Deal alums - writing skills?

[Anonymous]

This is the primary reason why we pulled our older kid from Deal for private after 6th grade, and will send our younger kid to private middle school as well. I believe middle school is the most important time for learning how to write. We did find writing instruction to be good quality at our DCPS ES.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kids went through Deal and Banneker. They’re now in college and both have remarked that their English professors said they were good writers. I didn’t think they were great writers at Deal but I realized I expected them to write at a higher level (like age inappropriate level). It might be you expecting college level writing from a 7th grader or your kid may not like writing so hasn’t put much effort into it. Every kid is different.

I mean, I think it was Banneker that taught your kids to write.

Not at Deal but a different DCPS MS, and they definitely have much, much less rigor in the type and length of research and writing compared to what I did by 8th grade. I don't think my kid has ever really written a book report much less a research paper. Any writing he does is in class, not the kind of sustained focus that would be needed for an actual paper. If HS doesn't improve he is going to be a mess in college.

Banneker is excellent at teaching this skill; my kid has been learning all the writing skills he missed out on in middle school.