[ikesmom]

My ds is 8 yrs old. I thought I would let him pick a topic and write a 2-3 paragraph paper.

We have a writing workbook we work on weekly. He reads books and keyboards a paragraph about them. I have him journal a paragraph here or there for creative writing.

This week I let him choose the topic for his paper . He chose the Emerald Tree Boa (Enchanted Learning).

I made step by step charts with examples of Topic sentence, details, transition words, and conclusion.

I printed out a organizer/brainstorm chart.

I helped him find the info and talked about how to choose certain details from his chart and use his own words.

It took us 3 days to do it together. It was kinda exhausting for both of us . I guess I will just keep doing it with him for practice.

 

[Lillian J]

If it's exhausting, it doesn't sound appropriate to me. He'd be able to do it easier and faster in time. I'd pare back and keep it to something that's much more easily doable and satisfying without being a drain.

Lillian

 

[Satori]

I'm guessing around 6th grade. What your describing sounds like an essay.

 

[theretohere]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Satori I'm guessing around 6th grade. What your describing sounds like an essay.

I was going to say 5th or 6th, as well. And I agree- that's an essay.

 

[ahdoula]

If you feel the need of that type of learning, how about an oral presentation/narration? Maybe it's the writing part that's so hard.

 

[Lillian J]

Sixth sounds reasonable to me - but I'd say even later in order to really learn from it.

Although my son never wrote any kind of essay or research paper, and he had no problem jumping right in and excelling when he hit college level English classes in his teens, because he'd done so much independent reading and spontaneous writing of his own by then, and had spent so much time discussing books and interesting things with his friends and family. I think just being surrounded by and absorbed in learning and reading, researching and discussion, out of various interests as they come along, takes care of an awful lot of the things most of us grew up having to do in school. It's nice to learn how to do research papers during the teen years in order be comfortable with them in the college years, but it doesn't take much to get the idea. - Lillian

 

[saintmom]

Ditto what the others have said.Scholastic has a book,Better than Book Reports,that uses all kinds of creative formats for teaching research skills.I liked it,made use of it a lot over the years.We've also used lapbooking as a way of presenting and preserving material.

 

[ikesmom]

Yeah I just got that Better Than Book Reports at a yard sale

it's funny how those things are just coincidence.

We do the oral presentations at our homeschool group functions. He uses note cards with simple cues to help him talk about the subject sometimes. He likes to do a craft or painting to tell his story too.

I keep thinking ahead because I don't know how long we are going to homeschool. I want to make sure to focus on math, reading, and writing structure.
It's me (advancing to fast)

. You ladies are right.

Thank you for helping