<p>Thank you RobD and FAMM. She does enjoy reading, she understands the themes, and comprehends the books. This is not a comprehension issue; it is a writing issue though. We are a science based family, but we all do understand and value good writing skills. My DS12 is a natural writer; he has produced some amazing work. My DH and I both produce technical papers, as well. DH is a PhD scientist with published papers in both “Science” and “Nature”. DD13 is aware that writing skills are a universal need. </p>
<p>I think I will wait to see what she receives as a grade on her paper. Afterwards, I will contact the teacher to discuss our options. I really like your suggestion FAMM of submitting her outline and rough drafts to the teacher for review. I think the teacher will want her to come in after school, which will get in the way of her ECs. However, I think we really need to get this skill under control before we worry too much about ECs. DD works very hard and is an excellent student. She is struggling here much more than she should. Thank you for your suggestions. I’ll let you know how it goes!</p>
<p>Geogirl - I have the same issue with my D15.
I am a natural writer, have worked as a freelancer (English is my second language :), S13 same, DH has struggled with writing all his life and while D15 is not as bad as my H, her writing is sometimes bad - bad to the point that I can’t tell what she is trying to say.
She has no problems writing from her imagination, but when there is a topic assigned, sometimes she struggles. Online class did absolutely no good, currently we are paying someone $25 per assignement to correct her writing - exchanges over e-mails, sometimes several per assignment , with re-writes. I am not too happy about it, because writing should be pleasure, not a chore, but my D has really high academic aspirations, she is an overall A+ student and this is the only way I can help her.
Her current 8 grade class offers two English classes: LA 8 and Writing. I do hope it will be really helpful.</p>
<p>Kelowa - $25 per paper? It includes several emails and re-writes? Is this person interested in expanding their business? : ) </p>
<p>I’m going to put it to rest until that grade comes back. I’m just trying to figure out what is best. I would really like to work out these issues before the Junior year. I’m thinking she may take AP Chem and AP Bio next year. Those will be difficult, but she could do it. Not sure what to do about APUSH and AP Lang though. We shall see, I guess.</p>
<p>Ironically, last night my daughter asked for help on her English assignment. Usually it is just a request to check grammar and overall understandibility. Most of her essays are a bit juvenile and repetitive, often a bit unclear and sometimes, too casual in tone. Grammar is sloppy but improving. However, what do you expect from a 15 year old? I try not to intervene very much at all and let the teacher give more style and composition comments. I point out when a sentance is too long and when it is repetitive. I correct glaring grammatical errors. I help, perhaps, once a month for 10 minutes.</p>
<p>However, last night was very different. The assignment was to “write a perfect paragraph…the best you have ever written” --instead of being inspirational, the directions totally intimidated my daughter. I said that it wouldn’t be hard to achieve “the best of her life” given that she had perhaps written several dozen paragraphs this year, and last year and 8th grade didn’t really count since life begins at 15. “Not funny”, she says…so for the first time I sat and talked to her about what she wanted to write, and then helped paraphrase it into a more articulate theme sentence (that sounded more like me than her)…she then elaborated on her own for 6 sentences and I made minor corrections to the grammar and eliminated repetitive words…but then she needed a clincher concluding sentence–I told her to work on it on her own and she woke me at 5:30 am asking for help. Damn teacher! I know she meant well but don’t tell a perfectionist to write the “perfect” paragraph…she spent hours on that sentence and it was terrible, dreadful and unintelligible. So much for perfection. I massively rewrote it and sent her off to school feeling like I have just started a really bad precedent…sigh</p>
<p>My D won’t let me read hardly anything she writes. She has written many papers in English this year and has let me read just one short paragraph. I know I am too critical and that is why she doesn’t like me to actually read her work. However, if she is especially proud of her writing, she will read it to me. She makes excellent grades on her English writing, but AP World writing has proved to be more of a challenge for her. She is a very independent and self-directed learner and visits her teachers often after school if she has questions. We had a conference recently with one teacher and I was so proud of the very mature way she spoke and interacted with her. I’m not sure I even needed to be there. She is very good at advocating for herself.</p>
