I have moved on to Step 3 in my study of the Kerrigan method of Writing to the Point. In a previous post, I wrote about this project and about completing Steps 1 and 2. Here are the first three steps of the six-step process.
STEP 1. Write a short, simple declarative sentence that makes one statement. (Chapter 1, page 6)
STEP 2. Write three sentences about the sentence in Step 1—clearly and directly about the whole of that sentence, not just something in it. (Chapter 2, page 18.)
STEP 3. Write four or five sentences about each of the three sentences in Step 2—clearly and directly about the whole of the Step 2 sentence, not just something in it. (Chapter 3, page 31.)
The Chapter 3 assignment was to write a paper applying Steps 1 through 3. Using the stipulated format, here is what I wrote.
X Autumn is an exhilarating time of year.
1. It is a time of colorful foliage.
2. It is a time of crisp weather.
3. It is a time of fun-filled activities.
—————————————————————————————————————————————
X Autumn is an exhilarating time of year.
1. It is a time of colorful foliage. Maple trees turn bright red and oak trees become golden. Ferns become a rusty copper color. As they fall to the ground, beautifully colored leaves cover paths and roads like a rainbow. Mountainsides and roadways become brilliant works of art.
2. It is a time of crisp weather. It usually starts in late September when people will comment that there’s a touch of fall in the air. They bring out their sweaters to protect against the slight chill of early fall. As the season moves on, the first hints of frost appear on some early mornings. Even on days with full sun, the atmosphere feels different from typical summer days.
3. It is a time of fun-filled activities. Many families spend weekends picking apples and pumpkins. The next few days may find them baking pies and carving jack-o-lanterns. Preparations for Halloween are as much fun as the actual trick-or-treating. People enjoy designing and creating costumes while anticipation builds for the big Halloween night when children roam the neighborhoods trying to fill their bags with candy.
Revisions and refinement will be included in the next steps, and Kerrigan tells the student not at this point to worry at all about the quality of these sentences. But even at this level of development the essay has some qualities important to good writing.
… There are: (1) a thesis sentence that announces its point at once; (2) a topic sentence for each paragraph that is clearly and directly related t0 the thesis sentence; (3) paragraphs that are clearly and directly related to their topic sentences and are well developed; and (4) specific examples.
As I mentioned before, I find the clarity and efficiency of this process very appealing, especially in the context of writing instruction that works for struggling learners. Additionally, the claim is that this method has the flexibility to be used for more sophisticated writing. It appears promising, and I expect to learn more as I go along in my project.
Cost of College 