Changes

Writing is free.  You do not need to buy anything new for it.  You can use the computer you already have, or pick up a pen and paper from around your home.  You don't have to listen to commercials or travel anywhere.  But because it is free, no one profits by encouraging you to write.  The result is that you will rarely hear someone to recommend that you write a book, a poem, a letter, or anything else.  You have to take the initiative on your own.

Writing is free.  You do not need to buy anything new for it.  You can use the computer you already have, or pick up a pen and paper from around your home.  You don't have to listen to commercials or travel anywhere.  But because it is free, no one profits by encouraging you to write.  The result is that you will rarely hear someone to recommend that you write a book, a poem, a letter, or anything else.  You have to take the initiative on your own.

Writing is the most creative activity possible.  It is the human activity that is closest to pure creation of something out of nothing, like the creation of the world.  Writing takes a set of infinite possibilities and crafts something meaningful and finite.  Writing -- and only writing -- converts the chaos of random thoughts into the perfect order of ideas, logic and expression.

Writing is the most creative activity possible.  It is the human activity that is closest to pure creation of something out of nothing, like the creation of the world.  Writing takes a set of infinite possibilities and crafts something meaningful and finite.  Writing -- and only writing -- converts the chaos of random thoughts into the perfect order of ideas, logic and expression.

== What is Good Writing? ==

== What is Good Writing? ==

"Brevity is the soul of wit."  That famous description of good comedy is true indeed.  Brevity, or economy of expression, is most likely to hold the attention of the audience and bring it to laughter.  When a joke takes to long to tell, or is explained with too much repetition, or is diluted with too much narrative, then it loses its humorous edge.  We'll be discussing humor more later in this course.

"Brevity is the soul of wit."  That famous description of good comedy is true indeed.  Brevity, or economy of expression, is most likely to hold the attention of the audience and bring it to laughter.  When a joke takes too long to tell, or is explained with too much repetition, or is diluted with too much narrative, then it loses its humorous edge.  We'll be discussing humor more later in this course.

Good writing is also concise.  Sharp, clear sentences hold the reader's attention better and are easier to proofread for mistakes.  More words does not mean greater quality.  Usually the opposite is true.  One person remarked, "I'd prefer to write you a short letter, but I don't have the time to edit this long letter into a clearer and more concise version."  The best written works result from reducing many ideas and sentences into only the best of them.

Good writing is also concise.  Sharp, clear sentences hold the reader's attention better and are easier to proofread for mistakes.  More words does not mean greater quality.  Usually the opposite is true.  One person remarked, "I'd prefer to write you a short letter, but I don't have the time to edit this long letter into a clearer and more concise version."  The best written works result from reducing many ideas and sentences into only the best of them.

What is considered one of the greatest works in American History, the Gettysburg Address, is only 246 words long.  Its short length made it possible to carve all of it into the side of the inner wall of a monument in Washington, D.C., the Lincoln Memorial

What is considered one of the greatest works in American History, the Gettysburg Address, is only 246 words long.  Its short length made it possible to carve all of it into the side of the inner wall of a monument in Washington, D.C., the Lincoln Memorial.

== Testing Writing ==

== Testing Writing ==

Colleges want good writers, and do not want students who cannot write.  Accordingly, two out of the three tests of the basic SAT I are devoting to writing and reading skills.

Good writers are in big demand: everyone wants them.  Colleges want them; employers want them; churches want them; Hollywood (movies) want them; comedians want them; and even your family and friends will want to you to write or say something for them.

 

Our focus on this course will be on how colleges test for good writers: through the SAT I verbal exams.  It has two tests -- "critical reading" and "writing" -- that test your writing-related skills.  The more you can develop your writing abilities, the better you will do on these exams and the more opportunity you will have for college scholarships.

== When to Take the SAT I ==

=== When to Take the SAT I ===

The two verbal SAT I exams are called "critical reading" and "writing".  They are what colleges look at most in determining admissions and scholarships.  This class will help you master the skills that these exams teach.

The two verbal SAT I exams are called "critical reading" and "writing".  They are what colleges look at most in determining admissions and scholarships.  This class will help you master the skills that these exams teach.

Many students -- particularly homeschool students -- make the mistake of not taking the SAT until it delays consideration of their application by colleges, which hurts their opportunity to be admitted and earn scholarships.  If a college starts considering application in November, then they need to see your SAT scores at the same time.  That means you have to take them by October at the latest.  But you'll want to take the SATs several times, so you need to take it once or twice the prior spring to ensure you have maximized your overall score.  Procrastination -- putting off registration and the taking of the test -- will end up costing you a great deal of money and opportunity.  It's not just how a student does on the SAT that matters, but how much initiative he showed in taking the test early enough to help him.

