Essay Writing: The Introduction As a Road Map

When it comes to writing, I like to think of your introductory paragraph in an essay or a paper as the road map to your argument.  Your introductory paragraph should express your main idea very directly and very specifically.

Well-written essays and papers have main ideas that are evident from the very beginning. The message should not be unclear or cloaked in too many words. As the writer, you need to state what you will be talking about, proving, dismissing, etc. This should be clear right away. The reader does not need to excavate two paragraphs to know what you will be discussing; it’s all right there in the introduction.

In the same sense, what the rest of essay or paper will look like is evident. The writer’s next few sentences in the introductory paragraph guide the reader. Each paragraph should then bring up a new point to support the thesis statement.

Just as no one wants a flat tire on a trip, there should not be any surprises along the way in a paper. You should know what you would be getting into as a reader from the writer’s introductory paragraph. Consider it your roadmap.

For additional insights and writing support watch our blog entries. Another great resource is the Purdue OWL.

WNY Winter Holiday Events: Rochester Area Theater

Growing up in Western New York near Buffalo meant that I never really gave much though to what Rochester had to offer, even though it was a short drive away. In the past few years, I’ve started paying more attention to Buffalo’s eastern neighbor, and I’ve been pleasantly surprised at the wealth of cultural activities I’ve found. Western New York is truly fortunate to have  not one, but two cities that have great cultural offerings!

Dickens's holiday classic still resonates with audiences today! (Image Credit:http://fun.recreationxleisure.com/traditional-christmas-carol-lyrics/)

In yesterday’s post about Buffalo holiday theater offerings, I mentioned having seen Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol staged at Studio Arena. While researching for this post, I was happy to find that the Geva theater is producing this very play, and have been doing so for some years now! I called my sister to get the inside scoop and she says the production has been fantastic in previous years. The theater offers a family value package for seeing the play, and I made sure to book my family seats. Our four-year-old is going to love this holiday classic! To take advantage of this special package, you can reach the theater at 1-585-232.4382.

There are many other great theater options in the Rochester region, and the following is a sample. Let us know if you find any other great theater events in Rochester!

A Christmas Carol – Geva Theater Nov. 25th. – Dec. 24th.

Mr. Dickens is Coming - Geva Theater – Dec. 4th.

Magic in the Making – Geva Theater – Dec. 12th.

The Santaland Diaries - Black Friars Theater – Dec. 16th. – Dec. 21st.

Tom Foolery - Black Friars Theater – Dec. 3rd. – Jan 7th.

Billy Elliott - Rochester Broadway Theatre League, Inc. – Nov. 29th. – Dec. 11th.

The Gift of the Magi – Black Sheep Theater – Dec. 2nd. – Dec. 11th.

(We’re not too sure what the proper age is too see the following production but looks pretty funny for adults…)

The Santaland Diaries – Blackfriars Theater – Dec. 16th. – Dec. 21st.

Now it is time to work on the listings for music in the WNY area. Ho, Ho, Ho!

WNY Winter Holiday Events: Buffalo Area Theater

The turkey is gone. The house is cleaned up. The tree is up. The cut-out cookies are baked and frosted. You survived Black Friday. The presents are wrapped. The kids had a great report card for the first marking period. OK, we might be stretching it a bit, but you still have the energy to think about and do something with the family to “get in the spirit” of the season. Plus you need a break!

These events seem to sneak up on you and can often cost a small fortune. Picking the right one is often a task since not everyone in the family likes the same thing. In the coming weeks we will scurry about and post some of the items we come across in the area.

One of our favorite types of activities to help think about the meaning of this time of year and how it reminds us of our humanity and need to love and be loved as a person, family and as part of the global family is a holiday play. Plays, and to a degree movies, help one escape their personal troubles and understand a bit about how another feels about situations that we have encountered, hope would occur for us or dread possibly ever happening to us. Plays are a great way to bring the family together and discuss the meaning that is primary for each member. It is always interesting to hear what part of the play was most memorable, had the most meaning, was the funniest, was the saddest or helped understand the meaning of the season.

In our family Studio Arena was always a great place to see outstanding performances of plays like A Christmas Story, A Christmas Carol, and local playwright Tom Dudzick’s world class plays including  Over the Tavern and Greetings!. Studio Arena is sadly a victim of the “Great Recession” and is now gone, but there are still a wealth of great theater options in the WNY Buffalo Region as the following list shows:

A Christmas Story – Lancaster Opera House Nov. 25th. – Dec. 11th.

