What to do to help a kid on standardized writing tests if the issue isn't writing ?

[Laurie4b]

Ds got his first standardized essay score back and the score was not at all in line with his other scores.

 

He is truly an excellent writer. The problem he has is that he is not excellent at bs---which, personally, I don't think is a huge detriment. He could write a great essay on something about which he has something to say, but what if he can't think of much of anything to say about the prompt in question?

 

His feedback on the essay said something like: "took a clear position on the issue, used reasons, examples, etc. but need more." Well, what if you can't generate a whole lot more examples, reasons, etc. because you just can't think of them? (What if the topic is really not something worth spending any time thinking about, so you've never talked about it with anyone, never occurred to you before?)

 

I guess they choose these kinds of topics so that graders won't have a personal bias?

 

In other words, for my ds, the essays are a measure not of how well he writes, but of how fast he can come up with a bunch of fluff for an rather inane topic. He's not good at that. Anyone had any success with upping a student's ability to lay on the snow when there's nothing he really has to say? I know this is part of the academic game, so he's gotta learn how to play. I'm thinking of starting a co-op group on inane essay writing.

 

(I hope this is making sense!)

[8filltheheart]

I actually agree with your ds. However, it is a skill that they have to learn. I wasn't willing to waste a lot of time on it, but I did want my ds to possess the skill.

 

I simply took 25 mins every Friday afternoon and pulled a topic from this list and had him write the essay.

 

both of us knowing that it would never take more than 25 mins......not a huge commitment........made it palatable. But if forced him to learn to think of "fluff on the fly!!!!: :)

 

http://www2.gsu.edu/~wwwrtp/topics.htm

[Michelle in MO]

I actually agree with your ds. However, it is a skill that they have to learn. I wasn't willing to waste a lot of time on it, but I did want my ds to possess the skill.

 

I simply took 25 mins every Friday afternoon and pulled a topic from this list and had him write the essay.

 

both of us knowing that it would never take more than 25 mins......not a huge commitment........made it palatable. But if forced him to learn to think of "fluff on the fly!!!!: :)

 

http://www2.gsu.edu/~wwwrtp/topics.htm

 

another thought: look into Julie Bogart's SAT/ACT Essay Writing Class. Here's a link to her main page, Bravewriter. The class is held in a public forum which is open only to other members of that class, so kids can see what other kids have written, but they're only allowed to give positive feedback on the papers. Julie always does, and her corrections on a student's paper are always dished out with heaping tablespoonfuls of tact and grace.

 

The class starts out with the student being given easier prompts and being allowed 45 minutes to write. Slowly she reduces the time limit until the student is taught to write to the 25-minute SAT prompts and the 30-minute ACT prompts. The class is generally held over a four-week period of time. I couldn't find it on her page now, but sign up for her newsletter and send her an e-mail stating you'd like to be informed when the next class will be held. My oldest did it last Jan./Feb., and I think Julie has another one sometime in May.

 

I cannot emphasize enough how patient Julie was with my oldest daughter. I think she's a lot like your son, except perhaps even more reluctant. She's an excellent writer, but hates the timed essay thing. She's also fairly shy, so she found writing in a public forum very difficult. Once she admitted that to Julie, Julie said, "Shoot! I wish I'd known that at first; then I could have arranged something different for you!" I'm sure she would have, too.

 

What worked better for her was Cindy Marsch's Writing Assessment Services Progymnasmata tutorials. However, note that Cindy now has her Criterion Writing Evaluation (see the links on the left), which is a class geared towards teaching kids to write to those essay prompts. I used her help in preparing for my GRE in March.

 

I would not at all say that Julie's SAT/ACT Essay Writing Class was inferior to Cindy Marsch's class. I just think that for my shy and quieter oldest daughter that format worked better, kwim? So, if you're interested in either one, check out the pros and cons. They are both excellent teachers; one class (Cindy's) will probably be on a more individualized basis, and one (Julie's) in a more public format. With the latter, though, there was never an unkind word said by any student to any other. Julie keeps true to her promise of keeping the format very positive; hence the term "Bravewriter".

