lost tools of writing comparison essay outline

Lost Tools of Writing Review

With its straightforward and detailed teaching resources, helpful tools and charts, incremental approach to writing, and a strong foundation in classical education, Lost Tools of Writing can be an excellent resource for homeschools that can provide students with a reliable framework for producing high quality, persuasive and logical writing.

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What Are The Lost Tools Of Writing?

Created by Andrew Kern and Leah Lutz, the Lost Tools of Writing is a classically-inspired homeschool writing curriculum aimed at students in middle and high school.

The program aims to teach students to create logical arguments and to write more clearly and effectively, doing so through a combination of video instruction, incremental lessons, guided discussions, an assortment of worksheets and tools and, of course, an assortment of writing exercises. 

What Ages Or Grades Is Lost Tools Of Writing Intended For?

For the most part, Lost Tools of Writing is roughly aimed at students in grades 7-12, or roughly those 12 and up. 

This is due to the fact that Lost Tools of Writing is not an introductory course in Language Arts but is instead specifically designed to help students hone more advanced composition skills.

The curriculum essentially starts off with basic persuasive essay writing and slowly progresses from there, working on skills and topics such as structure and organization, identifying and constructing effective arguments, compound sentences, and the effective deployment of tropes and tools such as parallelisms, personification, similes, and so on.

As such, the program presupposes that its students already have a firm understanding of the fundamentals of grammar and mechanics, such as verb tenses, sentence and paragraph structure, the eighth parts of speech (nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, interjections) and so on. 

It also assumes that a student has some ability in reading, comprehension and forming simple arguments.

With all that said, The Lost Tools of Writing is really a skill-based program, rather than a grade- or age-linked curriculum. 

The program is divided into three levels, and while Level 1 requires that students are somewhat firm on the fundamental skills mentioned above, Levels 2 and 3 really only require students to have completed the previous levels. 

Consequently, Lost Tools of Writing can feasibly be started and used by homeschooling students outside of its intended age range, be they precocious and skilled ELA learners in upper elementary or high-schoolers who need a bit of remedial help, so long as they are firm on essential grammar and sentence structure. 

What’s Required To Teach The Lost Tools Of Writing?

The Lost Tools of Writing is a pretty comprehensive program, and each of its three levels include a teaching guide, student book, online videos and even online classes that parents can sign their students up for.

Teacher’s Guide

The teacher’s guide for Lost Tools of Writing is a spiral bound, ~350-400 page black and white softcover book that contains most of what’s needed to teach the program’s lessons. 

The guides contain key information that parents will need, such as an introduction and explanation of the program’s methodology and approach, definitions and explanations of key concepts, assessments, charts, summaries and more. 

They also contain lesson plans and outlines, which lay out the explanations for each writing tool or aid (such as the ANI charts), offer a variety of helpful teaching tips, contain step-by-step instructions for carrying out a lesson, instructions for reviewing and helping students practice certain skills and, of course, the essay topics themselves.

Fior the most part, Lost Tools of Writing teacher’s guides are pretty easy to use and moderately scripted. 

They generally provide a good deal of detailed, clear, sequential and easy to follow lesson instructions, particularly when it comes to explaining the various tools and processes that students will be expected to use, which is always very helpful. 

That said, although the guides provide a good number of specific examples, they don’t always provide explicit word-for-word dialogues for parents to simply read aloud, often relying on a parent’s ability to naturally interact and dialogue with their student. 

While this does make the program easier to adapt to different teaching styles and student preferences, something that more experienced homeschoolers and those who are secure in their ability to teach Language Arts will appreciate, it does mean that those new to homeschooling may need to take a little more time to think about how best to specifically introduce and discuss topics before a lesson.  

In terms of their overall look and feel, the teacher’s guides are quite focused on teaching writing.

As a result, the guides are mainly textual and don’t conclude any color or illustrations  beyond the many charts and diagrams used during lessons.

On the one hand, this means that they aren’t the most fascinating to look at for extended periods, but on the other they are very informative, focused and distraction-free.  

Interestingly, Lost Tools of Writing also offers a Handbook of Types to go along with its Level 1 Parent’s guide. 

Using various classic texts (Cinderella, the Wind in the Willows, Julius Cesar), the book provides a variety of examples of the content taught in the course for all stages of the classical rhetoric writing approach, with several examples of filled out worksheets for invention, arrangement, elocution, including the use of ANI charts, proper outlining and even essays.  

Having filled out examples can help parents better understand the Lost Tools process a little better and gives parents a ready example of what the end result of each lesson should look like, which is always helpful if they and their students suddenly draw a blank.  

Student Workbook

The student workbooks are where students will spend most of their time when working on their writing. 

They are somewhat similar in style to the parent’s guide, being consumable spiral-bound softcover books. 

They contain the various charts and tools that can help students organize their writing, various exercises, guiding questions to help students construct and fill out their essays, sample outlines, examples.

At times there are even focused exercises for the writing skills and concepts they are introduced to during lessons, which can act as good practice to build skill fluency.

 At times, the student workbooks also provide quick examples, tips and explanations of concepts and tools that can help guide them and refresh their memories, such as a half page or so on how to build stronger sentences through the use of precise verbs, which is always helpful. 

It should be noted, however, that Lost Tools of Writing isn’t a self-study program and the student workbooks really need to be used alongside the teaching guide and other resources, which provide the required level of conceptual instruction, guided practice and detail. 

Overall, the workbooks are laid out quite sequentially, are fairly straightforward and, by and large, students are pretty unlikely to get lost when they go off and work on their assignments on their own.  

