Handbook for Writers - Crew Review

 

Disclaimer: I received a FREE copy of this product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.

If you are looking for a writing tool for your high school student, check out Excellence in Literature Handbook for Writers from Everyday Education. This 420-page digital book has two primary sections.

The first section provides an introduction to essays and arguments. In this section, students learn how to set up an argument, how to organize the main body of an argument, how to write paragraphs for deductive structure and inductive structure, and how to write arguments about literary works. If your student studies debate, the chapters on constructing an argument are very helpful. What I like most about this section is that it gives students sample formats, like sample formats for topic sentences. But it is also a great teaching tool. It also tells students what topic sentences to avoid.

The second section provides an introduction to usage and style. In this section, students learn about sentences, troublesome words in writing, basic punctuation, parallelism, and basic formats for essays and research papers. What I like most about this section is that it helps parents evaluate student papers. When grading writing papers, simply note the section number, for example 6.7 place of modifiers. Then the student can look at this lesson in the handbook and see how to correct the error.

Ian Johnston and Janice Campbell have written a great resource for high school students that answers questions about writing, grammar, punctuation, and more. Visit the Crew Blog to read more reviews from the Homeschool Review Crew.