with vivid, specific words.

____ 5. Proof Read.
____ correct capitalization
____ correct punctuation
____ correct spelling
____ sentences all belong
____ no run-on sentences
____ no sentence fragments
____ subject/verb agreement
____ no left out words
____ no doubled words

____ 6. Format.
____ typed: 12-point Times
____ double spaced
____ 1" margins; 0.25" tab indents
____ name, date in upper left corner
____ title centered (NOT bold, italics, etc.)
____ no doubled words

____ 7. Print.
____ print final assignment
____ staple this checked-off outline to your final assignment
____ turn in by (due date) _______________


As far as suggested programs or lessons or guidelines for writing literary analysis essays...

We used Apologia's Jump In as a helpful writing program that guides the student in how to think of what to say, and how to organize their thoughts. It is written to the student. The program does NOT focus on literary analysis essays (a high school/college type of assignment), but rather encourages learning the writing process through 1-paragraph, 3-paragraph, and multi-paragraph assignments in expository and persuasive essays.

past thread on Jump In
Cathy Duffy review of Jump In


The best resource I've seen on how to write a literary analysis essay is in IEW's Literature program for grades 9-12, Windows to the World, which teaches annotation, how to look for various literary elements, and then how to use those annotations and literary elements as your support for the thesis of your literary analysis essay. It is a one-semester course. Or, it can be used with strong writing/reading 8th grade students as a one-year program. I would NOT recommend it for younger than grade 8.


BEST of luck in your writing adventures! Warmest regards, Lori D.

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So glad that outline was of help, ladies! :001_smile:

 

I'm teaching a homeschool co-op English class this year (all based on Lord of the Rings!), and for each week's writing assignment (so far, just single paragraphs, but about to be a multi-paragraph essay), I give the students one of those outlines (geared for the specific assignment), and they have to check it off and hand it back in with the assignment. Then, when I grade their paragraphs, I can circle things on the outline that they missed or didn't catch in their paragraph. It really does help! I wish I'd done this more with my own DSs...

 

I very loosely based my outlines on a checklist rubric that Marcia Somerville (the TOG and Writing Aids author) handed out at a writing seminar I attended some years back at our state's homeschool convention -- here's a version of her 2-hour lecture on writing on CD. What I took away from Marcia's talk was:

 

1. for a student to write an assignment, you have to give them a very specific assignment and expectations

 

2. to help the student treat writing as a process (i.e., several steps: think, write, revise), give them a specific checklist for each stage of writing

 

It looks like both IEW's programs and SWB's Writing with Ease and Writing with Style programs have similar ideas underlying their programs, just written in different styles. And, of course IEW and WWE and WWS have specific exercises and assignments, while Marcia's CD is an overview of "how to approach teaching writing".

 

Happy writing, all! Warmest regards, Lori D.

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Lori D,

Your detailed schedule for writing and checklist for proofing are solid gold. Thank you.

 

And it came at the perfect time, since I'm teaching paragraphs and essays to a coop class using Windows to the World. I'm going to make sure they get nice and comfortable with your checklist.

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