Reply to my sixth grader has not learned to write in MCPS

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Reply to "my sixth grader has not learned to write in MCPS"

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[quote=Anonymous]OP here.  Thank you for those who posted helpful and/or supportive replies.  I am going to start with some of the resources listed above - if it still appears that DD is struggling after another couple of months, I will look into engaging a tutor.   I appreciate the direction.

To respond to a couple of the PPs, I certainly do care about my children's education - I am involved and I look over my kids' work and discuss it with them (that's how I observed this problem in the first place!).  Spouse and I are not focused on grades per se but rather making sure that our kids understand the material, and to date we have not seen any evidence that they have not.  DD just started middle school - in elementary school (again, a W feeder - and I say that not because I thought the school was so wonderful, but so you know I am not talking about an elementary school with a rating of 2), she had no homework and so I never observed the process of her writing an essay, or any writing.  She seemed to have various longer term research/writing projects throughout fifth grade (as a pp pointed out, they were usually tied to history or another subject), and I did see her finished product.  It always seemed on track, but honestly I based that somewhat on the teacher's comments and her grades (ESs and sometimes Ps) because DD is my oldest and I really didn't/don't have a frame of reference as to what to expect from her writing on an age appropriate level. I do know that they always started with a graphic organizer, and had teacher or peer reviewed editing before the final paper.  Now in 6 weeks of middle school, DD has been given multiple essay assignments (admittedly, just a couple of pages) in English and world studies classes, and without the "crutch" of the graphic organizers and peer or teacher editing, her work product seems very disorganized and primitive to me.  I did print a graphic organizer for her to use off the internet, but it doesn't always "match" the type of essay she is to write and she gets easily frustrated (she is also reluctant to use an organizer when the teacher didn't suggest it). She need to learn how to write a proper intro and conclusion, and how to organize and outline.  She did not learn those skills in elementary school.  I am very happy to kids who can figure it out on their own, but also as some pp's have said, it does not come naturally to all and my DD is one of those people.  That doesn't make her dumb or me not caring.

I realize I am not showing the finest writing skills myself in this post but am scribbling this out at work![/quote]

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