Any thoughts on Robin Finley's (author of AG) Essay and Research paper curr?

[Chris in CA]

I love JAG and AG, they have both been a lifesaver, but I don't know how her writing curr. rates.
Anyone?

[Kareni]

There's a positive mention of Teaching the Essay in this thread by Periwinkle:

http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?t=5102&highlight=finley+essay

and a different view expressed in this thread by StaceyL in Canada:

http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2478&highlight=finley+essay

I remember more mentions of it on the old board but am uncertain of how to search there.

Regards,
Kareni

[Chris in CA]

Thank you, I'll check those out

[periwinkle]

However, I also bought her Research Paper one, and I haven't been as happy with it. In fact, I ended up ditching it and using a Sadlier-Oxford book instead. It did have a few helpful tips, though, and maybe that's why it is still sitting on my shelf.

I didn't read through the other thread mentioned, but I do remember some people did not like that Finley used Poe's The Tell-Tale Heart as the first subject of the literary essay. Just a heads-up...

[Chris in CA]

Thanks for the reply

[mooooom]

liked the essay - thought the report one was terrible. It wasn't for a thinking report - but an autobiography - just a regurgitation basically.

OTOH, the essay was very helpful to my kids (beginning 7th grade). It broke down the 5 paragraph essay into baby steps and they got a lot out of it. The criticism that I remember about it was that the sample essay really wasn't that good, but everyone has to start somewhere, and showing my kids a world class 5 paragraph literary essay would have been paralyzing. 2 years later, I still see them breaking down the process in the steps she taught them, so I rate it as a success.

[lunchlady]

It was too contrived for me to have the kids write an exact number of sentences in a specific order, etc. Very formulatic and I didn't think the writing examples by students she had in her text were that good.

My favorite writing program has been Write Shop 1&2. Then my children used Lively Art of Writing with Writeathome.com

Lisa

[Chris in CA]

thank you!