JDG Posted May 17, 2015 Share Posted May 17, 2015 I have been doing extra math with my son since the summer after kindergarten. We started Life of Fred then, and finished it by the end of 1st grade (I read it to him, a chapter a night, and he solved the problems out loud or on scrap paper). We started Beast Academy in second grade, which he did on non-school days only. He has just finished Grade 3 of BA today, just as we are coming to the end of third grade. It has been a great supplement to what he is getting in school (Everyday Math), he does well in school and on tests, and is very confident in his math skills. We are going to take a break from math for now, and work on writing. He took a writing test at school that was scored externally, and he did very poorly (10th percentile). They give this test yearly, with the scores going on their permanent record (an issue because we live internationally, are transient, and must apply to private international schools when we move). I therefore want to work with him to improve his writing skills. The test is given over two days, the students are given a prompt for a narrative, have 20 minutes to plan and write a draft the first day, and 20 minutes the next day to produce a final draft. I am very comfortable with math, and enjoyed working through BA with him, but am less confident with writing. As we only do extra work on weekends, should I just give him a prompt on Saturday, have him work for 20 minutes, go over it with him. Then have him do the final draft on Sunday, which I then correct for mechanics, grammar and spelling, discuss the narrative and have him write it out neatly (bad handwriting is part of the problem). Or is there a program out there that will help me do this? Because for some reason the thought of doing this really stresses me out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tsuga Posted May 18, 2015 Share Posted May 18, 2015 I would not bridge into Sunday. Never getting a day off is too much for any person, not to mention a child. Was the test in his native language? Or second / international language? Does the private school take any responsibility for handwriting? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiwik Posted May 18, 2015 Share Posted May 18, 2015 if you give him a prompt and the problem is he does not know what to do it will just frustrate him. Can you find out where exactly he struggles most and then work on that? It may be organization, or thinking what to write or even just writing fast enough. Or he may simply have hated to the prompt given. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDG Posted May 18, 2015 Author Share Posted May 18, 2015 Working on Sunday is not a problem for him, he is used to putting in a half hour or so before he can get on the computer. If we have a busy day planned we skip it. School is in English, which is our first language, so that is not an issue. I met with his teacher and was able to read the essay he wrote. He scored low on every part of the rubric except Word Usage. The prompt was fine for him (involving robots). His teacher gave me a few of the graphic organizers they have used, I guess I won't really know where it falls apart for him until I go through the process with him. It is just unknown territory for me, and I don't know if I will be able to help him, so I was wondering what resources are out there that will help us through this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KathyBC Posted May 18, 2015 Share Posted May 18, 2015 We found Jump In to be an open-and-go resource during grade 6, to tackle this type of writing scenario. To educate yourself on teaching writing you might try IEW's Teaching Writing with Structure and Style and Julie Bogart's The Writer's Jungle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tsuga Posted May 19, 2015 Share Posted May 19, 2015 Thanks for the clarification. If he has handwriting issues, I would focus on that separately for awhile and emphasize the purpose--legibility and first impression. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DoppeltGemoppelt Posted May 19, 2015 Share Posted May 19, 2015 Knowing the rubric is the key. Our experience is that a kid who is 'ahead' wont be scored at his level...for ex. Using the implied thesis statement in middle school will score a zero. So, if you have a child that has learned from reading good authors, his writing will not meet the rubric. Exemplars per grade level are usually available, and reading a few of those will show the student how to score well. Scoring well and writing well are not synonomous. Just listening in here. Could you elaborate on this please, Heigh Ho? Specifically on the difference of scoring well and writing well, and how you would help your child achieve one or the other. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KathyBC Posted May 19, 2015 Share Posted May 19, 2015 As we only do extra work on weekends, should I just give him a prompt on Saturday, have him work for 20 minutes, go over it with him. Then have him do the final draft on Sunday, which I then correct for mechanics, grammar and spelling, discuss the narrative and have him write it out neatly (bad handwriting is part of the problem). I guess I won't really know where it falls apart for him until I go through the process with him. I think you're right. If you start with your original idea, you will at least have an idea which areas need work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDG Posted May 20, 2015 Author Share Posted May 20, 2015 Yes, I think I am going to give it a try this weekend, and see how it goes. If I feel like I need some help, I may meet with his teacher again, to see what she suggests, and then go from there. Kathy, Jump In looks like a resource I could work with, but I don't think he is ready for it yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiwik Posted May 23, 2015 Share Posted May 23, 2015 I have done courses where not having specific words or phrases meant you failed. It didn't matter that you had said the same thing as the teacher/book but in your own words and/or more elegantly. You had to regurgitate. Seems an odd take on education. When ds8 had a similar problem in 2nd we did EIW3 at home. I think it boosted his confidence and he enjoyed the grammar section. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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