Like the teacher’s guides the student workbooks are mainly text-based.

With no real color or illustration, they aren’t intrinsically the most interesting for students to look at.

This is perhaps less of a concern for middle and high school students than it might be for younger elementary school students, but it is something that parents should note.

That said, the lack of pictures and drawings really keeps the workbooks focused on the learning itself and can be a lot less distracting on the whole compared to some other program materials, which is something that certain students can really benefit from. 

Lost Tools of Writing Videos

The Lost Tools of Writing also offers homeschooling families a series of streaming instructional videos to be used alongside the teacher’s guides. 

The videos are hosted by the creators of the program (Andrew Kern and Leah Lutz) who go through the program’s particular methodology and techniques, as well as explaining and demonstrating the various topics and tools the program touches on or uses, as can be seen in the video example below.

These videos are intended to complement Lost Tools of Writing’s teacher’s guides, providing parents with helpful ELA instruction and tips and generally guiding them through the program’s process as it relates to teaching. 

This makes them particularly useful for parents who are unfamiliar with a classical approach to writing instruction, as well as those who are themselves a bit rusty on their upper-level ELA and writing skills. 

By and large, the videos are very professionally presented. 

Kern and Lutz do a good job at explaining concepts in a clear and straightforward way, often using a whiteboard to help organize and visualize the concepts they touch on and even pausing to give parents an opportunity to think or try things for themselves, which is always appreciated. 

For the most part, the program’s videos correspond to the lessons included in each level, with the exception of a few instances where skills are presented over several videos or are combined into one topic, which means that they are very easy to weave into a week’s teaching plan. 

In fact, we feel that the videos can even be used as a resource by older high school students as well should they need a more in-depth review about a point or need some clarification regarding a particular approach or tool’s use. 

It should be noted that, although they keep things concise and to the point, the videos are pretty simple and don’t really have a lot of in the way of effects or excitement – they are pretty focused on teaching writing..

The videos are, however, fairly short and easy to watch, being only around 7-20 minutes long, which means that they aren’t that hard to sit through or difficult to pencil into even a busy parenting schedule, which is always nice. 

Online Classes

Interestingly, the company behind Lost Tools of Writing, the Circe Institute, also runs live online classes for the program. 

The classes are full, mastery-style courses that cover the different levels of Lost Tools of Writing, as well as a number of other specialty subjects, such as Latin, Philosophy, History and so on. 

These classes are done online through a combination of Zoom, email and the Canvas Course Management System, being taught live at particular times of the day (daytime Easter Standard Time hours) in a small class setting with a maximum of 14 students.

Each course is led by experienced teachers, who conduct their lessons through a Socratic question and answer style back and forth dialogue and mimetic teaching. 

Students then submit their work and assignments through email, which are personally graded by the course teacher.

Parents receive a final assessment at the end of the course, which can then be used for credit on a student transcript.

While we weren’t able to try the online courses ourselves, we do see how they can be beneficial, particularly for busier parents who don’t have the time to teach Lost Tools themselves, students who do well in a more structured and formal learning environment and those who simply enjoy interacting and brainstorming with other students. 

Parents should note that many of Lost Tools of Writing courses make use of specific titles in classic literature (such as the Hobbit, the Lord of the Rings, Dostoyevski, various short story and poetry compilations and so on).

These are often used as examples for writing and literary discussions, which is always nice to see, but does mean that parents will have to source additional materials. 

It should also be noted that the online courses aren’t the cheapest we’ve seen, with a full year’s course running around $647, a 15 week semester costing around $322 and 8 week intensives running between $322 and $500, in addition to a $75 registration fee. 

The Lost Tools of Writing Approach To Teaching Writing

Classically inspired.

Lost Tools of Writing is a writing program that is rooted in the principles of classical education and rhetoric.

The program breaks writing down into an orderly process and largely centers around three Canons of Rhetoric, which it identifies as a potential solution to common issues students face when writing. 

These canons are:

• Invention , i.e. where students gather their thoughts and figure out what to write about 
• Arrangement , i.e. how to organize, research,outline and structure writing in a logical way
• Elocution , i.e. how to express these ideas in the most persuasive and logical way possible

These canons of writing largely form the core of the program’s lesson progression, with students moving working on each canon sequentially to produce a written work. 

(It should be noted that there are actually 5 Canons of Rhetoric in a Classical Educational model, but the final two (Memoria and Delivery) are centered on conveying and presenting written work orally. 

Keeping things centered on the first three canons, however, does make sense for a writing program such as Lost Tools.)

Lost Tools of Writing’s written exercises, too, are heavily inspired by classical rhetoric and, aside from learning how to properly brainstorm, organize, write and even justify persuasive and comparative essays, students are also given the opportunity to try their hand at judicial and deliberative rhetoric through addresses. 

The addition of these addresses in Levels 2 and 3, which are forms of writing aimed at decision makers and which are usually written in the first or second person, sets Lost Tools of Writing apart from most other homeschool writing programs that we’ve seen.

These judicial and deliberative addresses help students learn to analyze an audience, establish and distill facts, analyze a situation, defend their position and can generally help students develop very powerful logical, organizational and critical writing skills that can be applied to just about any academic writing that they may come across. 

Parents should note, however, that this focus on rhetoric may not be for every homeschool and there may not be quite the diversity of writing exercises and styles that might be seen in other programs, such as diaries, free-writing, poetry, short stories and on. 

Structured Writing

The Lost Tools of Writing program teaches its writing skills in a very structured, organized manner. 

