Recap!
- Why I’m creating a Teen Essay Writing Guide for my two high schoolers.
- It’s based on the assumption you own and finished Brave Writer’s Help for High School curriculum. Lots of its pages are referenced throughout my guide. If you haven’t used H4HS, it won’t make sense.
- This was my answer to what to do after Help for High School.
- Post #1: Topic Selection
- Post #2: Brainstorming
- Post #3: Freewriting
- Post #4: Working Thesis & Outline
We’ve reached the point where our teens go off to research their topic. Finally! This is where we parents can now sit back and relax, right?!
Well, sort of. Research is more independent than some of the other stages, but I’m still on call if they hit a snag.
We spend about a week doing research, more or less depending on the complexity of the topic or essay.
I don’t have much to say on this stage beyond what I already put in my guide notes, so I won’t blather on. But I will highlight just a few things.
Organization is important in this stage.
Easier said than done with teens. Organizing information didn’t come naturally to my teen boys; I had to step in and help them figure out what that looks like. Finding an organization process that works for your teen will be invaluable once they get to college.
Paraphrasing and summarizing are tricky skills for teens to learn.
It’s hard. Some isolated practice throughout the year wouldn’t be a bad idea. I like to use Science News for Students articles to practice. Warming up those paraphrasing/summarizing skills by helping them with one from their research isn’t a bad idea either. You guys do the first one together, then they do the rest. Put the paraphrasing steps from H4HS in list form & keep it in front of them while they work, if that helps.
They Say/I Say book enters the process
The book makes its appearance in the essay writing process. I don’t tell you to buy it so it’ll collect dust on your shelf. I’ve raved about it before. It’s still one of my favorite purchases. We use it every time we write a paper.
There’s only the teen guide for this one. Nothing extra or specific for the teacher here.
Flamingo-floaty cheers!
Heather
