Firefly65 Posted January 24, 2009 Share Posted January 24, 2009 (edited) Can anyone give me a good recommendation for a quick and easy way to teach my daughter how to write an essay? Her SATs are coming up soon and I have failed miserably in providing her with a proper writing program. On her PSATs she scored in the 99th percentile in both reading and writing, but she didn't have to write an essay for the PSATs. She is freaking out and so am I. She has been doing college level work in all of her subjects for some time now, she just seems allergic to writing. She used to keep a blog and wrote well. I think she is just afraid of writing because she feels like she doesn't know how to do it "properly". We need something that we can do in a few month's time. Please I am looking for any recommendations and what has worked or not worked for others. Thanks and God bless! :) P.S. I've ordered Fairview's Guide to Composition and Essay Writing, but I don't have any idea if this is a good program or if it will work within our time constraints. It just sounded good. I also have the entire WriteShop program put away somewhere, but I am pretty sure it will not work within our time constraints. I may start my up-and-coming ninth grader with this program next year. Edited January 24, 2009 by Firefly65 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris in VA Posted January 24, 2009 Share Posted January 24, 2009 Ds did the essay course from Write At Home. What they taught was your basic 5 paragraph model. This is for persuasive papers, which is what the SAT Essay is. First paragraph (Introduction)--thesis statement and 3 pros. Second-Fourth paragraphs (Body)--Use one pro for each paragraph as the topic sentence. Use details to support the pro. Throw in a con in the second paragraph if you can quickly refute it. Fifth paragraph (Conclusion)--restate the pros, end with a restated thesis statement. Use Lively Art of Writing, a slim, easy to understand book on writing, to get the full run down. Really very simple. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lori D. Posted January 25, 2009 Share Posted January 25, 2009 I found all of these resources to be very helpful. I just printed them off, and go over them with the boys, and then we practice doing timed essays all together and then we all critique the essays afterwards. BEST of luck! Warmest regards, Lori D. Education World: online tutorial on writing various types of essays: home page: http://www.geocities.com/soho/Atrium/1437/ how to: http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/Atrium/1437/howto.html Guide to Grammar and Writing: The Five Paragraph Essay: http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/GRAMMAR/five_par.htm Chart Showing the Structure of the Five Paragraph Essay: (This is a very handy chart to learn and then apply to any essay you write -- take 5 minutes to think out you intro, 3 main points and 3 supporting examples/details/specifics to support each of the 3 main points, and then a conclusion; then start writing, and you just refer back to where you are in the chart to know what you're going to say next) the chart: http://www.gc.maricopa.edu/English/essay/ the essay written from the chart: http://www.gc.maricopa.edu/English/essay/table.html I highly suggest practicing having her write a timed essay from a real ACT/SAT writing prompt 1-2x/week. Here are sources for real test prompts: SAT writing prompts: - Online Math Learning = http://www.onlinemathlearning.com/sat-writing-prompts.html - The College Board = http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/sat/after/essay_prompts.html ACT writing prompt sources: http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?p=577087#poststop Additional resources on grading explanations, grading rubrics, "how to" write ACT/SAT essays, etc: The ACT website Samples of prompts, but especially of essays, which, if you and your student look over, you might get a better feel for what to add in to lengthen the ACT essay: ACT homepage = http://www.actstudent.org/writing/sample/index.html ACT Scoring Explanation = http://www.actstudent.org/writing/sa...ixexplain.html Writing the ACT Essay: instructive essay on how to write an ACT essay http://web.jjay.cuny.edu/~writing/Wr...CT%20Essay.pdf ACT Writing Test Scoring Guidelines / ACT Writing Test Rubric: http://www.mrfusco.com/Writing_Rubric.htm CUNY/ACT Writing Exam: tips for what's ooked for and how to write a good essay http://www.hostos.cuny.edu/oaa/act/ACTundersprompt.htm The College Board: SAT essay grading explanation and examples of essays: http://www.collegeboard.com/student/...pracStart.html Sparknotes: how to plan out and write an SAT essay: http://www.sparknotes.com/testprep/b...chapter7.rhtml Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laughing lioness Posted January 26, 2009 Share Posted January 26, 2009 the Elegant Essay by IEW Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Clair John Posted July 17, 2010 Share Posted July 17, 2010 Hi, Usually, an essay is of 5 paragraph. Introduction, Body/Supporting paragraphs and Conclusion. The introduction and conclusion are the most important para of an essay that attracts the reader towards reading the essay. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