As mentioned, in the program writing is taught as a specific process that students follow. 

From ideation through elocution and, ultimately, editing and refinement, students learn to approach written work in a logical, ordered way and are given the tools and knowledge (thesis-development, idea generation, outlining, specific writing skills, etc) that they can fall back on and use for just about any writing assignment they may come across, whether that’s the essays and addresses contained in the program or whether it is ACT/SAT essays or academic writing later in their careers. 

Further, and similar to programs such as IEW , the program provides a number of organizational tools, worksheets and guides that students can use to help learn to structure their thinking and writing process, such as ANI Charts and short guiding worksheets.

In general, teaching a systematic approach to writing can be very effective, as having a particular methodology to follow can help students better deal with writing prompts, preventing them from blanking out or chaotically jotting down their thoughts. 

A structured, step-by-step approach can be particularly useful for reluctant writers and those who tend to see writing as a stressful, mystifying process. 

Sequential and Incremental Lessons

Lost Tools of Writing also teaches through a step-by-step, incremental process.

By and large, the tools, tropes and concepts of rhetoric are broken down and introduced gradually, allowing students to get used to and master them one at a time before building on these skills. 

This incremental approach carries over to the program’s written work, as well, with students first planning, organizing and then ultimately writing work before adding, refining and expanding their abilities in later assignments and during subsequent lessons.

For example, during the process of writing an essay in Level 1, students might first spend a lesson generating a thesis from a piece of literature (the Hobbit or the Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe, for instance, although parents are free to substitute pretty much any titles or really any subject they’d like) and generate an assortment of ideas that afford or negate that thesis. 

The next lesson would have them use an ANI chart to sort and group those ideas in preparation for creating an outline that they would transcribe into their student book. 

Finally, students would learn and then make use of various skills (similes, assonance, alliteration, compound sentences) to expand their outline into a rudimentary essay. 

After creating their first essay, and as lessons go on and students learn more skills, the program would then have them gradually refine their skills and produce higher quality, more complex written work. 

This step by step, incremental approach even continues through the different levels of the program, with the topics and written works of Level 2 (judicial address) building on the skills and tools developed in Level 1 (the persuasive essay), and Level 3 (deliberative address) building on those of Level 2.

In this way, Lost Tools of Writing can make the process of writing more manageable and can get students to grapple and master more complex ideas and writing skills without overloading them quite as much. 

That said, at times the process can sometimes feel a bit slow and too gradual for some students, at least in terms of overall progression, particularly for those who tend to want to jump into writing and express themselves ASAP. 

Parent-led, guided instruction

Although students do spend a fair amount of time working on their writing and filling out worksheets as assignments, Lost Tools of Writing is not itself a self-study program and requires a fair bit of parent-student interaction. 

Lessons in Lost Tools often include a lot of back and forth dialogue and discussion between parent and student, especially when it comes to ideation, introducing new concepts and tools and review. 

For example, there is often a good deal of discussion aimed at drawing out a student’s ideas, often through the use of Socratic-style guided questions, probing a student’s understanding of specific topics and getting them to come to a conclusion in a sort of step-by-step and guided manner. 

Further, during lessons parents are often encouraged to help their student reflect on their ideas, justify their choices or expand on a topic, which can lead to some interesting conversations to say the least. 

Lessons may also, at times, involve modeling, where parents and students select a well-written piece of writing in order to examine their particular structures, themes and even tropes. 

Parents might then be asked to demonstrate how to analyze, recreate or derive certain writing skills or topics from a text before having a student try their hand at it, ultimately helping students grasp abstract concepts through concrete examples. 

The high degree of interaction between parent and student in Lost Tools of Writing can be a great way to encourage reluctant students to open up and engage in the writing process, especially when it draws out and allows them to express their personal thoughts and ideas and gives them the freedom to generate their own thesis.

It can also be quite enjoyable, particularly for parents who got into homeschooling for the greater personal interaction and quality time that it can afford them with their children. 

Further, the Socratic-style back and forth can really yield some fascinating insights into the thoughts, opinions and ideas of a developing child, which can be very cool for parents to see. 

On the downside, it does mean that the program can be somewhat time intensive for parents, as lessons can take time to prepare and go through, particularly if and when students get really into the discussions and want to explore their thoughts more deeply. 

This can be something of an issue for some time-poor households who may instead want to consider the program’s professionally taught online classes.

How It Works

Each level in Lost Tools of Writing is designed to take about a year to complete at a 4 lesson per week pace, containing about 28 weeks worth of instruction, although there is considerable leeway and parents can easily spread the program out across two years should a student need. 

Each course is essentially centered around a cycle of sorts, with 8 essays (or addresses) that somewhat act as units of study. 

Each of these units is split into three or four individual lessons, which carry students through each of the three canons of writing (Invention, Arrangement and Elocution) in a step-by-step manner until their composition has been completed. 

Each individual lesson is designed to take about a week to complete, which means that students end up creating a writing sample over three weeks before repeating the process and creating a new piece of writing that integrates new writing skills and knowledge, thereby incrementally creating more complex and sophisticated compositions. 

To see how this works in practice, we can examine how the lessons might progress to create a persuasive essay. 

The first week’s lesson is centered around the ideation process, with the general goal of helping a student formulate a thesis statement and come up with an assortment of ideas that will relate to it (forming the backbone of the essay’s points). 

Parents would first watch the instructional videos for that lesson where, over a period of some minutes, they get a good introduction to the learning process, tools and methodology that will be used, as well as an overview of some of the key writing skills that students will learn. 

