Archive for the ‘Writing and Education’ Category

5 Steps to Writing a Research Paper for a College Class

steps to writing a research paperWhen assigned a research paper in a college class, like one from online universities, one may feel as if it is a daunting task. There are many steps to writing a research paper, but five stand out as being of the utmost importance. Once one knows the topic, expected length and due date, he must buckle down and follow these steps to accomplish the task of writing a research paper!

Step 1 - Write an Outline

The first step to take is to write a detailed outline of how the paper will be set up and what information is needed to back up statements and generalizations. The beginning, middle and end of the paper will be established in the outline and that will keep the writer on track throughout the rest of the process. Writing the outline will also aide in focusing one’s attention on what is truly important.
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5 Useful Websites With Writing Prompts For Kids

writing prompts for kidsAs a teacher or homeschooling parent, one may find it difficult to constantly come up with new and interesting writing prompts for kids. Writing prompts are helpful to students for journal writing, creative writing, or for learning to write in new genres.

Top 5 Websites With Writing Prompts for Kids

It’s actually not an easy task to find good websites that offer writing prompts for kids. Hopefully this list will cut down the amount of digging an educator must do.

1. Abcteach
These writing prompts are great because they are available for you to print as a writing activity with illustrations and places for your student to draw pictures. They are perfect for homeschooling and the classroom. Some examples of this website’s offerings are: Emotions journal, “My Wish for Peace” and “Fiction: A Rainy Day.”

2. Theteacherscorner
Daily writing prompts are available for each month on this website. These ideas are very imaginative and original. They are great for elementary level children. Some of the prompts include: “September is National Apple Month. There are a variety of different apples and they all have their own, unique taste.

Write about one of the following: What is your favorite apple variety and how do you like to eat it? OR Create a new dish using your favorite variety of apple.” and “On this day in 1955, Rosa Parks refused to give up her bus seat to a white man. This was a brave action by Parks. What is the bravest thing you have ever done? Be sure to include details about the event and why you think you were brave.” As you can see, there is a wide range of topics available.
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3 Great Writing Contests for Kids

girlwritingTeachers, homeschooling parents and children may be interested in writing contests for a fun and rewarding activity. The act of writing in itself is a necessary part of education; however, adding a competition into the mix can increase a student’s motivation.

Three such writing contests for kids that are held by reputable organizations/companies include: The Young Voices of America Premier Fiction Writing Contest, PBS Kids Go! Writers Contest and the Scholastic Kids are Authors writing contest.

The Young Voices of America Premier Fiction Writing Contest includes three winning categories according to age: category one, grades 7-12, category two, grades 3-6 and category three, grades prek-2. Prizes range from $15-25 for the lower grades to $100-250 for the higher grades. The grand prize is $500.

This year, writers are asked to submit a funny, fictional story by August 30, 2010. For more information, visit Young Voices Foundation.
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How to Tutor Writing

Tutoring others in writing can be a very rewarding experience. During my undergraduate years as an English major, I had the privilege of working in the college writing center. I tutored a wide range of students, most of whom genuinely wanted to improve their work and, ultimately, become better writers. Whether they struggled with simple grammatical errors or needed input on theme, content or structure, it was a pleasure to help.

One of my most memorable experiences involved working with a foreign exchange student during one summer. This girl came to the U.S. from Somalia with limited English language skills, but she had a great deal of determination to learn. We spent the summer working on sentence structure, grammar and exploring some of the general oddities of the English language. It was easy to work with this student because she tried so hard and made so much progress. At the end of the summer, we assessed how far she had come and we were both proud of the outcome. I even received heart-felt thanks from her parents when they realized how much she had learned.
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