74Heaven Posted July 17, 2010 Share Posted July 17, 2010 I can't remember what it is called: maybe the "IEW Essay Intensive" on DVDs with Andrew Pudewa. It was very good and I'd like to do it again. We did it over 2 days (maybe 3 days) a week apart over Christmas break. It seems like there was about 1.5-2hrs of video instruction; then we'd write - then that video/write keeps repeating. It seems to me we did it in 2 or 3 6hr sessions? HTH! I think you can get a daily prompt from the college board website - to practice your essay writing skills. Lisa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Momof3Maidens Posted July 17, 2010 Share Posted July 17, 2010 Analytical Grammar has "Teaching the Essay". It's a 5 paragraph Literary essay teaching though. We've used it and have found it easy to use. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ouzel Posted July 17, 2010 Share Posted July 17, 2010 I'm siding with Lisa here . . . High School Essay Intensive. We'll be doing this in preparation for timed writing tests. http://www.excellenceinwriting.com/hse Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest julianmarble Posted September 13, 2010 Share Posted September 13, 2010 I'm very grateful enough that I found this kind of topic/thread here because we have essay writing by next week. Thanks for sharing the Guide to Grammar and Writing: The Five Paragraph Essay. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
holdoll Posted September 13, 2010 Share Posted September 13, 2010 I can't remember what it is called: maybe the "IEW Essay Intensive" on DVDs with Andrew Pudewa. It's called High School Essay Intensive from IEW. It is specifically targeted for those who have to write for SAT/ACT. It's $79 new from IEW. Here's the link. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cedarmom Posted September 13, 2010 Share Posted September 13, 2010 The other poster already gave you tons of sources. The only two things I'd add are that whatever you use, the most improtant thing to do is practice. Do an essay a day. The second thing is to say that the essay score will be combined with the the reading and writing score on the SAT. My son did not score as well as he hoped on the SAT, but since it was combined with the other scores,wchich he nailed, he still earned a good enough score to be a national merit finalist. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kathleen in VA Posted September 14, 2010 Share Posted September 14, 2010 I suggest a wonderful little, inexpensive book called The Lively Art of Writing. It is very straightforward and takes you step by step through the process. There is enough information to give you a very good understanding of what to do, but it is not overdone. And it's only $6.99. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
April in CA Posted September 14, 2010 Share Posted September 14, 2010 Here's another vote for the IEW's High School Essay Intensive! Get it and start cranking out essays! His tips are really good and helpful. If you have a few months to work on this, so much the better. Writing for the SAT is different from other types of essay writing given the time limitation, but it will translate into being able to write more quickly in general (at least it did for my son). Blessings! April Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Halftime Hope Posted September 15, 2010 Share Posted September 15, 2010 I'd suggest a couple of other things than the previous posters have. First, let me throw in my two cents "thirding" The Lively Art of Writing. Ds3 and I are on the third chapter, and it is probably the best "writing the essay" (and more complex writing later on) resource I've used. I wish I had known about it for my first two students who are now in college. The author is funny and charming, so it is a fun study. OK, here are my other suggestions, and this is where having a bit of time comes in. 1) Every day, have her respond to a writing prompt with a 10 minute exercise in outlining her response. Take a minute to read over the prompt, and another three or four to formulate her stance on the issue and think of three supporting examples or reasons for her thesis. She should then take no more than a minute to scribble down her bullet-point skeleton of an outline (3-4 word phrases; no more!). She can then begin to write out one of the paragraphs for her essay, and each day make it a different paragraph, either the thesis p., one of the supporting p's, or the conclusion. Total no more than 10 minutes. She is learning to "speed plan" her essay, and that's the key to writing a great essay, not getting stuck and wasting a lot of time at the beginning. 