They can then turn to the teacher’s guide, which lays out what to cover and why, the goals and expected outcomes of the lesson, definitions of any terms that students might need to learn and, of course, the specific steps for teaching. 

Lessons would then start off with parents and students having a discussion or Socratic dialogue, with the help of the plan provided in the teacher’s guide and usually a suggested work of literature to serve as a base (the Lion the With and the Wardrobe, for example), to help students come up with a “should” question (e.g. should Aslan have confronted the White Witch), which defines an issue that will be explored in the essay. 

Students will then engage with parents in a back and forth discussion, usually with the help of the Five Common Topics (definition, comparison, circumstance, relationship and authority), to come up with questions and ideas for their work in what is kind of a structured brainstorming session.

It is important to note that students are given freedom in this regard to choose whatever side of an issue they’d like based on the 

Students then use an ANI chart, a tool provided in both the teacher’s guides and student workbooks, to help organize these thoughts a bit more, usually as assigned work.

The ANI chart is essentially a three column chart with the headings A ffirmative, N egative and I nteresting ( ANI ).

Students put ideas or reasons supporting their issue or thesis in the Affirmative column, reasons against in the Negative column and any notable ideas surrounding the issue (that don’t fit into the other columns) into the Interesting column.  

They then bring their completed ANI chart (as well as any other worksheets that the lesson may have assigned) back to the parent, who then corrects any errors and provides further guidance and review if necessary. 

The second week’s lesson, which centers around Arrangement, is intended to help students organize their thoughts and arguments into some kind of structure. 

In the case of a persuasive essay, through dialogue and modeling from text students learn to hone their thoughts and ideas into a general introduction, thesis, enumeration, exposition and conclusion that can then be refined into a formal outline. 

Once secure in these skills, as an assignment, students will generally use worksheets and templates in their to turn the ideas in their ANI chart into a workable outline, which they bring back for assessment.

The final week’s lesson concerns elocution and is where pencil hits paper. 

During the instructional component, students learn various writing techniques, tools and tropes, such as metaphors, alliteration, personification, antithesis, compound sentences and more, which they can then use to flesh out their outline and, with the help of materials in their student workbook, create a rough draft.

Students can then, of course, make use of self-editing techniques, discussions and checklists to further refine their work until they’ve created a final draft. 

As can be seen from the above, Lost Tools Of Writing can be very much an interactive, back and forth process between parents and students.

Parents and students work together to explore and review concepts, learn new skills, draw out and identify ideas, generate a plan of action, learn to use certain charts and so on. 

Students go off and use the worksheets and toolsets in their workbooks to complete a step in the writing process and return for assessment before moving onto the next canon of writing. 

Interestingly, throughout the process parents really act as facilitators as much as instructors, helping to draw out ideas through discussions and generally help students understand (through explanation, modeling and even demonstration) and practice key skills until the student is ready to try things out on their own in their student workbooks. 

Further, the structured and incremental nature of the lessons, although seemingly slow at times, allows students to reliably and repeatedly generate rather impressively organized writing in a couple weeks and is a process that, with some practice, they should be able to eventually do on their own. 

How Easy Is The Program To Teach With?

Initially, and particularly for parents new to the classical education model, Lost Tools Of Writing can require a bit of prep work before lessons, as parents will likely have to spend some time getting familiar with lesson objectives, watching the video lessons, going over the skills and concepts involved and generally being ready to lead discussions.

That said, while it’s perhaps not the most open and go program out there, it is a process that parents can get used to pretty quickly. 

The teacher’s guides and videos lay things out quite clearly and simply, providing enough scripting to make lessons fairly easy to understand and conduct. 

Further, the lessons being centered around the three canons of writing do make things a bit more familiar and easy to go through after a while, even if the specifics of what is being worked on and taught can change from lesson to lesson. 

More than that, both the teacher’s guide and student workbooks provide a wide variety of rather intuitive checklists, charts and worksheets that can be really helpful in helping parents and students successfully ideate, organize, expand and refine the work.

Is The Lost Tools of Writing A Secular Curriculum?

The Lost Tools of Writing does, at times, make references to God and may provide examples from the Bible and/or Scripture and so isn’t a totally secular writing curriculum. 

That said, the focus of the program is really focused on helping students hone their classical writing and thinking skills and the practical aspects of writing, which we feel it does quite well. 

Thus, while perhaps not ideal for strongly secular homeschools, we feel it can be a good resource for most homeschools, especially if they are willing to substitute a few examples here and there to suit their preferences. 

Pros and Cons

Video-based writing instruction.

In addition to its teacher’s guides, Lost Tools Of Writing also offers parents access to short recorded videos that do a great job at explaining the course’s approach. 

The videos outline lessons, demonstrate concepts visually, offer tips for teaching and generally help parents become familiar with the tools and skills being taught or used in each lesson. 

These videos can make understanding and teaching rhetoric to students a lot easier for parents, particularly for those who are less familiar with a classical approach and those who are a bit rusty on their own writing skill. 

Structured, systematic approach to writing

The Lost Tools of Writing teaches writing as a structured process, using a systematic approach and various tools to help students brainstorm, outline their thinking and ultimately create a piece of writing.

This approach can help students learn to approach a prompt in a more organized, step-by-step manner, which can really help students produce logical and well-thought and written essays and compositions . 

It can also help demystify the process of writing and give students a tried and true set of tools to fall back on when faced with a prompt, something that can really benefit reluctant or fearful writers.   

