If you read my daily posts, which are usually written on-the-fly, you may not find compelling reasons to heed my advice on how to teach writing. For me, producing quality work requires a laborious, drawn-out process of multiple drafts...there is nothing "natural" in it...and, of course, my blog isn't serious enough for me to expend that degree of time and effort on a daily basis.
I suppose though, that at the very least, my posts "On Rhetoric" ought to be well-written, yet my most recent was a miserable example! I'll try to do better this time.
Here's a quick re-cap from posts I-II: Good writing must engage both the intellect and the imagination, so skills in both areas must be developed. I lump these skills into two broad categories: Structure and Style. In a nutshell, Structure includes logical thinking, organization of ideas, clarity of argument or plot, and proper grammar. Style refers to choosing the perfect word, forming a variety of well-framed, easy-flowing sentences, and creating vivid images in the mind.
The goal of the early years (infancy to 10 years or so), is "copia." The term "copia" means "abundance" and was used by Erasmus to refer to an abundance of expressions, or "many ways to say the same thing." One chapter in his book, Copia: Foundations of the Abundant Style, is entirely devoted to this practice. He offers no fewer than 195 ways to say, "Your letter pleased me greatly." Here is his rationale for the importance of developing this skill:
"If...we find ourselves destitute of verbal riches, or keep singing out the same old phrase like a cuckoo, and are unable to clothe our thought in other colors and forms, we shall look ridiculous...and we shall bore our wretched audience to the death."
READING and BEING READ TO is the primary means by which this "copia" can be achieved at an early age. And guess what? READING and BEING READ TO lay a firm foundation for understanding the structure of good rhetoric as well. Exposure to words in context, parental re-wording of complicated phrases, finely-crafted plots, compelling descriptions which feed the imagination...all of these prepare a child for his formal instruction in composition.
To be continued...
I suppose though, that at the very least, my posts "On Rhetoric" ought to be well-written, yet my most recent was a miserable example! I'll try to do better this time.
Here's a quick re-cap from posts I-II: Good writing must engage both the intellect and the imagination, so skills in both areas must be developed. I lump these skills into two broad categories: Structure and Style. In a nutshell, Structure includes logical thinking, organization of ideas, clarity of argument or plot, and proper grammar. Style refers to choosing the perfect word, forming a variety of well-framed, easy-flowing sentences, and creating vivid images in the mind.
The goal of the early years (infancy to 10 years or so), is "copia." The term "copia" means "abundance" and was used by Erasmus to refer to an abundance of expressions, or "many ways to say the same thing." One chapter in his book, Copia: Foundations of the Abundant Style, is entirely devoted to this practice. He offers no fewer than 195 ways to say, "Your letter pleased me greatly." Here is his rationale for the importance of developing this skill:
"If...we find ourselves destitute of verbal riches, or keep singing out the same old phrase like a cuckoo, and are unable to clothe our thought in other colors and forms, we shall look ridiculous...and we shall bore our wretched audience to the death."
READING and BEING READ TO is the primary means by which this "copia" can be achieved at an early age. And guess what? READING and BEING READ TO lay a firm foundation for understanding the structure of good rhetoric as well. Exposure to words in context, parental re-wording of complicated phrases, finely-crafted plots, compelling descriptions which feed the imagination...all of these prepare a child for his formal instruction in composition.
To be continued...
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