tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7691251033406320222.post7956463580323340443..comments2024-03-26T04:19:38.862-07:00Comments on kitchen table math, the sequel: A young writer's work in progressCatherine Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03347093496361370174noreply@blogger.comBlogger17125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7691251033406320222.post-36358862719999199292007-11-19T18:13:00.000-08:002007-11-19T18:13:00.000-08:00Keeping track of all of the characters with simila...<I>Keeping track of all of the characters with similar names in both texts was in and of itself a challenge. In any event, I just remember both of us sweating bullets over the transitions in that paper!</I><BR/><BR/>Speaking of which, I need a geneaology tree for the Old Testament.<BR/><BR/>I bet I could find one online somewhere.Catherine Johnsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03347093496361370174noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7691251033406320222.post-63504311031838978992007-11-19T18:12:00.000-08:002007-11-19T18:12:00.000-08:00Transitions could divert the reader's attention an...<I>Transitions could divert the reader's attention and piece together writing that would be much less cohesive without them. </I><BR/><BR/>Directors and lighting people talk about "cheating a shot" -- that's kind of what we're talking about here.<BR/><BR/>I once tried to mask a flaw in logic in a magazine article with transition words. <BR/><BR/>I was sick of the article & didn't realize I hadn't made the point I thought I'd made....and I thought, "Bag it. I've got a transtion. My editor won't notice."<BR/><BR/>I was busted immediately.Catherine Johnsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03347093496361370174noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7691251033406320222.post-1940354414645345972007-11-19T14:43:00.000-08:002007-11-19T14:43:00.000-08:00I know both of my children have been taught (can't...I know both of my children have been taught (can't tell you which grade, specifically) to use transitions with their writing. I think at a young age, especially, it serves to remind the students of the need to segue from one thought to another and to see paragraphs (and thoughts!) as somehow logically connected.<BR/><BR/>When my older daughter was writing her Junior thesis, the student teacher did an excellent job of reading the rough drafts and providing meaningful comments. One area that K. needed to improve was in her transitions. She also had to strenthen her thesis statement.<BR/><BR/>Her topic (self-inflicted) was an analysis and comparison of Steinbeck's East of Eden to the Bible; that is, a discussion and analysis of whether man is born basically evil, basically good, or perhaps both. <BR/><BR/>Keeping track of all of the characters with similar names in both texts was in and of itself a challenge. In any event, I just remember both of us sweating bullets over the transitions in that paper!Karen Ahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06132085963945807124noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7691251033406320222.post-61591384673059275872007-11-19T14:33:00.000-08:002007-11-19T14:33:00.000-08:00I, too, think this essay is excellent! I am also ...I, too, think this essay is excellent! I am also impressed that she actually turns off lights when she leaves a room--this is a habit that I am still trying to instill in my much-older children!Karen Ahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06132085963945807124noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7691251033406320222.post-59392476389150721312007-11-19T14:08:00.000-08:002007-11-19T14:08:00.000-08:00IF NOTHING ELSE, MAKE SURE YOU HAVE TRANSITIONS EV...<I>IF NOTHING ELSE, MAKE SURE YOU HAVE TRANSITIONS EVERYWHERE.</I><BR/><BR/>I think that's very sound advice. Transitions could divert the reader's attention and piece together writing that would be much less cohesive without them. The student should be able to quickly access a mental list of transitions to sift through when writing an essay. This could work wonders in a standardized test format, I would imagine.concernedCTparenthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09755180042426047454noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7691251033406320222.post-80999282676545209642007-11-19T12:42:00.000-08:002007-11-19T12:42:00.000-08:00One of the previous lesson focused on transitions....<I>One of the previous lesson focused on transitions. When the student puts the essay together, they are reminded to use transitions as they rewrite. In the editing stage, they are reminded about transitions once again.</I><BR/><BR/>I found a couple of studies I wasn't able to pull from "BOBCAT" (because they're too old) on "cohesion devices."<BR/><BR/>The two abstracts made it sound as if cohesion devices alone can make the difference between writing that is obviously bad and writing that may be bad but seems "good" if you follow me....<BR/><BR/>In other words, you can mask a lot of flaws just using cohesion devices.<BR/><BR/>Cohesion devices are now my "number one workaround," similar to C's stock answer for constructivist math tests back in K-5 ("I used a strategy of guess and check and then I looked for a pattern.")<BR/><BR/>I'm now telling C.: IF NOTHING ELSE, MAKE SURE YOU HAVE TRANSITIONS EVERYWHERE.Catherine Johnsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03347093496361370174noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7691251033406320222.post-50292148118597249382007-11-19T12:40:00.000-08:002007-11-19T12:40:00.000-08:00My husband and son collect bottles and cans at our...