User's Manual

262
NEO
User Manual
W RITE ON ! LESSONS FOR NEO
Write On! Lesson Categories and Teaching Supplements
. . . . .
The Process
of Writing
(Continued)
Observe and
Describe
Students develop descriptive skills through observing and
describing, drawing on experience, noticing details, selecting
details, using the five senses, and describing objects and
events. The process of description is one of the most effective
ways for students to learn observation, style, and tone.
Writing descriptions may be the first stage in overcoming
reluctance to write.
Writing
Skills
Paragraphs to
Essays Level
II
Files in Paragraphs to Essays Level II give practice in writing
paragraphs that exhibit a strong topic sentence, supporting
details, and a summary sentence. Specific strategies include
idea generating by clustering, narrowing a topic that’s too
broad, ordering, adding supporting details, and linking
sentences. In addition, students review different types of
writing: descriptive, expository, narrative, and persuasive.
Files are arranged so that students begin working with topic
sentences. However, files may be used in any order for
reinforcement of skills already taught.
Sentence
Combining
with a Moral
Students read fables by Aesop, decide what the morals are,
and try their own hand at reconstructing sentences from the
fables. They learn to recognize overstuffed and skinny
sentences and revise them for sleekness by applying the
principles of sentence combining. Learning to write better
sentences is what sentence combining is all about. Writing
with a word processor (such as a NEO) is a natural fit with
this editing approach to learning; word processing features
allow students to manipulate sentences freely, making any
changes they want to easily.
Sentence
Writing Level
II
Writing effective sentences through the use of correct
structure and expressive language is reinforced through
activities in the sentence series. Students experiment with the
use of nouns, verbs, adverbs, pronouns, and adjectives;
combine sentences; and vary sentence type, length, and style.
Sentences to
Paragraphs
Level II
Files in Sentences to Paragraphs Level II give practice in
writing paragraphs that exhibit a strong topic sentence,
supporting details, and a summary sentence. Specific
strategies are reviewed: narrowing a topic that’s too broad,
ordering, adding supporting details, and linking sentences by
example, by cause and effect, by comparison, and by contrast.
Files are arranged so that students begin working with topic
sentences. However, files may be used in any order for
reinforcement of skills already taught.
2_Middle School (Continued)