2) Sit down together and write up "cheat cards" (summaries) for all the literary characters and historical figures who she can relate to as examples of certain character traits. As she encounters new persons/situations in her studies this year, have her catalog those as well in terms of their usefulness as examples for her writing. Pick several people who would work well as rather generic examples of almost anything she'd like to state about them. Winston Churchill was one of my son's favorites. :) The idea is to have a mental catalog that she reviews frequently full of people/situations she can use as examples in her writing. 3) Remind her this is a game; it's about writing well, not about absolute veracity. If she needs to fudge or write about someone in her life rather than a literary figure, she can certainly do that as long as it is convincing and passionate. Agaion, the game is about writing well. 4) Give her bonus points for using sentence variety, great transitions, restating the thesis in alternative wording, and for complex vocab. She should try to weave those items into her full essay writing every time she does one (at least once a week). Even if it means finishing her essay with a few minutes to spare and erasing to sub in more complex language, she should looks for opportunities to use interesting wording. (BTW, thanks to AlphabetPam for the speed outlining ideas.) hth! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mhippler Posted October 3, 2010 Share Posted October 3, 2010 Just wanted to chime in that readers of the SAT, AP English and college app essays are getting very tired of the 5 paragraph essay with a conclusion that simply restates the thesis. As a former college English instructor, I spent a lot of time in my classes undoing the pat essay that got many students through high school English, only to get a real shock once their first Freshman English essay was returned. Learning to develop ideas organically and basing the number of body paragraphs on supporting the thesis (with as many paragraphs as needed) makes for a better essay. Conclusions should actually say something new, by suggesting the importance of the topic in the larger world of ideas or giving a final, concluding thought that helps nail the ideas down for the reader. I would suggest at some point finding a tutor to score the essays if you're not comfortable doing this yourself. Michelle www.collegeprepenglish.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Storm Bay Posted October 3, 2010 Share Posted October 3, 2010 Just wanted to chime in that readers of the SAT, AP English and college app essays are getting very tired of the 5 paragraph essay with a conclusion that simply restates the thesis. As a former college English instructor, I spent a lot of time in my classes undoing the pat essay that got many students through high school English, only to get a real shock once their first Freshman English essay was returned. Learning to develop ideas organically and basing the number of body paragraphs on supporting the thesis (with as many paragraphs as needed) makes for a better essay. Conclusions should actually say something new, by suggesting the importance of the topic in the larger world of ideas or giving a final, concluding thought that helps nail the ideas down for the reader. I would suggest at some point finding a tutor to score the essays if you're not comfortable doing this yourself. Michelle www.collegeprepenglish.com This is basically what Jim Stobaugh said when I heard him speak a couple of years ago. I think the five paragraph essay is a good place to start teaching essay writing, but then students need to move on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HollyDay Posted October 3, 2010 Share Posted October 3, 2010 Analytical Grammar's writing program, Teaching the Essay. It costs $15, is easy, straight forward, and wonderful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elizabeth in WA Posted October 4, 2010 Share Posted October 4, 2010 You have lots of great advice here. I am going to add my vote to "whatever you choose, have them practice a lot." Also, I want to recommend reading "How to Say Nothing in 500 Words" for an entertaining discussion of one way many students go wrong in essay writing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted October 4, 2010 Share Posted October 4, 2010 Also, I want to recommend reading "How to Say Nothing in 500 Words" for an entertaining discussion of one way many students go wrong in essay writing. Elizabeth, Thanks for sharing the link to the article by Paul McHenry Roberts; it was indeed entertaining. I'll be forwarding it to my daughter in college. Regards, Kareni Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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