Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums General Discussion Recommendations Needed: writing gap

Hi,
I need advice/recommendations for how to fill in a writing gap for DS8 who is taking a high school biology class. The content of the text and course are not challenging for DS. The real challenge is that my son's writing ability is not at a high school level. Does anyone have experience with their child taking a course where they intellectually understand the material,but have a deficit in either writing or simple lack of experience? I find that this is a good fit for him because the writing is challenging for him, but I am wondering if there is anything I can do to help him out a bit in this area. Please note he is able to do the writing assignments and coursework,but the writing is behind for HS.
I would really love to hear your experiences too!
Thank you!

We had a similar issue. DS began an AP Bio course last year using an AP prep book and an online course (hubby was his facilitator so the book and course were hubby's choices). While content was at the right level, the writing was too much for him to handle (he was 7.5). Like your son he could write but was reluctant to write a HS-required amount. In the end, he read the material and did well in the book's tests and online tests but he didn't hand up any written assignments or reports. He also didn't complete the course, stopping about 75% way through, because his interests changed and he prefered to spend more time reading up/ gaining depth of knowledge on just particular areas like psychology and diseases. We didn't sign up to renew the course this year.

I believe that what he really wants is depth so I am choosing to give him that by researching books for him to read. It isn't important to us at this point to record that he's completed HS-level courses. But the amount he reads may count for inclusion into a transcript...I'm still undecided on that. Good luck! I'd love to know how things develop for your DS as mine is in a similar situation.

Hi LDmom,
Thanks so much for the response. You make some good points. We are also not interested in HS credit at this point, but were trying to find material that would suit him. One aspect I like about the curriculum in the HS class is that the questions in the assignments show him broader ways to think about issues. I do see some benefit of the actual curriculum for this reason (also showing him how these higher level courses function with syllabus, assignments, projects, and tests).
I was wondering if people found a solution to this gap.Thanks again for your response!

Oh absolutely! I agree with you 100%. That's why my hubby chose the book/program he chose too. I'd asked him to consider Thinkwell but he didn't for some reason.

I'd love to know as well! Thanks so much for starting this thread! It's been on my mind too!

I hope others with this experience will chime in. : )

No experience, lots of listening. I read a lot of posts recommending graphic organizers (diagrams, brainstorming trees..). I'm assuming you mean composition because vocabulary would be covered by the text, unless you mean penmanship.

The best strategy that we've found is to specifically look for curriculum/coursework that is discussion-based rather than written-communication based. Laboratory or literature courses that are inquiry-led and experiential are virtually ideal in this respect.

(DD is 11 and handily manages college-level literature, but high school output is challenging in terms of the volume of writing expected of her. Her writing skill set is about on par with an average tenth grader, but the rest of her literacy skills are much more like college level.)

We've also found that teachers who are flexible about presentation make things easier. DD doesn't mind doing creative writing, lab reports, or powerpoint presentations, but essays or research papers? Might as well just bring out the thumbscrews, thank you very much.

<sigh>

No doubt about it, it's a problem.

When DD was 5-7 yo, I would allow her to dictate a rough draft or organizer to me while I typed for her. I've done that since on rare occasions, as well. That way her hands don't have to move as quickly as her thoughts do. Of course, my typing doesn't move that fast, either. But it is an improvement.

One other tip that we've learned-- be prepared to reteach the note-taking, organizing, prewriting skills again once your child is about ten and has the executive skills to really 'hear' and apply the lessons.

I've been amazed at how much improvement we've seen in DD's ability to use the writing process to produce written work. Just in the past 18 months or so, her organization is suddenly just-- there. It was always a struggle before now.

(When she's had research projects to do, if she had an option, up until recently I always had her do something that had a natural narrative in time-- because "chronological" was about the only type of organization that she could maintain on her own for a ten page research paper.)

So-- Biographies of Jonas Salk... Francis Bacon... Theodora of Bynzantium... good. History of ____, also good.

The Impact of the Black Plague on the Hanseatic League...

er... maybe not... surely this could be a chronological story of some sort, eh?


Yes to graphic organizers-- but in all frankness, with kids that have serious (developmentally related) organizational difficulties because of their asynchrony, they have so MUCH to say that the graphic organizers are really frustrating to use. Those little bubbles just don't hold enough!! This is why we like timelines better-- a timeline can be a BUNCH of pages taped together and folded/rolled when not in use. It leaves a lot of space to record information (even in the larger/less tidy handwriting of a 6-10 yo).

HTH. We figure that eventually this asynchrony will even out. We just have to help our DD bridge the weaknesses until then.

Thanks HowlerKarma! Ironically, I took your advice before hearing it : ) I took him out of HS biology and found an online 7th grade biology course that is all online with reading and tests, but no reports etc. The content is not
challenging for him,but the writing was stressful for him in the HS class, so this is a big improvement.
I also realized that the HS course had an intense syllabus and assignments for a kiddo who has only been in school 2 years. He has not learned organizational skills etc. So, I am back tracking a bit, but I know this is the right approach for now.
Thanks for sharing, I appreciate reading about your experience.