"Well," he mused, "I can write a paper in an hour, maybe an hour and a half."
"How do you do that?" Dad asked.
"I have this formula I follow and I just plug in the information," Son replies.
"What kind of formula? Where did you learn this?"
"From Mom. She taught me in high school."
"Oh," Dad replied.
My daughter recently took her SAT. We reviewed the formula. A friend shared about her daughter's struggle with a research paper and her struggles to help her. We reviewed the formula. After so much of reviewing the formula, I feel compelled to share it here.
This is for a basic five paragraph paper. It will contain an introduction, three points, and a conclusion. For a more involved paper, simply add more points.
First, of course, you need a topic. From this, you write a thesis statement. A thesis statement is simply what you want your paper to say. Then you write a title (or at least a working title, you can change this later)
Here is the outline (or template or formula or whatever you want to call it):
Paragraph #1 -- 5 sentences
Sentence #1 -- Introduction or thesis statement
Sentence #2 -- Say something about your first point
Sentence #3 -- Say something about your second point
Sentence #4 -- Say something about your third point
Sentence #5 -- Wrap it up and transition into the next paragraph
Paragraph #2 -- Write a few sentences about your first point
Paragraph #3 -- Write a few sentences about your second point
Paragraph #4 -- Write a few sentences about your third point
Paragraph #5 -- Conclude your paper. Wrap it up with something that ties it all together and brings it back to your thesis statement.
Of course, this is all very basic. But if you have to write a summary and response for every chapter in your text book, or on every reference you used for a research paper, or if you're just wanting to teach your middle schooler how to write a good composition, this outline will work for you.
Blessings,
I used this method for every paper I ever wrote and was always told that I write well. For some reason, schools aren't teaching this format anymore. Yet another reason to start homeschooling.
ReplyDeleteGreat stuff, Carol! I've bookmarked this page to share with my online homeschool writing co-op students.
ReplyDeleteBlessings to you,
Karen
Thanks, Karen. I just hope it helps all those moms out there that frustrate themselves over teaching their kids to write...and helps the kids, too.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Keeper...I remember Mrs. Cogar my AP English teacher in 11th and 12th grades everytime I talk about this formula and "to be" verbs.
ReplyDeleteI just copied this down. My son is struggling with writing a paper and this is just what he needs. Something simple and basic. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteGlad to help, Jenn.
ReplyDeleteHave a great day,
Carol
My first-year university English professor used to go into rants because none of her students could write essays. This isn't taught in the public schools, and it's so simple. It's something that my dad actually taught me when we were homeschooling. He thought it important we know how to do a proper report.
ReplyDeleteA side note: I'd often write most of my essay, or the body of my essay, before writing the intro. I found it easier to write the intro afterwards, when I had a better grasp of what I had said (instead of what I was going to say).
And yes, writing is often formula. I remember writing my last English paper (after four years of an English-History-Religion degree) in about an hour, because I did just what your son did: sat down at the computer and plugged the information in. I knew what two books I was comparing and what I wanted to say about them. I didn't even proof the paper (I didn't have time - it was the last of about four papers due in my last week of school). And like your son, I got an A. :)
Thanks for stopping by and joining us, Koala! And thanks for your positive comments. I guess this post was needed more than I thought!
ReplyDeleteWe used a very similar formula with our kids and they've been told that they write very well, too. Although my kids who've attended college tell me many students are overwhelmed by the idea of even writing a paper. What were they doing all those years in school???
ReplyDeleteHave a great weekend :)
Don't get me started, Barbara. I could name all kinds of things they occupied their hours with...none of which are profitable.
ReplyDeleteI used this formula, or an expanded version of it for every paper I ever wrote in school. What a great reminder.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the confirmation, Jennifer. It's always worked for me.
ReplyDelete