Incremental writing instruction

Over the course of its lessons and levels, Lost Tools of Writing helps students gradually build on the skills they learn and gradually helps them produce increasingly complex writing samples. 

By not flooding students with mechanics, tools and tropes all at once, it can make the process of learning how to write a lot less intimidating and far more approachable for students.

Lots of opportunity for interesting discussions between parent and child

Lost Tools of Writing’s lessons often use a good deal of discussion and Socratic back-and-forth to help students at practically all stages of the learning process.

Whether they are coming up with an issue (or conclusion), working to understand or review certain concepts, or drawing out and organizing ideas from a text, there is a lot of good interaction between parent and student in Lost Of Writing that can help get kids engaged in the process and can give parents significant and valuable insight into their student’s thinking. 

Charts and tools are intuitive, can help students organize ideas a lot easier

From its ANI charts to outline templates and short answer worksheets, Lost Tools of Writing provides students and parents with a lot of high quality tools and charts that they can use to simplify and organize the entire writing process, from ideation to editing.

Teacher’s guides are well thought out, easy to use

Although the concept of classical rhetoric can take some time for certain parents to get used to, Lost Tools of Writing’s teaching guide’s can make the process a lot easier. 

They are well organized, well written and provide enough detail and scripting to make teaching fairly straightforward while still providing parents with enough flexibility to adapt lessons to their needs and students. 

Really gets students engaged with the writing process

Through the use of interactive dialogues and discussions, students are often given significant freedom to generate their own thesis statements, generate their own ideas and points and so on. 

This can make the process more personal and meaningful for them, which in turn can help them become more interested, engaged and even enthusiastic writers. 

May require some prep work from parents

Before conducting lessons, parents may need to review the program’s videos and go through a week’s lessons, familiarizing themselves with the content and skills that will be presented and generally getting a good idea of dialogue flow.

Although not all that difficult or intensive, it does mean that the program isn’t quite open and go.  

Can move a bit slowly and methodically for some students

The incremental introduction of skills and writing tools in the program can be a double-edged sword. 

While it can ensure that students are solid on certain concepts and skills before moving on, and while it doesn’t flood students with information, some may feel that it progresses a bit too slowly at times and may become impatient with the desire to express themselves. 

Who Is Lost Tools Of Writing Ideal For?

Homeschools looking for a writing program that emphasizes structure and organization.

Lost Tools of Writing can be highly effective at getting students to view writing as an organized process. 

It approaches writing using a sequential approach rooted in the canons of writing and spends a good deal of time helping students organize and lay out their thinking (using a wide assortment of tools and charts) before actually starting writing.

Those looking for a program that stresses logical thinking 

While Lost Tools of Writing does help develop and refine a students ability to write, it also can help students learn to analyze an issue, organizing and thinking through their arguments in order to craft logical and persuasive points.

In this way, Lost Tools of Writing can be considered as much a logical thinking program as a writing program.

Fans of classical education and rhetoric

Lost Tools of Writing is firmly based on the tenets of classical rhetoric and therefore can be a natural fit for those who follow a classical educational framework.

Reluctant writers and those intimidated by the writing process

By demystifying the writing process and giving students a step-by-step framework to fall back on, Lost Tools of Writing can be a highly effective program for reluctant writers, those who blank out or stress out when prompted to write and those who are prone to chaotic writing habits. 

Who Is It Not Ideal For?

Homeschools looking for a fast, open and go writing program.

Although ultimately not that hard to teach with, Lost Tools of Writing does require parents to get up to speed before lessons with its videos and teacher’s guides, which means it’s not exactly a program that they can simply pick up and start teaching with on the day of. 

Homeschools who prefer a more free-wheeling approach to writing

Lost Tools of Writing does approach writing as an organized and structured process and may not be an ideal fit for those who prefer students to develop their writing skills more naturally or who prefer to rely on the use of free-writing exercises.

Note: Prices correct as of writing, all prices in USD. 

As mentioned, Lost Tools of Writing does have a few components to it as a writing program. 

It is divided into three levels (with an additional half course for comparison essays), and each level contains videos, workbooks and a teacher’s guide. 

Student Workbook: $39

Teacher’s guide: $79

Video subscription: $45

Complete Set: $147

Video subscription: $27

Student Workbook: $47

Teacher’s guide: $67

Comparison Essays Semester Course 

Teacher/Student Workbook All-In-One – $37

Videos: $27

Complete Set: $47

As always parents should check for the latest price for the course, as well as for any discounts or offers that may be available. 

Is It Worth The Price?

Overall, we feel that Lost Tools of Writing can provide a lot of value to homeschooling families. 

It teaches writing in a very structured and organized manner, ultimately teaching students to create often quite impressive written work through a logical and sequential process.

It also keeps the learning process very manageable and approachable, slowly introducing new skills and allowing students to master them in their writing before introducing new ones and working on more complex pieces.

Further, the program offers parents quite a few teaching resources that they can use to make the process of teaching a lot easier, such as its straightforward, moderately scripted and well laid-out teaching guides and short, but effective, instructional videos. 

At the same time, Lost Tools of Writing does offer a good deal of flexibility that allows students to feel more involved and engaged in the writing and that can allow parents to align the program with their own homeschool philosophies and preferences. 

Bottom Line

With its straightforward and detailed teaching resources, helpful tools and charts, incremental approach to writing, and a strong foundation in classical education, Lost Tools of Writing can be an excellent resource for homeschools that can provide students with a reliable framework for producing high quality, persuasive and logical writing. 

