how to salvage your child's really, really, really bad writing assignment

What is a really, really, really bad writing assignment, you ask?

This one (grade 8):

We will begin the year with the Quote Project in which each student creates a mobile that illustrates a meaningful quote, writes a short personal narrative, and then shares his/her findings in an oral presentation.

Writing to the Point is the answer.

I'm pretty sure a parent can use Kerrigan's book to turn any writing assignment into an OK assignment or even good one. More on my first afterschool outing with WJK anon.



how to use Writing to the Point without reading the book

First of all, I think you should read the book, if you possibly can. I am studying every word.

But if you can't study every word, you can probably make do with this much.

1.

I've taken to calling Kerrigan's approach the X-1-2-3 method.

Just so you know.


2.

the six steps

Kerrigan's method has six steps, which he requires his students to commit to memory, word for word. (I have memorized the first two; am halfway there on number 3).

The Six Steps

STEP 1. Write a short, simple declarative sentence that makes one statement. (Chapter 1, page 6)

STEP 2. Write three sentences about the sentence in Step 1—clearly and directly about the whole of that sentence, not just something in it. (Chapter 2, page 18.)

STEP 3. Write four or five sentences about each of the three sentences in Step 2—clearly and directly about the whole of the Step 2 sentence, not just something in it. (Chapter 3, page 31.)

Step 4. Make the material in the four or five sentences of Step 3 as specific and concrete as possible. Go into detail. Use examples. Don’t ask, “What will I say next?” Instead, say some more about what you have just said. Your goal is to say a lot about a little, not a little about a lot. (Chapter 4, pages 43-44.)

STEP 5. In the first sentence of each new paragraph, starting with Paragraph 2, insert a clear reference to the idea of the preceding paragraph. (Chapter 8, page 105).

STEP 6. Make sure every sentence in your theme is connected with, and makes a clear reference to, the preceding sentence (Chapter 11, page 123.)


3.

Remember:

• A sentence is a paragraph is a chapter is a book.

• A thesis is a sentence. A paper, essay, or book must have a thesis to be good.

• A sentence has a subject and a predicate. A thesis is always a sentence, which means a thesis has a subject and a predicate.

• A topic is a subject without a predicate.

• Almost always, topics come first. Creating, inventing, shaping, and discovering your thesis comes second. There's no law on this; it's just the way things usually go.

• Write a lot about a little, not a little about a lot. This is what people mean when they tell you to “pare your topic down,” “tighten your subject or writing,” etc.


4.

X-1-2-3

The first step requires you to write a short, simple declarative sentence that makes one statement. This is sentence X.

The second step requires you to write three sentences about the sentence in Step 1—clearly and directly about the whole of that sentence, not just something in it. These are sentences 1-2-3.

for example:

X Studying requires teaching yourself.
1. Studying requires setting a schedule for yourself.
2. Studying requires explaining the lesson to yourself.
3. Studying requires self-testing.


extremely important, and tricky, too:

X-1-2-3 sentences possess parallel thought and grammatical structure:

X Studying ] [ requires teaching yourself.
1. It ] [ requires setting a schedule for yourself.
2. It ] [ requires explaining the lesson to yourself.
3. It ] [ requires self-testing.

X Power corrupts.
1. It corrupts the powerful.
2. It corrupts the powerless.
3. It corrupts every relationship between the two.

(source: Kerrigan, Writing to the Point)