 

Momof7 is right: these types of things are those annoying little hurdles that kids have to jump through. However, bear in mind that when colleges are looking at prospective students, they're not going to focus in on that one little slice; they're going to be looking at the whole picture. They will be trying to get an overall assessment of your child. Many kids struggle with the writing prompts and timed essays. My oldest did, but I wonder if, when faced with the real-life ACT essay (which I am going to make her do next year), she won't pull out of her hat some of the tips she learned in the Bravewriter class and pull out an acceptable essay.

[Chris in VA]

He doesn't have to write fluff, exactly--they are looking for clear points that are supported by examples and details. You really only need an intro containing a thesis and 3 points, then 3 paragraphs detailing those points, then a conclusion. It's known as the Gordon Ramsey around here--Write and GET OUT! :lol:

Just keep practicing 25 minute essays. The score will improve with experience. And yes, a lot of it is thinking on the spot.

[MaryM]

Those inane questions drive me nuts and had ds flumoxed at first too but heed the sage advice to keep practicing them - it does pay off! I will also add that we would often just orally discuss what the thesis statement and supporting points could be for a variety of questions. I downloaded the old ones from the College Board website and used Terego's Essay Writing book because he had about 200 of them there! Make it a game if you can. Offer a reward for creativity or do anything to make it worthwhile!! Stranegly, the solid five paragraph essays improve along with these...

 

Mary

[Laurie4b]

The problem is that the topics are so shallow that he can't think of the 3 points to support the thesis. That's the crux of the whole thing. He doesn't have anything to say, so how to say it doesn't really get into play.

 

He can write a great 5 paragraph essay on whether we should have an electoral college , or on whether Roger Chillingworth or Puritan society is the real antagonist in the Scarlett letter, or whether secular music can be part of a true worship service, just not whether tanning beds should be outlawed or whether schools should have soda machines . It's the "Who cares one way or the other" nature of the prompts that is at issue. That's what I mean by fluff.

[Laurie4b]

Thanks so much for the book recommendation and the tip to check out the college board website. That's exactly what we need. 200 inane topics. Learn to bs your way to college! ;)

[Laurie4b]

Thanks for the list and for the idea of just doing an essay a week. "Fluff on the fly" is exactly what he needs to learn. :001_rolleyes:

[Laurie4b]

Thanks for the suggestions for classes. We might try the essay a week thing, or even get some students from around here to do something online (I was serious about the inane essay co-op) , and then take a course next semester to push it up a little bit.

[Michelle in MO]

Thanks for the suggestions for classes. We might try the essay a week thing, or even get some students from around here to do something online (I was serious about the inane essay co-op) , and then take a course next semester to push it up a little bit.

 

one of the online courses, Laurie, for scheduling purposes: the Bravewriter class meets and writes every day, generally about 45 minutes per day total. When my girls were doing the Progymnasmata tutorials with Cindy Marsch, we generally scheduled in closer to 1-2 hours per day, but that's because they were rather pokey! ;) I'm not sure how she runs the Criterion class. When I did the GRE test prep with her, I asked her to choose the GRE prompts for me, which she sent in a document. I simply had to set the timer at home and write both required essays to the timer and then e-mail the document back to her.

 

HTH!

[Jan P.]

This article has been very helpful to us.

 

http://tinyurl.com/2wu9m3

[Carol in Cal.]

 

http://www2.gsu.edu/~wwwrtp/topics.htm

 

These are just HORRIBLE. Did I ever answer anything like this? Blessedly, time has hidden this experience from my memory, if in fact I ever had it. Suddenly I fear for my 12 year old DD. I have been having her write way too deeply, I think. Poor kid.

 

(Having said that, thank you for the URL. I guess that at some point we will have to do this, too. Gack.)

[Laurie4b]

Hoho! You should read some real ACT prompts: dress codes, block scheduling, "topics relevant to high school students.' Gack is right!