Wordsmith Craftsman 3rd Edition - 9th through 12th Grade Skills
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9th through 12th Grade Skills
Get the e-book here
For more information about Wordsmith and to contact the author directly, visit the new Wordsmith website.
Get the e-book here
For more information about Wordsmith and to contact the author directly, visit the new Wordsmith website.
Wordsmith Craftsman
9th - 12th Grade Skills
The third and last of the Wordsmith series focuses on building, integrating, and polishing practical writing skills. This self-directed program allows students to take charge of their assignments and schedules.
Strong in preparing the student for college, Part 1 addresses practical, everyday writing: notes, outlines, personal correspondence, summaries, business letters and reports.
Part 2 focuses on the power of language: paragraphs (principles, types, and organization), writing techniques, and developing a personal writing style.
Part 3 concentrates on essay writing: descriptive, narrative, expository, and persuasive essays. Wordsmith equips young adults for a lifetime of excellence in communication skills.
For more information about Wordsmith and to contact the author directly, visit the new Wordsmith website.
Strong in preparing the student for college, Part 1 addresses practical, everyday writing: notes, outlines, personal correspondence, summaries, business letters and reports.
Part 2 focuses on the power of language: paragraphs (principles, types, and organization), writing techniques, and developing a personal writing style.
Part 3 concentrates on essay writing: descriptive, narrative, expository, and persuasive essays. Wordsmith equips young adults for a lifetime of excellence in communication skills.
For more information about Wordsmith and to contact the author directly, visit the new Wordsmith website.
Download a FREE sample of Wordsmith Craftsman.
This lesson plan is intended to help teachers pace their students through the book in two school years (36 weeks per year, with two weeks off for the holidays and one for spring break).
This lesson plan is intended to help teachers pace their students through the book in two school years (36 weeks per year, with two weeks off for the holidays and one for spring break).
Cheaney's emphasis on style encourages students to move beyond mechanical correctness to excellence in communication skills.
- Cathy Duffy -- 102 Top Picks for Homeschool Curriculum
Read Cathy Duffy's review of the Wordsmith series.
- This course covers the writing basics that kids will need to know for life as well as for college. Not all kids will go to college. Some high school writing courses focus only on preparing high schoolers for college. Wordsmith Craftsman can help your student with that as well. But students who aren’t headed to college can also learn important skills that will help them in day-to-day writing.
- - iHomeschool Network
Read the full review.
Various styles of academic writing are covered: narrative essays, persuasive essays, research papers, and more. Janie gives great suggestions for how to structure the essays, how to do preliminary research and content formation, and how to edit as well as providing direction for the basic structure.
- Redeemed Reader
Read a review of the Wordsmith series from the Redeemed Reader.
Great material to learn at the beginning of your high school career. Great material to review from time to time, especially as each class I’ve seen teach this covers it differently.
- Ticia, Adventures in a Messy Life
Read the full review.
Video Reviews
The purpose of Wordsmith Craftsman is to prepare students for college and beyond, with an emphasis on writing and thinking skills that will be useful to them for the rest of their lives. The approach is a bit more structured and serious than the other two books, but still friendly and accessible. High school is the target grade level, but Wordsmith Craftsman can also serve as a complete college freshman composition course.
PART ONE: WRITING EVERY DAY
Take a Note
How to make notes to yourself and organize your time
Study Notes and Outlines
The skill of note-taking and why it's important; taking notes from verbal and written sources; outlining
Personal Letters
General outlines for thank-you notes, keeping-in-touch letters (and e-mails), fan letters, letters of support and letters of apology; do's and don't's for each type
Business letters
Business letter etiquette and form; letters of complaint and request
Summaries
What summaries are and how they are used; how to write a summary
Business Reports
Writing in the business world, e.g. proposals, feasibility studies, market research; how to conceive, organize, and present a plan
PART TWO: LANGUAGE POWER
Paragraphs
Basic principles of the paragraph; four paragraph types; eight models of paragraph organization
Writing Techniques That Really Work!