About the Author

Anne Miller is the editor of The Smarter Learning Guide and is a passionate advocate for education and educational technology. A mom of two, she majored in English Language and Literature and worked as a substitute teacher and tutor for several years. When not writing she continues to root for the Yankees and the Giants.

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Training teachers and schools how to teach the classical liberal arts.

Comparing IEW and The Lost Tools of Writing

She asks: “For those of us who gave our students the foundational teachings through IEW, how would The Lost Tools of Writing benefit us differently than that foundation?”

“I would like to thank a local parent for asking this question. I think more people would be interested in this answer so I am posting it here.”

IEW Teaching Writing: Structure and Style does a great job of meeting many of the needs a writer faces. Andrew Pudewa wisely asserts that it is difficult to learn the form/structure & style of writing if one also has to come up with something to say. Particularly if the student is in the grammar or dialectic stages. IEW makes generous provisions for this in its curriculums. IEW is an excellent curriculum and fitting for the grammar and dialectic years. He also lays a great foundation in the habits of mind needed for a student to continue to think about form/structure & style. Upon leaving IEW the student will have a great idea of the standard before them in regards to quality of writing.The biggest difference between IEW and LTW is that IEW meets the needs of the Grammar and Dialectic student and

The Lost Tools of Writing meets the needs of the student of rhetoric. Once you are in about 7th grade, Challenge A if you are in Classical Conversations, the needs begin to change to meet the demands of the God-given desire welling up to communicate the truths apprehended inside the heart of the student. The study of rhetoric, and therefore the Lost Tools of Writing, gives the student the tools to carry out this task. The Lost Tools of writing does this through the study of the first 3 canons of rhetoric. In Invention the student learns the art of coming up with something to say. In Arrangement the student learns the art of arranging various components of research and parts of the essay to fit the reason for his writing. In Elocution the student learn the art of commanding the use of schemes, tropes, and advanced editing techniques to give his writing integrity and a new level of excellence.

For the classical educator and the classical student how one comes with information, how one arranges, and how one edits/dresses up their writing matters just as much, if not more, than turning in a finished essay.This is important for parents who have decided that education is more than just getting through a text-book. This is important for parents who have decided that cultivating in their students the ability to think and reason in accordance with reality is more important than the utilitarian means of modern educational thought. This is important for the parent who wants love to be the rule for the formation of their child’s soul.

Become familiar with The Lost Tools of Writing. This will allow you to engage in the study of rhetoric, which is a joyous occasion on the path of classical education. In addition, for those of you who are in Classical Conversations, the Lost Tools of Writing is the writing curriculum used in Challenge A, with a hopeful look towards the rest of the Challenge years. Attending to a LTW workshop will help you to be equipped to jump in with your students at the beginning of the year. You can find upcoming LTW events -online and in person – here .

Please let me know what other questions you have. It would be my pleasure to attempt an answer, if I can.

Expanding wisdom, extending grace,

Related links:

How to Teach Classically

The Lost Tools of Writing

IEW Teaching Writing: Structure and Style 

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July 22, 2014 at 2:22 pm

Thank you SO much for this! I have been on the fence about which to choose and this was very helpful!

July 22, 2014 at 7:05 pm

My pleasure. Thank you for reading.

January 2, 2015 at 10:53 pm

Thank you for your help and thoughtful explanation. Would this work for a student who did a bit on the mediocre side of IEW? My son understands the principles taught and the foundation given in IEW but executed a bit on the sloppy side. I’m worried that the LTW might be too much of a challenge. Are you still able to adjust the way you can with IEW? Any advice? Thank you again. We plan to start Challenge A in the Fall ; )

January 5, 2015 at 10:41 pm

I think so. LTW is heavy on the thinking side and Challenge A has a good flow set up for incoming LTW students. I would say the biggest tip I can give you is to work with your student on time management. The hardest struggles I see in my classes happen when a student does not plan their time and tries to do it all at the last minute, does not read instructions thoroughly enough, or has a hard time receiving instruction. In addition, there are a slew of support resources available over at http://www.circeinstitute.org/lost-tools-writing/support-and-bonus-materials This is a fun program to teach and learn because you get to discuss big ideas. I have learned so much about what is important to my son as I see what he puts on his ANI chart. It gives me insight on how to pray for him and maybe what virtues to be aware of he especially needs some examples in.

August 8, 2016 at 6:17 am

Thank you so much for your input. I was wondering the same thing, as my son had a modified IEW class (unofficial) taught at a co-op. The instructor didn’t finish all the topics usually covered in the book, so although he got the basics, there were some things like sentence openers that he didn’t learn. He is a reluctant writer and it takes him a very long time to get his thoughts on paper and when he does, it’s just enough to meet the IEW requirements, very no frills. It’s good to know that he should be fine doing LTW going into Challenge A. When you say that one of the hardest thing you see in your class is when students have a hard time receiving instruction, what do you mean?

January 21, 2020 at 12:19 am

My son is going to 7th grade and hates writing. Should I do iew first?

February 8, 2020 at 3:35 pm

That is a great question. I find that narration is the best place to begin. Have you read To Know and Tell by Karen Glass?

February 8, 2020 at 4:00 pm

What about writing and rhetoric compared to LTOW?

February 11, 2020 at 7:11 pm

I have not written a comparison of the two but they do differ in many ways! I will need to do that. Many have asked this same question!

February 10, 2020 at 7:53 pm

What about writing and rhetoric?