Christmas Belles - Theater in the Mist Dec. 2nd. – Dec 11th.

A Class Act – MusicalFare Theater Nov. 25th. – Dec. 11th.

It’s a Wonderful Life – Ghostlight Theater Dec. 2nd. – Dec. 18th.

Jingle Bells, Batman Smells – Theater of Youth Dec. 2nd. – Dec. 18th.

Willy Wonka – Towne Players, Sheridan Parkside Comunity Center Dec. 2nd. – Dec. 11th.

Scrooge the Musical -Lockport Palace Theater Dec. 1st. – Dec. 4th.

Once Upon a Celtic Christmas – Erie Community College North Nov. 25th. – Dec. 18th.

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer – Lancaster Opera House Dec. 16th. – Dec. 21st.

Peter Pan – New Phoenix Theater Nov 26th. – Dec. 23rd.

The Dead – Irish Classical Theater Co. Dec. 1st. – Dec. 18th.

Let us know if we missed any other great holiday theatre events!

Sometime later this week we will post theater events for the Rochester area and look at the holiday music scene in both areas. Remember ‘I’m dreaming of a green Christmas’ especially since my foot is broke and I can’t put on the skis or skates at the moment!

Sunday Morning Shout Out

As we mark Thanksgiving week and get into the holidays, I need to say my  girls’ backpack “overfloweth.”   I am beyond grateful for the fact that my children go to a school where…let me stop there, can go to school. As UNESCO data points out in some countries children my girls age are working often because school is reserved for boys or the wealthy, or wealthy boys.  Knowing this, I am thankful for my girls’ school which is public, small, and focused on a nice balance of academics and extracurricular activities.

In the last five years it has gained a universal prekindergarten program that gives children a needed early boost in their school careers and time at school. By the time my youngest daughter goes to kindergarten, she has experienced the bus ride, gym, music, and library classes. In a day when some districts in our country are considering doing away with bus transportation or charging monthly fees for service, I appreciate this service and the drivers that safely get my girls back and forth from school.

John Russell / AP file

I  commend our district for not looking at the specials they offer (e.g., gym, art, music, and library) as services to cut and gut.  We know they enrich our children’s school experience. We know they make our children well rounded. We know that these activities help with reading, math, science—all of them, not to mention with combating childhood obesity and other health problems.  For the fact the school provides these educational enrichments, I am so happy. For the passionate teachers my girls have had and currently have, I cannot say enough. Every student should have such an introduction to formal learning. For the fact my children love school, for all these reasons, I am so glad.

Dealing With Out Of School Suspension

It may not be common, but one of the most severe forms of discipline a school can mete out is out of school suspension. This experience can be tense already, but is there a way you can still keep your child’s education on track?

If you live in New York State, you need to know your child’s educational rights. The school is still required to provide your child with education, which can range from picking up and dropping off assignments at the school or even having a tutor provided. Make sure that you establish the educational expectations the school will have for your child, and communicate your own requests or concerns. If there isn’t anybody available to remain at home with your child, make sure to set up a daily schedule for completing school work. Approve the schedule before you leave in the morning, and check in on progress after dinner. Out of school suspension isn’t a vacation, and shouldn’t be treated as such.

Make sure you also communicate your expectations for the state of the house when you arrive home. If your child will be staying at home all day, make sure all messes are cleaned up. Out of school suspension is often a response to a child not living up to his or her responsibilities, so you need to really put the focus on expectations and responsibilities during the time spent out of school. You’ll probably also want to address the issue that got your child suspended in the first place. You may want to give him or her a day to cool down first, but keep lines of communication open between you, your child, the school, and any other relevant parties. If you think counseling is necessary, make sure to find out what free services the school would be willing to provide.

It may not be ideal, but your child’s out of school suspension doesn’t have to be a total disaster. Communication is the key.

Can the Turkey Teach Anything?

Ah, Thanksgiving. Food, family, fun, and…education. Well, you probably figured out by now that this would have something to do with learning. Thanksgiving may be one of my favorite holidays, but it also offers a lot of opportunities for kids to make great memories as well as practice important skills.

