GED Writer Worries

Many GED prep students are surprised to learn that the GED writing test has two parts: an essay and a multiple choice section on grammar, punctuation, organization, and spelling. The GED writing test is not an easy test, and I am certain that many high school graduates could not pass it.

GED prep students worry about taking this test and make such comments as:

 "I don't know how to write an essay."
 "I never paid attention in English class."
 "I can't spell."
 "I don't have anything to write about."
 "My teacher did not teach me how to write an essay."
 "I failed English class because the teacher didn't like me."
 "I failed English class because the teacher didn't teach me anything."
 "I failed English class because I was always causing trouble, so they kicked me out."
   
Some students write reasonable essays on their first try. With minor revising and editing, their essays would get passing grades--not exceptional grades--but passing grades. Another group has basic writing skills, and with coaching and practice, these students can learn to write passing essays.  Other students fail miserably on their first attempts. They do not have a clue as to how to begin, carry through, and finish their essays. Some write a lot-but say nothing. Some write so little that an assessment of their skills is virtuallly impossible. Students in this group need a lot of coaching and practice...and encouragement.

Likewise, the subtest on grammar, organization, spelling, and punctuation causes trouble for some students, but not others. Parallel structure, commas in a series, subject-verb agreement, and paragraph organization seem to cause the largest stumbling blocks, but even basic spelling (there-their-they're), capitalization, and basic punctuation trip them up.

Some students have an intuitive sense of grammar--perhaps from extensive reading or from English class instruction. Even so, these students feel they are guessing on the grammar subtest. Twenty-four-year-old Cathy was so upset when she thought she had failed the practice test, that she wanted to quit the GED program--yet when we checked her practice test, she had done fairly well. In her case, we only had to show her what she already knew. By connecting the grammatical terms to the test examples and her answers, she gained confidence in responding to questions. She learned why her intuition was correct--and that she could rely on it during the final test. This single strategy boosted her confidence, and when she took the final test at the GED center, she passed with an excellent score.

We need different approaches for these two groups of students--and individuals within these groups. The essay group needs a simple structure that helps them organize their thinking--and please note that graphic organizers do not always help struggling writers. They also need practice responding to all kinds of prompts.

The grammar group needs a thorough review of basic principles of grammar--including most parts of speech; subject, predicates, objects; verb tenses; parallel structure; and paragraph organization. GED prep students can learn these terms!

Of course, both groups need practice in both areas. As we work through practice essays and practice tests, we review basic principles, and students begin to see error patterns. Once they see the patterns on the test, they feel more at ease.

Upcoming blogs: How much grammar do we need to teach?
                          One-Two-Three Essay Structure