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The Lost Tools of Writing

The Lost Tools of Writing: Level One: 5th edition (LTW) teaches a holistic, systematic approach for teaching composition. While often used within classical education settings, LTW can be used by all homeschooling parents with students in middle school and beyond. Students need to have developed basic grammar and writing skills, and they need to be able to think divergently, drawing information from sources and considering it from different perspectives. While younger students might work at a simpler level, the same essential techniques can be used with teens and adults. The goal is to help students learn to write with both creativity and discipline. The vehicle for teaching these skills is the persuasive essay, but skills learned will transfer over to most other types of writing.

The program consists of a 352-page Teacher Guide, a student workbook, and a series of instructional videos for parents and teachers that are accessed through Vimeo. Andrew Kern and Leah Lutz take turns presenting the video lessons, and both are excellent presenters. Videos are relatively short segments that run from about seven to twenty minutes each. Parents and teachers need only watch about one per week as they teach the program, learning techniques as they go.

The course requires interaction and is likely most effective when used in a group class where students can benefit from the ideas of other students. Group classes can meet from one to three times a week, with students working on their own in between classes. LTW can also be used effectively with a parent teaching a single student.

Kern and Lutz use the vocabulary of classical education as they instruct teachers, but they explain the vocabulary as they go so that it is easy to understand. The vocabulary is also included in both the teacher guide and the student workbook.

In the introductory video, Kern presents an overview of this systematic approach as he introduces the “canon of invention” (the tools to help writers come up with something to write), the “canon of arrangement” (tools for arranging and organizing writing), and the “canon of elocution” (tools for expressing and presenting the information well). These canons were developed as a means of addressing the three biggest challenges confronted by struggling writers: what to write about, how to organize ideas, and how to present them in an appropriate fashion.

An incremental program, LTW teaches the tools of each canon one by one so that students gradually acquire the skills needed for excellent writing as they also learn to become better thinkers. They begin writing a very basic Rudimentary Persuasive Essay over a three-week span then continue to add an additional refinement or expansion with each lesson, writing another essay for each three week unit. While it might sound daunting, this can be accomplished by many middle school students because of the step-by-step progression. However, some students might do better waiting to start the course a year or two later. Most sixth graders should take two years to complete the course (completing an essay every six weeks), while most older students should be able to complete the course in one year.

The course consists of an introduction and nine “Essays” which are like units. Each Essay will result in a completed essay, but the course has three lessons within each Essay, one for each canon: invention, arrangement, and elocution. Each lesson should take about one week to complete, so that means that each Essay takes three weeks. For the most part, videos align directly with each week's lesson. However, for Essay Six, it appears that invention and arrangement skills are both combined into a single video presentation as “Essay Six Arrangement: Refutation.” For essays seven through nine, video instruction focuses on particular skills such as alliteration, testimony, and metaphor with three videos for Essay Seven, two for Essay Eight, and one for the last essay.

With a group class, you will likely use a literary work with which all of the students are familiar as source material for your lessons. On the videos, Kern and Lutz use C.S. Lewis's The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe as source material since it is a book with which many people are already familiar. The teacher guide also makes frequent references to this book as well as to the short story, “The Gift of the Magi,” and a few other literary works such as The Iliad and The Hobbit . You might find it easier to begin the course by using The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe if it is familiar to you and your students so that you can use many of the specific teaching strategies and examples used by the presenters. However, you are welcome to choose any literary work with which you and your students are familiar.

In the first Essay, students begin to learn invention by asking questions such as, “Should this person have done whatever it is they did?” Rather than simply answering yes or no, they come up with a number of answers that support both the positive and negative sides of the issue as well as “interesting” observations. LTW teaches this through the use of the ANI chart with its three columns for students to write their thoughts: Affirmative, Negative, and Interesting. The ANI chart will be used for every essay in LTW . The results of the ANI chart can easily be turned into a thesis statement on which to base an essay. Successive lessons help students to gradually expand their skills in each area so that they can write a complex essay by the end of the course.

Parents or teachers first view each video lesson on Vimeo then present that lesson to their students. Of course, going through all of the lessons in advance would be even better, but it also works if you teach as you learn. I suspect that parents with older students might have students watch videos along with them. This can be good if parents model the learning process along with their students. I suspect it will be challenging to teach LTW the first time around, and you will rely heavily upon the videos. But once you've grasped the strategies and gained experience using them with students, it will become much easier. In fact, you will probably begin to use LTW techniques across the curriculum.

The teacher guide is essential. The preface and the introduction are essential reading. While they repeat some ideas presented in the introductory video, lesson, they also cover technical aspects of teaching the course that you need to address.

The teacher guide provides detailed lesson plans that mirror what has been taught in the videos to some extent. Instructions list the steps to be followed and provide examples. With experience, you will likely develop your own favorite examples. Guides for assessment are included in the teacher guide, and sample essays at the back of the book will help you know in advance what to expect students to produce. Those who need a quick overview of the course structure and content of each Essay should appreciate the “Content of Essays One Through Nine” summarized on pages 24 through 27 and “Lesson Summaries" on pages 320 through 333.

Each student needs his or her own student workbook. (These are not reproducible.) Workbooks are entirely dependent upon presentation in the class; they are not self-instructional. Each lesson has one or more pages for the student. A few pages reiterate key information to which students will need to refer as they complete their assignments. Many pages are worksheets for students to complete. Most of the “Arrangement” lessons include an outline template for the essay they are to write so that students have a clear understanding of what is required. They will use the templates as guides to create their own outlines. Self-edit Checklists for each essay are included at the back of the book along with sample essays, lesson summaries, and a glossary.