Measuring

Measure up the educational benefits of Thanksgiving! (Image Credit:http://www.kitchendaily.com)

As soon as your child develops fine motor skills, he’s ready to start measuring! While younger children should simply be handed the proper cup or spoon, older kids can be instructed to find the correct size for themselves. If you’re feeling particularly ambitious, try making your child find the right combination of cups to make a certain measurement rather than just handing them the 3/4 cup measurement. Have them find as many combinations as possible! This can be an easy, real-world introduction to fractions, and why they’re important!

Finding Recipes

Your family probably has some old stand-bys for Thanksgiving, but there’s always room for new traditions. Help your child find a new family classic by locating a recipe he’d like to try making. Put him in charge (with lots of support), and follow the process from start to finish. Give him a budget to work with, take him shopping, and then let it cook!

Social Interactions

Knowing how to successfully interact with people is a huge part of growing up. Practice polite dinner conversation by having your child lead the “I’m thankful for…” conversation. While kid’s tables may be convenient, it also may be more beneficial to have kids sit with the adults. Rather than excluding children from conversations, let them be part of it. That doesn’t mean you have to spend all night talking about Legos and school, but part of growing up also means knowing how to respectfully listen to others having a conversation you may not be a part of or even understand!

Planning

How many chairs are needed at the table? How many plates, napkins, forks, spoons…you get the picture. Have your child practice some basic counting and party planning skills by helping with the preparations.

Games

In the after-turkey daze, pull out some board games for family entertainment. A few personal family favorites include Jenga, Apples to Apples, and Scrabble! If you’re feeling more motivated, try making up some games of your own. Ever heard of pin the feather on the turkey?

History

The history of Thanksgiving is also a time to reflect on colonization in America. Rather than reinforcing the Pilgrim/Indian story, try a new approach that appreciates the themes of Thanksgiving (gratitude, friends and family) but also addresses issues in its mythological origins. For tips on how to do this effectively, try this excellent EducationWorld article.

What are some other tips you have for making Thanksgiving educational?

We here at TutorDoctor WNY wish you and your loved ones a very happy Thanksgiving!

Developing the Love of Writing

We all know how important it is to be a good writer in life.  How do we get our children on the right path of becoming good writers? We need to make writing fun! Whether it is a new hobby, sport, or school, kids love things when they are fun.

There are many things we can do to encourage a joy of writing in young children. It helps to make writing activities a normal part of their regular routine. When you are doing your grocery list, ask them to write down some healthy snacks and a few treats they would like to buy in the grocery store. In turn, they will have their own list to help you shop at the store, which then lends itself to separate math, science, and nutrition lessons.

Get them writing by having lots of paper on hand for book making, letter writing, and thank you notes.  I don’t know about you, but when the paper or cards are pretty, I am even more in the mood to write a letter or a thank you. How about a pen pal? When I was young, it was the height of excitement getting a letter, let alone a letter from around the world, from a girl my own age. Well-known children’s magazines like “Highlights” sometimes feature a section for free pen pals for children. There are other many other online resources.   Journal writing is another great way to get children writing. Not only is it a place to practice writing skills, but also it is a wonderful outlet for your child’s feelings.

Like anything else, it helps your child do something when they see you do it. If you regularly write thank you cards or journal, they may too. When it is normal for you, it is normal for them.

Essay Writing: K.I.S.S (Keep It Simple, Silly)

Like many things in life, writing is best when it’s kept simple. Writing simplicity can be defined in many different ways, but two of the most effective decisions writers can make are in word choice and succinctness.

When writing, you may feel tempted to impress your reader by using large words. While having a broad vocabulary is great, use words that will have your reader scrambling for the dictionary sparingly. A professor once advised me that when choosing which word to use, you should only choose a larger, more complex word if it helps you cut down on word count. Otherwise, you should stick with the basics. However, you also want to keep your writing interesting, so imagine these big money words as a strong spice: too much and you’ll ruin the essay, too little and it may taste bland.

It also helps to say what you’re trying to say in the most succinct way possible. Make sure to use present tense with verbs, which gives your writing more directness and urgency than passive tense. Avoid clichés and idioms as much as possible, as it makes you seem lazy and can often be too general to really apply to your point. Direct language tells your reader exactly what you’re trying to say immediately.

