How to Think Critically - The Key to The Five Paragraph Essay
The most common question I hear from my middle and high school students about the daunting 5-paragraph essay is, “where do I start?”
How does a young student, who is just learning to form their own opinions, go from questioning “is homework important?” to crafting a thoughtful, clear, and compelling thesis supported by evidence?
Enter critical thinking. While it's a term that's getting a lot of attention these days, critical thinking is not just important for essays; it's a vital skill for life! Our one-on-one academic writing tutoring sessions go beyond meeting word count requirements and citing sources correctly. Through engaging prompts, brainstorming, asking the right questions, and finding relevant and credible evidence, your child will be encouraged to form their own opinions and learn how to articulate them into clear, interesting, and meaningful thesis statements.
With these skills in place, writing the three body paragraphs, using transitional words effectively, and crafting a satisfying conclusion will become a natural progression, leading to improved grades from now through college.
The most common question I hear from my middle and high school students about the daunting 5-paragraph essay is, “where do I start?”
How does a young student, who is just learning to form their own opinions, go from questioning “is homework important?” to crafting a thoughtful, clear, and compelling thesis supported by evidence?
Enter critical thinking. While it's a term that's getting a lot of attention these days, critical thinking is not just important for essays; it's a vital skill for life! Our one-on-one academic writing tutoring sessions go beyond meeting word count requirements and citing sources correctly. Through engaging prompts, brainstorming, asking the right questions, and finding relevant and credible evidence, your child will be encouraged to form their own opinions and learn how to articulate them into clear, interesting, and meaningful thesis statements.
With these skills in place, writing the three body paragraphs, using transitional words effectively, and crafting a satisfying conclusion will become a natural progression, leading to improved grades from now through college.
EVERYONE HAS A STORY TO TELL
While seeking extra help for your child in Math, Science, and Foreign Languages is pretty commonplace, what about writing? Today’s middle and high school curriculum may cover the writing basics, but often the student is left to figure out the rest on their own. For struggling students, and even for the competent students, this causes stress and average grades.
Writing is a lifelong skill and also a creative outlet that is rewarding and fun! In our writing sessions, students cover the basics of narrative writing, developing a point-of-view, using dialogue, inventing characters, creating a plot with conflict and drama, and using descriptive language to enhance the story - all useful techniques that will help the student with all writing assignments in high school, college, and beyond. In the small workshop environment, students in group classes also learn to give and receive feedback, brainstorm, and inspire each other.
We offer private writing coaching or we can plan multi-week group sessions for your small group. Please note that small group sessions are available only if the students create the group themselves.
Writing is a lifelong skill and also a creative outlet that is rewarding and fun! In our writing sessions, students cover the basics of narrative writing, developing a point-of-view, using dialogue, inventing characters, creating a plot with conflict and drama, and using descriptive language to enhance the story - all useful techniques that will help the student with all writing assignments in high school, college, and beyond. In the small workshop environment, students in group classes also learn to give and receive feedback, brainstorm, and inspire each other.
We offer private writing coaching or we can plan multi-week group sessions for your small group. Please note that small group sessions are available only if the students create the group themselves.
WRITING RESOURCES
| HOW TO WRITE: AP Rhetorical Analysis Paragraphs and Essays |
| AP English Language and Composition Rhetorical Terms |
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Work with UsGinny Poleman - Ginny is a graduate of Cornell University and a contributing writer for several online websites including BetterAfter50.com and Sartle.com. She has a written a young adult novel that is presently being shopped to agents. In addition to being a trained docent for the Municipal Arts Society, she is a trained educational tour guide for a major metropolitan art museum in Manhattan covering ancient art history through modern art for fourth to twelfth graders.
Ginny Poleman, can help your child accomplish academic writing assignments with the confidence needed to carry them through high school and on to college. Ginny can also nurture your child’s creative writing, which will in-turn, help improve their academic writing as well. |
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David Seigerman - David is a veteran sports journalist and author, a professional storyteller who has written for magazines, newspapers, documentaries, digital platforms and podcasts. Since 2001, he has taught a variety of non-fiction writing classes (Memoir, Essay and Opinion, Creative Non-Fiction, Writing for Documentary Films) as well as serving as a personal writing coach and mentor.
David also coaches students on their College Essays. His students have been accepted to a variety of schools, including Amherst, Cornell, Michigan, Richmond, Syracuse, Tufts, Vanderbilt and WPI. |