<p>My S is a fine writer, but he’s a 15 yr old and writes like a 15 yr old. I would never rewrite anything he wrote - then it would sound like a 45 yr old mom wrote it! But I do ask him to read his work aloud (even if it is in his room to himself). He is an auditory learner and if he hears his work, he can usually improve it. Every year I see improvement and his teachers seem to think it’s fine. Now his handwriting is another story - I don’t know how his teachers read his work. Education majors must have to take a class in deciphering teenage boy handwriting. But only one has complained so far.</p>
<p>When your child is a good or excellent writer, like my DS’12, you don’t really need to read what they write, or you can just make suggestions for editing or clarifying on content, if they ask you. That’s what we all want, and some of us have in our children. However, when your otherwise brilliant child is so far less developed in that one skill, writing, it’s a whole different ball game. The idea isn’t to re-write my DD’13’s paper, the idea is to guide her to learn the skills to write a clear and concise thesis. Believe me, I wish I didn’t have to read the paper at all.</p>
<p>On a different note, my DS’12 handed in his first summer assignment for AP Lang. He got a 75. The only comment was something to the effect of, “Your paper is very good, your handwriting is inexcusable. 75.” I figure he was sending a very loud and clear message to my DS. </p>
<p>FAMM - “the perfect paragragh” assignment wouldn’t have bothered my kids, but I can see where a perfectionist would go nuts. Hopefully she’ll get to a point this year that she can learn to chill out a bit. Jr. year is a killer; she’ll need to learn to let some stuff go.</p>
<p>What drives me crazy about both of my Ss’ & writing is that they want to sit in front of the computer, write their paper (without an outline of any sort) & turn in the first draft. I always learned that you should turn in your 3rd draft. My S only asks me to read his papers if they are a major grade. He’s muddling his way through Macbeth now in English class.</p>
<p>Our local paper listed the seniors who were named 2011 NMS “commended” students and our (public) high school had 15 (graduating class of almost 300). I thought that was pretty good!</p>
<p>^^My S did and probably still does the same thing. He sat in front of the computer and wrote stream of consciousness, clicked print, and turned the paper in with absolutely no proofreading or editing. Sometimes that worked for him and sometimes it didn’t. No amount of cajoling from me was ever going to change that. Some things are just out of your hands.</p>
<p>That is also what I am hearing from other people.
And it is a girls choice. I guess they do it instead of the winter dance.</p>
<p>It is already 10 P.M. and they have not made it to the dance yet. And since S does not drive and I am the lucky one picking him up - a long night awaits me ;)</p>
<p>All of S’s end of the semester projects are due this week: Research paper for English, poster for AP World History, monologue for AP Spanish. We had a bit of a scare last week. His Chemistry lab notebook was due for end-of-semester grading and, the night before, S realized it was missing. Lots of panic, moaning that he was going to fail semester, etc. No solution we suggested would work, he claimed (including talking to teacher and searching the classroom for missing notebook). And, wouldn’t you know - he went in to talk with teacher before school and found his notebook in the classroom!!! Luckily, I have learned to take his drama with a grain of salt.</p>
<p>Ds worked on a major project this weekend, all weekend. Seemed to take forever, but he was really into it – and concentrating on it meant not having to do the dreaded pre-cal. He’s at a three-day conference that he’s really excited about.</p>
<p>I have just found out that S’s PSAT score did not change at all from last year.
I am disappointed. But I guess it is better for him (he is also disappointed) to feel this way now and to try a little harder next time He is still is the NMSF range for our state, but I really hoped he would score higher.</p>
<p>Ah! PSAT scores have been received by your school? Traditionally they don’t give ours out until after Winter Break but D’13 saw a bunch of kids with theirs last year & went and asked the GC about them; she ended up picking them up a few days before break started. Sounds like I’ll have to ask her to visit the counseling office next week…</p>
<p>Kelowna, that’s disappointing, but it doesn’t sound like he has much room to improve! ;)</p>
<p>As mentioned before, we don’t get ours until after winter break. I am really hoping for improvement, though his score last year was good. Our school treats these scores like state secrets; no one gets theirs early. Good luck with that, Rob!</p>
<p>Could someone explain why some kids get their PSAT scores now and others have to wait until after the winter break. I asked my son’s English teacher when they would receive the scores and she had no idea (it’s her first year). I also asked a VP when we were talking about something else in Nov. and she didn’t know. I don’t want to nag, it’s just his first time taking it and I’m curious. My 8th grader took the SATs last Saturday and it just seems wrong that we may have his scores before his older brother’s PSATs.</p>
He’s at a three-day conference that he’s really excited about.</p>