Many students -- particularly homeschool students -- make the mistake of not taking the SAT until it delays consideration of their application by colleges, which hurts their opportunity to be admitted and earn scholarships.  If a college starts considering application in November, then they need to see your SAT scores at the same time.  That means you have to take them by October at the latest.  But you'll want to take the SATs several times, so you need to take it once or twice the prior spring to ensure you have maximized your overall score.  Procrastination -- putting off registration and the taking of the test -- will end up costing you a great deal of money and opportunity.  It's not just how a student does on the SAT that matters, but how much initiative he showed in taking the test early enough to help him.

== Scholarships ==

=== Scholarships ===

College admissions, and scholarships, are based on the SAT I scores.  The following are some minimum scores for scholarships at certain schools (not including minority scholarships).  Notice how the higher the score, the larger the larger the potential scholarship.  Also notice that some schools (like Seton Hall and Moravian) use all three SAT scores (which have a maximum score of 800 times 3, or 2400), while other schools (like Alfred State College and Arcadia) do not use the writing score so their maximum is a 1600 (800 times 2).

College admissions, and scholarships, are based on the SAT I scores.  The following are some minimum scores for scholarships at certain schools (not including minority scholarships).  Notice how the higher the score, the larger the larger the potential scholarship.  Also notice that some schools (like Seton Hall and Moravian) use all three SAT scores (which have a maximum score of 800 times 3, or 2400), while other schools (like Alfred State College and Arcadia) do not use the writing score so their maximum is a 1600 (800 times 2).

*NJIT, NJ: full scholarship for SAT scores 1500 and above

*NJIT, NJ: full scholarship for SAT scores 1500 and above

== College Policy Towards Repeat Testing ==

=== College Policy Towards Repeat Testing ===

"Practice makes perfect."  That aphorism is so true in so many areas of life.  Practice your speeches before you say them and you will do better.  Take practice exams before the real one and you will excel.  Practice your sports activity or musical instrument and will improve your skills at them.

"Practice makes perfect."  That aphorism is so true in so many areas of life.  Practice your speeches before you say them and you will do better.  Take practice exams before the real one and you will excel.  Practice your sports activity or musical instrument and will improve your skills at them.

*The most popular homeschool colleges, Grove City College, Liberty University and Patrick Henry College, have their own policies and should be contacted if you are interested in attending there.

*The most popular homeschool colleges, Grove City College, Liberty University and Patrick Henry College, have their own policies and should be contacted if you are interested in attending there.

== Importance of Vocabulary ==

=== Importance of Vocabulary ===

 

<discuss how a strong vocabulary is important, but how context usually provides the key to understanding the meaning of a word>

The SAT I used to ask directly about vocabulary, but has dropped that portion of the test.  Now the SAT I asks about challenging words only in context, as in sentences and paragraphs.  '''Develop the talent of figuring out the meaning of an unknown word based on how it is used'''.  That is a skill that will bring you many more points on the SAT I exam than you would obtain otherwise, and also help you learn new words as you hear them.

give examples:

Let's try some examples of learning word meanings from context (SAT questions are a bit more complicated than this, and as we'll learn in future classes):

Example 1: abhor (hate, dislike intensely)

Example 1: abhor (hate, dislike intensely)

Example 5:  cantankerous (irritating to deal with)

Example 5:  cantankerous (irritating to deal with)

One approach: use of vocabulary lists

One approach: use of vocabulary lists

Better approach: change in habits that welcomes and uses new words.

Develop the habit of welcoming new words into your vocabulary, and using them.  Beware of the "dumbing down" by others of the vocabulary level of speech, whereby some people only use a few hundred words each week to communicate.  Some public school students have a total vocabulary of only a few thousand words.  Build yours to where you know and use tens of thousands of words.  You'll obtain better jobs, better friends and greater happiness by learning to enjoy all the powerful words that are out there for our benefit.

== The Importance of Attitude ==

 

== Importance of Attitude ==

<example of paralyzed person in church>

<example of paralyzed person in church>

<look higher and set your goals further and you won't be disappointed>

<look higher and set your goals further and you won't be disappointed>

== Homework Assignment ==

== Homework Assignment ==

Write an essay of at least 300 words about any topic you like.  It could be about a personal experience, or the tragedy in Haiti, or a song that you like, or anything else.

Write an essay of at least 300 words about any topic you like.  It could be about a personal experience, or the tragedy in Haiti, or a song that you like, or anything else.

== References ==

== References ==

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