<I>My husband and son collect bottles and cans at our neighborhood middle school and have brought home discarded samples of student writing found on the campus.</I><BR/><BR/>oh, that's funny<BR/><BR/>well, not funny ha-haCatherine Johnsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03347093496361370174noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7691251033406320222.post-72534034780645159902007-11-19T12:39:00.001-08:002007-11-19T12:39:00.001-08:00I'm probably most amazed by the coherence. That is...I'm probably most amazed by the coherence. <BR/><BR/>That is SO hard.Catherine Johnsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03347093496361370174noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7691251033406320222.post-17486231817262247472007-11-19T12:39:00.000-08:002007-11-19T12:39:00.000-08:00Wow, what an impressive essay. I'm particularly im...<I>Wow, what an impressive essay. I'm particularly impressed with how she varied the format of each sentence, rather than starting each essay with an "I".</I><BR/><BR/>Absolutely.Catherine Johnsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03347093496361370174noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7691251033406320222.post-23111488520329544212007-11-19T12:18:00.000-08:002007-11-19T12:18:00.000-08:00"If I were homeschooling Hake is the series I'd ch..."If I were homeschooling Hake is the series I'd choose, though."<BR/><BR/>Hi Catherine!<BR/><BR/>Wow, if you (as a best selling author) would choose Hake to home school writing, I'm sold. <BR/><BR/>I am thrilled to hear Hake covers sentence diagramming. It is my hope that this type of exercises will help N to master grammar. Wouldn't it also promote better reading comprehension?<BR/><BR/>My husband and son collect bottles and cans at our neighborhood middle school and have brought home discarded samples of student writing found on the campus. Papers they uncovered this fall convinced my husband that home schooling N would be the best choice we could make.Jo Anne Chttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02993067209917883159noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7691251033406320222.post-75993880895054432832007-11-19T07:21:00.000-08:002007-11-19T07:21:00.000-08:00One of the previous lesson focused on transitions....One of the previous lesson focused on transitions. When the student puts the essay together, they are reminded to use transitions as they rewrite. In the editing stage, they are reminded about transitions once again. I think that played a big role in not beginning each sentence with "I".concernedCTparenthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09755180042426047454noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7691251033406320222.post-44476541733358311022007-11-19T05:52:00.000-08:002007-11-19T05:52:00.000-08:00Wow, what an impressive essay. I'm particularly im...Wow, what an impressive essay. I'm particularly impressed with how she varied the format of each sentence, rather than starting each essay with an "I".Tracy Whttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08999246551652981965noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7691251033406320222.post-81240964878432263602007-11-17T20:20:00.000-08:002007-11-17T20:20:00.000-08:00Hi Jo Anne!I have the same copy of Hake Concerned ...Hi Jo Anne!<BR/><BR/>I have the same copy of Hake Concerned has; it does teach sentence diagramming - pretty extensively I would say.<BR/><BR/>(Haven't used Hake at all. No time. If I were homeschooling Hake is the series I'd choose, though.)Catherine Johnsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03347093496361370174noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7691251033406320222.post-4609494115488817052007-11-17T19:19:00.000-08:002007-11-17T19:19:00.000-08:00Jo anne- Yes, sentences are diagrammed. It's not ...Jo anne- Yes, sentences are diagrammed. It's not overkill with the diagramming but there are optional additional practice pages when it seems necessary.<BR/><BR/>Catherine- I'll tell her you said so. That will mean a lot! (She actually doesn't know I posted it here yet.)concernedCTparenthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09755180042426047454noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7691251033406320222.post-47730445436601167792007-11-17T19:13:00.000-08:002007-11-17T19:13:00.000-08:00Thanks so much for posting this!Her paper is amazi...Thanks so much for posting this!<BR/><BR/>Her paper is <I>amazing</I>.Catherine Johnsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03347093496361370174noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7691251033406320222.post-80240111074290594202007-11-17T15:54:00.000-08:002007-11-17T15:54:00.000-08:00Concerned: Thanks so much for sharing your experie...Concerned: <BR/><BR/>Thanks so much for sharing your experiences with the Grammar and Writing program. <BR/><BR/>Does this program have students diagram sentences?<BR/><BR/>I have just discovered that my 4th grader doesn't understand the difference between adverbs and adjectives. Apparently he isn't being taught grammar to mastery either.<BR/><BR/>Please keep these updates coming.Jo Anne Chttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02993067209917883159noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7691251033406320222.post-38480338492321626002007-11-16T19:32:00.000-08:002007-11-16T19:32:00.000-08:00Very impressive! I could do with a few tips mysel...Very impressive! I could do with a few tips myself. <BR/>CheersAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com