Writing Reasons

1. Writing Reasons Pre-AP English

2. Prepare your foldable: 1. Fold your paper horizontally 2. Unfold; then fold the two edges to meet on the crease. 3. Fold that in half horizontally 4. Fold that in half horizontally again. 5. Unfold the last two folds so you can see the creases. 6. Cut along the creases on the front flaps only. Leave the back in tact. 7. Finally, you are left with a foldable that has 8 front panels and a solid backing.

3. Writing Reasons • Title the top of the next blank page in your journal: Writing Reasons • Add this title and page number to your Table of Contents • In this foldable, you will take notes on why you need to become better writers. This year you will be doing a lot of writing to develop your skills with different genres, topics, and skills. Writing isn’t always easy, and it isn’t always fun, but it is always important. Here’s why…

4. Reason 1: Writing is hard, but hard is rewarding. • Writing has been called the most complex of all human activities. • This difficulty presents you with the opportunity to create something truly rewarding that you can be proud of. • Self-satisfaction does not come from accomplishing things that are easy, but from accomplishing things that are difficult.

5. Reason 2: Writing helps you sort things out • In times of difficulty, writing can serve as a refuge, a place to sort out grief, pain, and frustration. • Even as a middle school student, you are burdened with serious problems. • Writing is a good place to sort out your thoughts when the world seems to be crashing down.

6. Reason 3: Writing helps to persuade others • We live in a bureaucratic world, where often ideas go ignored unless they are in writing. • As you get older you will see that written documents have the power to change people’s minds. • At some point, you will need to use writing in order to persuade someone else.

7. Reason 4: Writing helps to fight oppression • Three out of every ten students who starts high school will not finish on time. • One half of all African American and Latino students do not finish high school on time. • Writing an essay can be a struggle, but that is nothing compared to the lifelong struggle of not being able to read and write well.

8. Reason 5: Writing makes you a better reader • Better writers tend to be better readers of their own writing, and well as other reading material • Better writers tend to read more than poorer readers • Better readers tend to produce more syntactically mature writing than poorer readers.

9. Reason 6: Writing makes you smarter • Mental stimulation improves brain function and actually protects against cognitive decline. • Writing sharpens the brain by providing mental stimulation • Different kinds of writing sharpen different kinds of thinking • The act of writing creates new thinking, pulling your brain into new territories. • The thinking generated by writing opens the door to new thinking.

10. Reason 7: Writing helps you get into and through college • College admissions are more competitive than ever, and an essay is part of the application process. • When incoming freshmen cannot write at the collegiate level, they are placed in remedial writing courses. • All college majors require loads of writing. No one is exempt!

11. Reason 8: Writing prepares you for the world of work • When you enter the work force, you will be competing for jobs with people from all over the world, because technology has leveled the playing field. • When asked which skills were most important in a job applicant, the overwhelming response was reading, writing and communication skills.

12. Glue it into your journal, making sure you have a title at the top of the page.