FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS / TROUBLESHOOTING
Find quick answers to your questions below...
1. What is The Five Finger Paragraph©?
The Five Finger Paragraph© is a brain-based learning method for writing paragraphs and five paragraph essays. It is the CONCRETE attention-getter needed to grab a student's imagination long enough to pass along a few ABSTRACT basic rules, supplementing Public/Private or Homeschool whole language or traditional Language Arts worksheet instruction. The Tactile use of the hand utilizes several of the Multiple Intelligences disciplines, especially Kinesthetics, Linguistics, and Math/Spatial.
Student (and Teacher or Parent) versions are available for every level of student. All editions are suitable for basic Adult Education classes (GED). In addition to the texts are various educational learning aids, called Ancillary Materials, that augment the learning process.
2. For what ages does The Five Finger Paragraph© apply?
For all students, ages 5-18 and college. The Five Finger Paragraph© Products/Services are available for two different audiences: Public/Private School students or HomeSchool/HomeStudy students. The Public/Private School materials are divided into 4 different grade groupings (Grades 7-12, Upper Elementary, Middle Elementary, and
Primary Elementary). The products in the HomeSchool/HomeStudy curriculum category cover all grades in K-12 and is appropriate for students who are either taught at home or helped with their homework at home by parents.
3. What are Ancillary Materials?
Ancillary Materials are supplemental materials designed to augment the written instructions for use of The Five Finger Paragraph© method. Hardcopy versions of the Ancillary Materials are laminated (but not in the ebook versions).
WallCharts/Transparencies include:
* The Five Finger Paragraph© Writing Format.
* The Five Finger Essay© Writing Format.
* The Five Finger Paragraph© Checklist.
* The Five Finger Essay© Checklist.
* The Five Finger Hand.
With the use of dry-erase or Vis-à-vis markers, the laminated charts/transparencies can be used over and again. They’re reusable rather than consumable! Writing Format Charts, with color-coded lines that
reinforce the principles taught in The Five Finger Paragraph© books, allow students to practice writing paragraphs and essays over and over again. Checklists allow students to self-grade their own paragraphs and essays. The Five Finger Hand provides a visual reinforcement of the principles taught in the books.
Bonuses:
- Bookmarker
- Quick Guide™ cards*
*QUICK GUIDE™ cards are laminated double-sided business card-sized help guides that students carry with them and use as a rapid reference to the principles of The Five Finger Paragraph© Methods.
Ancillary Materials were developed because I was always having to draw colored lines on a piece of paper or an overhead projector in order for students to draw the connection between the colored paragraphs in the books and what they need to write on the paper. SO. I created colored lines on laminated paper or transparency film for use by those who buy the materials without me demonstrating the method. All you have to see is the light in a student's eyes when he/she draws the connection between the printed words on the page and what needs to be written on the piece of paper on the desk. Then you'll understand how important the Ancillary Materials are. They actually "draw the lines" between what's written and what needs to be written.
If you buy ebooks, you
can laminate the charts with the colored lines or print the appropriate pages on transparency film. Clear shelf paper (the adhesive kind) makes a good lamination substitute.
4. What are the differences in the types of "kits" (HomeSchool/HomeStudy or Public/Private School) that are available?
Homeschool/HomeStudy OR Classroom Kit: For those who require more assistance with instructing, assisting and guiding students in assimilating and using The Five Finger Paragraph© methods. Includes one set of Ancillary Materials above (Ancillary Materials Kit below is available if you need additional copies of the Ancillary Materials). Classroom Kits include Transparencies of the WallChart; HomeSchool Kits do not. Prices quoted do not usually include shipping/handling or taxes (where required).
Premium Package: Order 50 or more Kits for your group or school and I'll be glad to travel to your area (within continental U.S.) to demonstrate The Five Finger Paragraph© to your group. Call me to arrange this option. These expenses will be announced up front, but will be invoiced separately. Get several groups to order all the kits simultaneously to one location and SAVE (a
lot!) on shipping/handling costs! Each kit includes one set of all Ancillary Materials above (Ancillary Materials Kit is available if you would like additional copies of the Ancillary Materials). Prices quoted do not usually include shipping/handling or taxes (where required).
