I use patterns to help students learn the structure of writing. The pattern
is like a skeleton; we cannot stand up and dance if we do not have strong bones
and neither can our writing. Spelling plus grammar plus topic sentences do not
equal lively writing. Writing needs to be organized within a framework. I teach
almost all of the patterns in the first workshop. The patterns are reviewed and
fleshed out with richer details in the second and third workshops. The skeleton
begins to disappear, and the writing becomes more interesting and
individualized. The workshops provide students the chance to experiment with
different ways to organize their writing.
The assignments are evaluated but not graded. Evaluations and a new lesson
should be received with forty-eight hours unless the assignment is sent over the
weekend. All lessons and assignments are sent back and forth by e-mail. The
lessons will be sent as attached files unless you prefer to have the lesson
within the body of an e-mail. If a lesson takes longer than a week, that is not
a problem. This is not a race. The child should work at a comfortable pace. I am
more interested in quality than in quantity. |
