Looking writing tutor. Go with IEW or Kumon? Kumon is a chain. IEW looks associated with Osbourne books.

SeriousParent Wrote:
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> Looking writing tutor. Go with IEW or Kumon?
> Kumon is a chain. IEW looks associated with
> Osbourne books.

The company means very little, take a close look at the tutor. There's a new place in Falls Church called C2 or something like that opened up just downstairs from Kumon, don't know anything about them.

^^^ Thanks for the information, simple yet helpful. Kumon is better for TJ prep. IEW owner is not with Osbourne. She sold Osbourne books. Kumon is licensed to operate in Fairfax and Virginia. No record for IEW in Fairfax, Loudoun where they are based, or Virginia.

If you need a writing tutor, one isn't likely to help. The first thing to do in learning how to write well is simply to spend time reading the works of authors whose writing you admire. Read them aloud in your head -- as if the words on the page were a speech you were giving. Insert emphasis and pauses as you would if you were speaking. The second thing to do is to read everything you come across -- from great works to ad copy -- with an ear to how and why the author chose to construct his piece and array his words the way he did. Most writers work from a "voice" that they have discovered and feel comfortable with. Great writers are able to work work from many voices. Be open to the quiet development of a voice of your own. If you just absolutely must take some sort of course or other, take a course in poetry. Great writing is that which can accomplish in prose the intentions and objectives of verse.

Pen to paper Wrote:
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> If you need a writing tutor, one isn't likely to
> help. The first thing to do in learning how to
> write well is simply to spend time reading the
> works of authors whose writing you admire. Read
> them aloud in your head -- as if the words on the
> page were a speech you were giving. Insert
> emphasis and pauses as you would if you were
> speaking. The second thing to do is to read
> everything you come across -- from great works to
> ad copy -- with an ear to how and why the author
> chose to construct his piece and array his words
> the way he did. Most writers work from a "voice"
> that they have discovered and feel comfortable
> with. Great writers are able to work work from
> many voices. Be open to the quiet development of
> a voice of your own. If you just absolutely must
> take some sort of course or other, take a course
> in poetry. Great writing is that which can
> accomplish in prose the intentions and objectives
> of verse.

You obviously never read detective stories--or perhaps just don't read attentively. I drew the conclusion that "Serious Parent" isn't a native English speaker, nor is his/her child, yet s/he hopes to gain proficiency in order to get into TJ HS, which draws a large foreign-born Asian student population.

There is no mystery to resolve in the fact that proper writing will not be learned through a tutor. Certainly, there are tutorial services out there that encourage the mystical belief that some months of throwing money at perceived writing problems will bring about transformational change and allow one to gain a coveted admission to TJHSST, but that's not how it works. Simply put, if you need a writing tutor, one isn't likely to help.

You think IEW will not help or no company for that matter will help with TJ? The webpage www.iewwritingteacher.com has lots of information. Does anyone here have experience with that company or Kumon forthat matter?