5. What is an ebook and what good is it?
An
eBook is a digital product (that you download from a site on the internet to your computer) and it stands for "electronic book." Ebooks are a much cheaper way to read than buying "hard copy" books (save trees, too, 'cause there are no shipping boxes used either!). And I don't mean "hardback" books. Even paperback books are called "hard copy" in the computer world because they are printed, on paper. Ebooks don't exist in hardcopy form anywhere, just in "soft copy" form on your hard drive. "Soft copy" or "ebook" means that it only exists on the internet and your computer. You pay for your product and you get it a little later, just as you do by buying "hard copies" of books on the internet. But with an ebook, you:
1. Pay for the product.
2. Receive an email (almost immediately after your payment has been processed) containing downloading instructions and/or password information. In short, your "downloading" instructions for most digital products
will be for you to "click on the link," which will open a file on somebody's computer or server somewhere in cyber space. This open file is the one that you will either print or save to your hard drive. Usually both.
3. By buying ebooks, you've saved a chunk of change because you are (a)using your own printer to print it out, and (b)saving shipping time and costs (most stores on the internet make you pay for your own postage). So you get your book today instead of having to wait a week or more to read it.
So, ebooks are cheaper than hard copy books and you can get to read them today instead of 1-6 weeks down the road when you would receive it by mail or later today after you've driven to the bookstore to buy it. Does that make ebooks worth buying? Sounds like a no brainer to me, but you decide!
6. How can I get a printed sample of one of the books?
Sorry, but since the samples are free to you, I can no longer afford the costs of printing and postage for the hundreds of free samples that have been requested (at my expense). But all digital product samples (ebooks) are free and downloadable from this site. Just click on the "Free Samples" link and you'll see how easy it is to get your own "free sample."
7.
Why is there only one student book in the HomeSchool/HomeStudy Kit? Other publishers will sell me all the copies I want. I homeschool my
three children and I want to teach them The Five Finger Paragraph© method, but I can't do that with only one book.
I
only include one Student Edition in the HomeSchool/HomeStudy Kit, appropriate for students in grades K-12, because I don't like wasting parents' money. Now, if you really want to give me your money, HAVE AT IT!! I'd love a Caribbean vacation! But, seriously, having more books isn't really necessary.
Most publishers of Homeschooling materials sell only to homeschoolers and therefore want to make as much as they can off each person. My products are appropriate for homeschool and classroom settings, so as you can see, I'm not most publishers. The HomeSchool/HomeStudy books are designed for just that -- parents' teaching and/or helping their students study at home. Usually, with just one child at the time. In a homeschool setting or support group setting, where numerous students are studying at the same time, it would easily be necessary for each child to have his/her own copy, or at least have two children on a book. But in most homeschool families, for example, you could teach English to the third grader at 9:00, to the fifth grader at 10:30 and to the ninth grader at 1:00, all from the same book. No need for a separate
book. Birth order comes into play here, too. Most first and third children get along and could study from the same book at the same time, but the middle child would rarely want to study with the eldest or youngest. If you really would have problems in this area, by all means, buy another copy (they're cheaper if you buy extra copies
simultaneously with the Kit). If not, use just one book for all of the students in your household.
And if you really want to save money, download your own copies (ebooks) immediately. Saves mucho moolah and time!
8. My granddaughter has to take the SAT next month. If I buy it for her, will The Five Finger Essay© really help her?
I can FEEL for her!! Since writing an essay was not a requirement when I took the SAT exam, I can only fall back on my experiences of writing essays during assignments and tests in high school and college. But I do remember that burning in the pit of my stomach when the professor would stand up at the front of the room and say "OK, get out some paper and a blue ink pen. Today's essay will be written about one of these two topics on the board." It wasn't the topics that bothered me; it was that word -- ESSAY! It must have been a Greek word or Lithuanian -- or even Martian! I just couldn't quit cringing when I heard that word. I would sweat and swear and sweat and cringe and wring my hands. It
always took at least ten minutes to get up the guts to even pick up that pen. And if you've ever met or heard me speak, you know from experience that I'm no shrinking violet!! I just couldn't get rid of that fear of failing -- all because of the word ESSAY. Because no one had ever, when I was listening (HA!), explained to me what that word meant. What I mean is that I wasn't afraid of writing or expressing myself, but I was afraid 'cause I didn't know where to begin, didn't know how to start.
The day the light bulb came on in my head, at 1000 watts, was the epiphany that I needed. After that, in the beginning, I still took baby steps in writing in my newly "created" method of organizing an essay. But as I gained confidence that I knew the "procedure," I could start focusing on what to put in the essay as I wrote and organized it during the testing period.
In answer to your question, YES, I do feel, without being immodest, that The Five Finger Essay© will help your granddaughter. If for no other reason than to calm her fears of "how to start" so that she can focus on "what to say" during the test. Relieving one of the fears there is half of her battle.
