The Kerrigan method of ‘Writing to the Point’

I’ve long admired the writing technique espoused by William Kerrigan in Writing to the Point (WTTP).  His simple multi-step process is so appealing as an instructional method, especially for struggling students.  After an excessive delay of several years, I finally decided to read the book and learn the method in detail.  It’s a personal project.   So far I have read and  studied the chapters that cover Steps 1 and 2.

Catherine Johnson first introduced me to Kerrigan when she posted about the book on Kitchen Table Math, where she provided an excellent summary of his six-step method in this post.  Here are the first two steps.

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.)

…
A shorthand way to refer to the first two steps is X-1-2-3, where X is the Step 1 sentence and 1-2-3 are the three sentences in Step 2.  Here are some X-1-2-3 sentences I wrote for my Chapter 2 assignment.

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  Hosting a teen party can be nerve-wracking.
1. Hosting involves vigilance to make sure that alcohol is not consumed.
2. Hosting involves taking responsibility for other parents’ children.
3. Hosting involves taking care the house is not damaged by boisterous teens.

X  The Penn State scandal is a tragic event.
1. The scandal devastated the victims.
2. The scandal damaged the school’s reputation.
3. The scandal arose from serious deficiencies in a community’s value system.

I welcome feedback, even if you’re unfamiliar with WTTP.  I’m still not sure about Sentence 3 from the Penn State topic.  Actually, the X Sentence may be the part that needs revision; maybe “tragic” is not the right word.
…
8/20/13 UPDATE – All posts in this series:

• Step 1 of the Kerrigan method of ‘Writing to the Point’ – SUBJECT & PREDICATE
• Step 3 of the Kerrigan method of ‘Writing to the Point’
• Step 4 of the Kerrigan method of ‘Writing to the Point’ – being SPECIFIC
• Step 4 of the Kerrigan method of ‘Writing to the Point’ – being CONCRETE
• Step 4 of the Kerrigan method of ‘Writing to the Point’ – going into DETAIL
• Step 4 of the Kerrigan method of ‘Writing to the Point’ – using EXAMPLES
• Step 4 of the Kerrigan method of ‘Writing to the Point’ – ABSTRACT vs. CONCRETE
• Step 4 of the Kerrigan method of ‘Writing to the Point’ – FUNCTION OF A PARAGRAPH
• Step 4 of the Kerrigan method of ‘Writing to the Point’ – FIRST DRAFT being CONCRETE
• The Kerrigan method of ‘Writing to the Point’ series is back on track
• Step 4 of the Kerrigan method of ‘Writing to the Point’ – Revise the paper to add more details
• Step 4 of the Kerrigan method of ‘Writing to the Point’ – CONSISTENT GRAMMATICAL SUBJECTS
• Step 4 of the Kerrigan method of ‘Writing to the Point’ – REPETITION IS DESIRABLE
• Step 4 of the Kerrigan method of ‘Writing to the Point’ – STICK TO THE KERRIGAN RULES
• Step 4 of the Kerrigan method of ‘Writing to the Point’ – INTRODUCTIONS AND CONCLUSIONS ARE NOT NECESSARY