Using more and better verbs; preferring personal to impersonal forms; being specific; preferring active over passive; showing as preferred to telling; avoiding wordiness and clichés
Steps Toward a Personal Writing Style
Arranging words for emphasis; using transitional words and phrases; "loaded" words and selective detail; honesty in writing
PART THREE: THE ESSAY
Introduction to Essays
Basic essay structure; how to brainstorm ideas to write about; determining an essay topic and defining a thesis
Writing the Essay, Step By Step
The writing process (think, organize, write, evaluate, rewrite)
The Descriptive Essay
Determining a focus; using sensory details
The Narrative Essay
Organizing events in sequence; keeping the focus; writing introductory paragraphs
The Expository Essay
Basic research and sources of information; using oral sources; using personal experience as an expository source (e.g., travel writing)
A Word About Research Papers
Two types of research papers; the most critical step: choosing a workable thesis (Note: Wordsmith Craftsman does not contain detailed information on how to write a research paper, but the material on research in the Expository section will give the student a head start in this area.)
The Critical Essay
What "criticism" is, in this context; positive and negative criteria for judging a work; pitfalls of review writing; the difference between a review and a critical essay.
The Art of Persuasion
Three types of assertions and how they are defended; the four elements of persuasion; how to organize an argument; determining common ground; the use and misuse of emotion; writing a strong conclusion
APPENDICES: Forms for note-taking and summary-writing; answers to exercises; expanded Dewey decimal system; summaries of the steps in writing all five essay types; common fallacies of argument
PART ONE: WRITING EVERY DAY
Take a Note
How to make notes to yourself and organize your time
Study Notes and Outlines
The skill of note-taking and why it's important; taking notes from verbal and written sources; outlining
Personal Letters
General outlines for thank-you notes, keeping-in-touch letters (and e-mails), fan letters, letters of support and letters of apology; do's and don't's for each type
Business letters
Business letter etiquette and form; letters of complaint and request
Summaries
What summaries are and how they are used; how to write a summary
Business Reports
Writing in the business world, e.g. proposals, feasibility studies, market research; how to conceive, organize, and present a plan
PART TWO: LANGUAGE POWER
Paragraphs
Basic principles of the paragraph; four paragraph types; eight models of paragraph organization
Writing Techniques That Really Work!
Using more and better verbs; preferring personal to impersonal forms; being specific; preferring active over passive; showing as preferred to telling; avoiding wordiness and clichés
Steps Toward a Personal Writing Style
Arranging words for emphasis; using transitional words and phrases; "loaded" words and selective detail; honesty in writing
PART THREE: THE ESSAY
Introduction to Essays
Basic essay structure; how to brainstorm ideas to write about; determining an essay topic and defining a thesis
Writing the Essay, Step By Step
The writing process (think, organize, write, evaluate, rewrite)
The Descriptive Essay
Determining a focus; using sensory details
The Narrative Essay
Organizing events in sequence; keeping the focus; writing introductory paragraphs
The Expository Essay
Basic research and sources of information; using oral sources; using personal experience as an expository source (e.g., travel writing)
A Word About Research Papers
Two types of research papers; the most critical step: choosing a workable thesis (Note: Wordsmith Craftsman does not contain detailed information on how to write a research paper, but the material on research in the Expository section will give the student a head start in this area.)
The Critical Essay
What "criticism" is, in this context; positive and negative criteria for judging a work; pitfalls of review writing; the difference between a review and a critical essay.
The Art of Persuasion
Three types of assertions and how they are defended; the four elements of persuasion; how to organize an argument; determining common ground; the use and misuse of emotion; writing a strong conclusion
APPENDICES: Forms for note-taking and summary-writing; answers to exercises; expanded Dewey decimal system; summaries of the steps in writing all five essay types; common fallacies of argument
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For more information about Wordsmith and to contact the author directly, visit the new Wordsmith website.
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For more information about Wordsmith and to contact the author directly, visit the new Wordsmith website.