9. When will there be a new The Writing Police book out?
I had two new The Writing Police books on the drawing board (literally!) when our house was struck by lightning for the fourth time and burned down on 6/29/07. All first edition copies of The Writing Police books were destroyed. Second editions are now ready of The Writing Police and the Case of the Missing Commas and The Writing Police and The Point of the Perplexing Periods. The Writing Police Makes an Exciting Point! will now be moved to Spring 2010 and The Writing Police ..... (no name yet!) will be out by Fall 2010. Watch for the announcements. And thanks for your interest!
10. Can you come to my son's school and teach this method?
I love field trips! I'll be glad to come to your public or private school or homeschool support group. Click here to get all the details for travel.
11. What is Professional Editing?
I have been editing college essays for students for years, but have never advertised that service. Just word of mouth brings me that business. I still will not write your essay for you (buy yourself a copy of The Five Finger Paragraph© in ebook format to learn how to write the essay or term paper) , but I will be glad to edit it for you, at $10 per page. I say $10 because it usually takes so long to correct all of the errors. If there are less errors that need correcting, I'll charge you less. Call or email me
with your "challenge." I'll ask you to email me the essay as you have written it, after you've "bought" the service. We'll go from there. If there's not much work required, I'll refund part of your fee back to your credit card. Fair enough? Bring on your best writing!!
12. How do I become an Affiliate of The Five Finger Paragraph©?
Affiliates of The Five Finger Paragraph© get paid up to 30% commission on every purchase referred by them to this website. Want to see how you can (1)help students around the world learn to write paragraphs and essays more effectively while you (2)make money off their purchase? Check back soon to learn more about becoming an Affiliate!
13. Why can't I just get an essay from one of those "Buy an essay for $10" sites and use that to teach students how to write essay?
Free pre-written essays (available at some other sites) sound like a great idea, but they really won't help the students. Pre-written essays only show you that someone else
can write a good essay. It doesn't show YOU or a student how to write a good essay. A "bought" essay shows you the end results, not the path a writer needs to take to get the essay written. My products contain instructions for teaching children (and adults!) to write paragraphs and essays without the battles. Free downloadable samples are available here. Remember, these are instructions that will help your student learn valuable lessons in
writing that he/she will use for the rest of his/her life. The products will be worth your investment!
14. Why am I getting a blank screen when I try to download a sample?
There are several possibilities for the answer to this question.
1. You are opening the file in an environment format or program that is not compatible with your file. In other words, whatever format the file was created in (.doc, .xls, .pdf, .pps, etc.), that's the type program you will need in order to open the file successfully. Opening a file in the wrong program format will give you errors, a lot of little squares or mumbledy pegs or blank screens. Helpful links are:
a. If it was created in Adobe Acrobat or some other .pdf format creator, you must open it in Adobe Reader or another .pdf reader format. If you don't have Adobe Acrobat on your computer, here's a link to a free copy of Acrobat Reader.
b. If the document is a Word document (.doc will be the extension on the name of the file), you need to open it in Word. If you don't have Microsoft Word on your computer, here's a link to a free copy of Microsoft's Reader.
c. If it was created in Excel, you must open it in Excel (.xls will be the extension on the name of the file; sorry, couldn't find any free readers).
d. If it was created in PowerPoint, you must open it in PowerPoint
(.pps will be the extension on the name of the file). If you don't have Microsoft PowerPoint on your computer, here's a link to a free copy of Microsoft's Viewer for seeing PowerPoint files.
2. Your ISP (Internet Service Provider, i.e., Comcast, Earthlink, etc.) or your email configuration with that ISP doesn't support downloading attachments. Go to your ISP's helpdesk to see about help.
3. Your firewall doesn't support downloading attachments. There are several places to look -- Windows may have a firewall on your OS (Operating System, i.e., Windows XP, ME, etc.) that you can "turn off"
temporarily.
4. If you have a security package installed on your computer (Norton Security, McAfee, etc.) that is preventing the downloading of attachments, you can turn it off temporarily until you have downloaded your file, then turn it back on.
15. Where can I find printing instructions for The Five Finger Paragraph© or The Five Finger Essay© products?
Printing instructions for all of The Five Finger Paragraph© or The Five Finger Essay© ebook products are included in every file or sample file.
Contact:
The Five Finger Paragraph©
1860 Sandy Plains Rd.
Suite 204 - 150
Marietta, GA 30066
770-977-4185
info@thefivefingerparagraph.com
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