The final school bell still rings in the ears of many students as they begin their summer journey into camps and other extracurricular activities (and maybe even a little vegging on the couch). But for parents who want to make the most of the summer months, enrichment programs to help sharpen writing and study skills can mean the difference between a strong start this coming fall, or a struggle in the next school year.

Why Are Writing Skills So Important?

Solid writing skills are critical to a student’s success, both in the classroom and out. Students who can effectively articulate their thoughts in written format, use grade appropriate vocabulary, and write thoughtful, engaging content excel not only in courses like English, History, and Social Studies, but also on state standardized tests and college entrance exams like the ACT and SAT. But unfortunately, good writing mechanics often go untaught in the traditional classroom. While teachers recognize their importance, the rigors of the curriculum and distractions of the classroom leave little time to work with students on writing skills for writing’s sake. According to Club Z! CEO and Founder, Mark Lucas, that’s why Club Z! developed its proprietary writing program, Power of Words:

“We really felt the need to develop a program specifically designed to help students improve their writing skills,” offered Lucas, “Writing is a critical skill students need to develop in order to excel in the classroom. And with colleges becoming more and more selective each year, the application process has become incredibly competitive. Students who can demonstrate effective writing skills on their SAT or ACT, and on their college application essay, have a significant edge over students who cannot. And summer is a perfect time to sharpen writing skills because students don’t have the distractions or demands that the traditional school year brings.”

The Power of Words writing improvement program is designed to help students in grades 5 through 12 improve and master writing skills for a lifetime! This highly effective writing program teaches students everything from writing well thought out paragraphs and journal entries, to mastering writing for timed essays, and even best writing practices to perform well on standardized tests such as the ACT, SAT, PSAT or ISEE/SSAT. The Power of Words writing program also has an entire section dedicated to writing the dreaded research paper – including strategies for topic selection, effective outline creation, drafting, and revising. Through this innovative program, students gain better writing mechanics, correct problems with grammar, punctuation and sentence structure, and learn to write successfully.

Why is the Power of Words Program so Effective?

The Power of Words writing program is effective because it helps students accomplish a number of important things, such as:

• Improving writing skills and confidence
• Gaining better writing mechanics
• Enhancing style and flow for your writing
• Learning how to write effective narratives, poems, essays & even research papers!
• Preparing for SAT, ACT & college application essay writing too!

The Power of Words program is designed for students in grades 5 through 12. This 6 week intensive summer program introduces and explains strategies for efficient, effective writing skills. The book and workbook are filled with useful diagrams and illustrations, and a variety of engaging articles and topics of varying difficulty that students can use to practice their emerging writing skills. When the book introduces a new strategy, there is a “flag” to the corresponding workbook exercises that allow the student to apply their newly developed skills. The homework exercises have a real world application that students respond very well to, and involve hands on activities to help drive home important concepts from the book.

Want to learn more? Check out the chapter summaries below and call your local office to ask about tutor availability. This is one of our most popular summer courses so tutor schedules fill up fast! Call 866-44-TUTOR today to reach your local office.

• Chapter 1: Clever Words – Teaches students how to use words in clever, compelling, and powerful ways. Perfect for students working on writing paragraphs, journal entries, and/or short poems.
• Chapter 2: Timed Essays – Teaches acronyms in order to better understand the essay questions, how to brainstorm examples, use your time efficiently and to write with style. Perfect for students working on five paragraph essays and/or standardized tests.
• Chapter 3: Research Papers – Helps explain the WHOLE process from choosing a topic to printing a final draft. Perfect for students with an upcoming research paper due!

For more information about The Power of Words writing improvement program, or other summertime enrichment activities for your son/daughter, call Club Z! at 866-442-CLUB (2582) and speak with one of our specialists today.