Writing...per Nan's post

[Holly IN]

My 14 yr is behind on his writing. He is not even producing reports. He can't even do paragraphs.

 

I am not sure if the writing programs we are using is even helping.

 

Here are the programs we are using:

TOG WA

TOG itself

IEW and SWI-B

 

For English we are using Rod and Staff. We are a bit behind in this.

 

I feel like we should be doing more. My goal is for him to be able to write a report for me to look at and grade once a month.

 

Let me know how you did it.

 

Thanks!

 

Holly

[Brenda in MA]

I think that if you have him work slowly through the different sections in IEW, he should be able to learn to write his own paragraphs and then reports.

 

I used the Ancient History & Medieval History-Based writing lessons last year with my son, and they really helped him improve his format and style.

 

Another approach I used several years ago goes something like this. This approach would be helpful to use with him if he doesn't know how to organize a paragraph.

 

1. Pick a topic to write a paragraph about (something he's studying in history or science is a good choice)

 

2. Ask him to name some facts about that topic, and you write them down on paper or a white board.

 

3. Once he has 5 to 7 facts, look them over with him and discuss if there is a logical sequence to the information. In other words, would it make sense to tell certain facts at the beginning, middle, or end of his paragraph. Number his facts accordingly to give a logical order.

 

4. Make sure he understands what a topic sentence is and ask him to come up with one. Help him if he's not sure what to do.

 

5. Then ask him to rewrite his list of facts in the logical order you decided on, but in sentence form.

 

6. Make sure he understands what a concluding sentence should look like. Ask him to write one. Help him if he needs it.

 

If writing is a priority for you this year, at 14 yo, I'd have him do one of these paragraphs at least 3 days/week until the process becomes automatic for him. Once he's got the basic paragraph down, you could have him combine three paragraphs on a related topic into a longer report. Then you'd teach him to write an introductory paragraph and a concluding paragraph.

 

I've looked at many different writing programs over the years, and I've liked some aspects of each one, but I've never found one that I consider the perfect program. I've found with writing that it really takes one-on-one tutoring/correction (and lots of practice) to help a student build writing skills. There's really no way around that, at least not that I'd found, so be prepared to spend a good amount of time helping your son build his writing skills.

 

HTH,

Brenda

[Gwen in VA]

I would focus on the paragraph-writing. Your son needs to be able to turn out a decent paragraph before he can even begin to think about writing papers.

 

Format Writing, Building Christian English 7th grade book, and WriteShop 1 all have decent guidelines on paragraph writing. Teach him how to do each "type" of paragraph, having him write multiple paragraphs for each type.

 

I would aim for two to three paragraphs a week -- frequent practice is key!

 

Once he is comfortable writing the different types of paragraphs, then and only then start having him write paragraphs on topics you assign where you do NOT tell him what "type" it is but leave the organization up to him. Until he can write any type of paragraph on demand, attempting to have him write essays will just be an exercise in frustration for both of you.

 

I would skip having him write any longer reports for the moment. He needs to master paragraph writing before he can even think about doing a longer paper.

 

If you really really feel like he needs to do a paper, have him write several related paragraphs and then help him VERY closely as you show him how to write an intro and concluding paragraphs and how to add a few linking words so the paragraphs can be united into a paper. (I wouldn't do this for a few months -- but it's an option.)

[Holly IN]

I must have missed the post you are talking about Brenda. Do you have a link?

 

Thanks!!

 

HOlly

[Brenda in MA]

I must have missed the post you are talking about Brenda. Do you have a link?

 

Thanks!!

 

HOlly

 

Holly,

 

I'm not sure what you are referring to here.

 

Brenda

[Holly IN]

Brenda

 

That is strange. Now I can't find it. Maybe I was thinking of another thread. I thought for sure you said that you ran into good threads on this.

 

Oh well, just ignore it.

 

Holly

[Nan in Mass]

There is a nice book called Powerful Paragraphs that someone here recommended. I got it and read it, then I read bits aloud to my son and had him orally make up a paragraph mimicing the one I'd just read. It went fairly fast. The book is very clearly written and helped me to understand how my son's paragraphs differed from a "good" paragraph. Of course, in the end, my son's paragraphs often couldn't really fit that ideal model because the subject matter he was dealing with wasn't so nice and orderly, but at least he figured out what he was supposed to be aiming at and did enough of them to be able to go back to sort of doing it automatically and not thinking about it. And unlike Format Writing, the examples were nice (I thought anyway). I used some of Format Writing with my youngest when he was being too creative to be able to do the Writing Strands assignments, and although it worked and I am grateful to it, the examples were painful. It is good for forcing a passively resisting 13yo to use the five paragraph essay/funnel idea, though. "Why on earth would anyone want to write like that?" turned into a resigned "Ok, I'll just do it the way the book says to even if it comes out terrible." Sigh. It would be so much easier to teach if I were always thoroughily convinced my children were wrong.

-Nan

-Nan

[RebeccaC]

There is a nice book called Powerful Paragraphs that someone here recommended. I got it and read it, then I read bits aloud to my son and had him orally make up a paragraph mimicing the one I'd just read. It went fairly fast. -Nan

 

 

Nan who is the author of Powerful Paragraphs?

 

TIA

[Pamela H in Texas]

I appreciate this thread. Writing is definitely something I wish to focus on with my son this coming semester. I really feel that our prior homeschooling and his current schooling (virtual) didn't require enough of him. I have reasons and excuses and such, but it's just time to get the kid writing well despite our few obstacles.

 

I appreciate the ideas in this thread. We were looking at Wordsmith Writing but though SWB seemed to like it, she said it didn't have enough practice. Giving him a formula and enough assignments should help.

[Kareni]

Nan who is the author of Powerful Paragraphs?

 

 

 

Definitely not Nan ...; however, it may be this one. A Writer's Guide to Powerful Paragraphs by Victor C. Pellegrino is recommended, I believe, by IEW.

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Peela]

It is good for forcing a passively resisting 13yo to use the five paragraph essay/funnel idea, though. "Why on earth would anyone want to write like that?" turned into a resigned "Ok, I'll just do it the way the book says to even if it comes out terrible." Sigh. It would be so much easier to teach if I were always thoroughily convinced my children were wrong.

-Nan

 

 

Nan that is very funny and I can so relate!

[mamaof2andtwins]

I think my 14 yo must be living at your house. We went right back to paragraph writing. I searched the internet, and found some good sites. I taught him the process. Now I am giving him a topic, and he is writing a decent paragraph. He doesn't write very good topic sentences and is very stingy with his details. Having the format helps.

 

Jennie

[Nan in Mass]

Yes. It is bright orange. When I was at my wits end about my older son's writing, somebody recommended that and Writing History (title as far as I can remember it). It also was beautifully and clearly written, short (which I need), and did a nice job of explaining to me how research papers are written.

[RebeccaC]

Definitely not Nan ...; however, it may be this one. A Writer's Guide to Powerful Paragraphs by Victor C. Pellegrino is recommended, I believe, by IEW.

 

Regards,

Kareni

 

Thanks! :)