Make your ideas smarter...not your words bigger! (Image Credit:http://janmarkley.blogspot.com/2011/04/deep-in-my-sasquatch-writing-cave.html)

If you can communicate a point in one sentence, why do it in five? If you’re struggling to reach a word count, focus more on the ideas that you’re presenting. Can you strengthen your argument by providing more examples? Deeper analysis? Don’t immediately start thinking of ways to inflate your word count through unnecessary lengthiness.

Keep in mind that writing is meant to be a form of communication. You want to communicate your message as clearly as possible, and that means keeping it simple, silly! Check out some of our other blogs for more writing tips, and the Purdue OWL provides many great resources to improve your writing.

What are some other tips you have for keeping writing simple?

 

Sunday Morning Shout Out

It is always good when something you know intrinsically as a parent is then supported by quality research. We all know that there are certain things that are just good for your child and help them be healthy, safe, and successful growing up. The Search Institute has built an extensively research based framework of 40 common sense, positive experiences, and qualities that influence young people to become caring, responsible, and successful adults. These are further broken down by age groups ranging from preschool through high school.   Basically the research finds that the more positive factors that are operating in your children’s life has a direct relationship to chance of successful development as adults.

Let’s look at a few of these ‘assests’ today.  Under the wider constructs of Support, Boundaries and Expectations, and Commitment To Learning, there are few specific assets to consider.  Support: Is your child in a caring school environment? Are you as a parent involved in their learning? If not, how can you make these things happen?  Boundaries and Expectations: Are there clear and consistent rules and consequences in school?  Do your child’s school and teacher use a positive approach to learning? Commitment To Learning:  Does your child bond to their school environment? Do they like school and want to be there?

When these assets are not present, the Search Institute’s model and parental wisdom suggest change needs to occur.  What would you do differently to make the school environment a more caring place? Perhaps you need to give more of your ideas to the teacher, principal, or other administrative officials. For example, maybe you do not feel enough is being done to take on bullying and you have some good ideas on how to do a better job. Maybe you have read something excellent about helping girls succeed in math and science and you can share it with her teacher.

If you are separated from your child’s learning process, get more involved. Maybe mom always does homework with her child.  Perhaps dad needs to sit down with his child as well, so he can better support her efforts.  If your child does not like school, find out what it is about. Maybe they are having a hard time seeing the chalkboard.  Maybe they are sick of struggling with math.  Is it time for a tutor so his math struggles end? As parents, we need to do whatever it takes to build our children’s assets and help them be as successful as they can be at home, school, and in their future.

Words You Don’t Know

Sometimes when I’m reading, I’m in a hurry to get it over with. You know, when you should probably already be out the door but you just want to find out if Ashton Kutcher and Demi Moore are really splitting up, or what the score for the Bills game was last night, or when you have a class that’s meeting in twenty minutes and you really should have started reading Daniel Deronda (which has 600-800 pages, depending on the edition you get) more than two hours ago. There are other times when I’m just a lazy reader.

Keep a dictionary at hand whenever you're reading...whether it's printed or online! (Image Credit:http://wordysketches.blogspot.com/2010/04/meet-new-words-on-block.html)

The problem with both of these cases is that I don’t get as much out of my reading. The biggest thing I’ve found is that when I’m a hurried reader or a lazy reader, I don’t look up words I don’t understand. I skim over them, and even if I can’t get the meaning from the textual clues I forge ahead. Eventually, this kind of behavior becomes a habit, and you stop worrying about these words you don’t know. But learning is a lifestyle; the small choices you make each day to do something different that will provide an educational benefit. So the next time you’re reading a newspaper article and you stumble across a new word, take the time to look it up. Find out what that word means. Try using it in a sentence the next day. Write it down in your journal, or scribble it in the margins of your notebook.

Eventually, these words will start adding up. You’ll become better at the New York Times crossword puzzle. You’ll start recognizing more words. You’ll start using more words in conversations. You’ll be more invested in language. And, you’ll inspire your children to do the same. So don’t just skip over those pesky unfamiliar words…give them the attention they deserve.

What’s the best new word you’ve learned recently? Mine is “patina”: which can be the green film that builds up on copper or bronze after exposure to acid, a surface appearance that has grown more beautiful with age or use, or a superficial covering. Learn something new every day!