The Lost Tools of Writing: Level Two (2nd edition) continues to build on the foundation prepared in Level One . Eight more essays are taught, but the lessons are divided into two parts, one focusing on the deliberative essay and the other on the judicial essay. There are no videos for this course, but parents and teachers should be able to work through the lessons from the teacher guide since all of it is done within the same framework of the three canons.

I first reviewed an earlier version of LTW a few years ago, and I found it cumbersome with lengthy videos to watch and a binder to navigate. I was amazed to see the extensive revisions that were made since then. The new fifth edition is greatly simplified for the teacher, and I found it very easy to understand. The layout is logical and easy to follow. I think that even inexperienced teachers or parents can jump into it fairly quickly without having to go through the entire course in advance. The strategies used in LTW are tried and true from the world of classical education, but they are presented in a manner suitable for modern audiences. I recently reviewed an excellent novel with a companion study guide ( Black as Night by Regina Doman) that utilizes (with permission) the ANI chart from LTW as a tool for literary analysis and essay writing. I expect we will be seeing more and more resources adopting this approach across the curriculum just as we have seen with Andrew Pudewa's Teaching Writing: Structure and Style .

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When prices appear, please keep in mind that they are subject to change. Click on links where available to verify price accuracy.

List Prices: Level One: $147 for complete set (teacher guide, student workbook, and subscription to videos), additional student workbooks - $39 each Level Two: $88 for teacher guide and student workbook 

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Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are "affiliate links." This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services that I believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 "Guidelines Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Lost Tools of Writing (LTW) Resource & Questions

The lost tools of writing (ltw) resource.

Classical Conversations carries The Lost Tools of Writing Level One Complete Set and The Lost Tools of Writing Level One Student Workbook on our online bookstore. Lost Tools of Writing is published by The CiRCE Institute who carry additional levels of The Lost Tools of Writing as well as video resources for Level One and Two. Classical Conversations bookstore does not sell the LTW 1 video resources or the Teacher only book by themselves.  

These resources are used in the Challenge A, B, and I program curriculums in the Exposition strand along with our Literature selections.

How can I get the code for LTW videos?

If you have purchased The Lost Tools of Writing Level One, Complete Teacher set from us, please email [email protected] to receive the code for the streaming videos. 

If you did not purchase with us, please contact the person or vendor where you purchased your Level One complete set or LTW I video series for assistance.

Why doesn't CC use other levels of LTW in its curricula?

We implement The Lost Tools of Writing Level 1 for three years to build a firm foundation in writing for our Challenge A, B and I programs. We encourage students to use those tools and skills they have developed from LTW in other ways through all the challenge seminars up through Challenge IV. 

While The CiRCE Institute does carry other levels of The Lost Tools of Writing levels and resources, Classical Conversations only uses Level One in the Challenge program. Generally, we hand select resources from our partners' full product lines to best fit the academic goals for programs. You may find The Lost Tools of Writing Levels 2 and 3 to be helpful resources for your education at home, but we do not include them as a required part of our curricula at this time.  

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How To Write a Compare-And-Contrast Essay?

• Smodin Editorial Team
• Updated: May 6, 2024

Are you tasked with writing a compare-and-contrast essay but not sure where to start? We’ve got you covered! Today, we’ll discuss everything you need to know to make the grade.

A compare-and-contrast essay is a form of academic writing that requires you to examine the similarities and differences between two subjects.

Compare-and-contrast essays can take many forms, and the subject matter can range from books to people to historical events or even abstract concepts and theories.

Regardless of the topic, the key to any successful compare-and-contrast essay lies in your ability to articulate your thesis and highlight the parallels between the two subjects clearly and concisely.

But to get a good grade, you need more than a good concept; you need the writing to support it.

Many students face a challenge when writing a compare-and-contrast essay because their pieces aren’t memorable and engaging compared to other submissions.

Thankfully, we’re here to help. Today, we’ll provide some tips and tricks to help your essay stand out. We’ll also show you how to expedite the process using AI tools to enhance your essay’s thesis, structure, and overall delivery.

Ready to dive in?

Overview of Compare-And-Contrast Essays

Like most academic writing, compare-and-contrast essays require a clear thesis and thorough analysis of the subject matter. What sets these essays apart is their dual focus on two distinct subjects.

Since this unique approach can be challenging for some writers to master, let’s start with a comprehensive overview of everything you need to know.

What Is the Essay Supposed To Accomplish?

When writing a compare-and-contrast essay, you aim to establish the relationship between two subjects through critical analysis. Your thesis should provide new insight into the relationship between these two ideas.

The biggest mistake many students make is that they simply outline the similarities and differences without centering their writing around a clear and unique thesis statement.

You need to present your thesis in the opening paragraph and use it to enhance the reader’s understanding of the subjects. The goal is to showcase your ability to articulate the complexities and nuances between the two subjects.

How Subjects Impact Your Thesis

The subjects you choose to compare and contrast significantly influence the direction and scope of your thesis. These subjects will also directly affect the complexity and difficulty of the essay itself.

For example, selecting two vastly different subjects can highlight striking contrasts but may be extremely challenging to write about. The last thing you want to do is get halfway through your essay and realize you’ve hit a wall.

Oppositely, picking closely related topics can make the writing process more manageable, but you risk producing an average paper that does little to stand out.

Ideally, strive for a balance between the two. This will ensure your essay remains engaging and insightful while still being feasible to research and write effectively.

How To Organize Your Essay

There are several ways to organize a compare-and-contrast essay, depending on how deep you want to go with your analysis and how complex your subject matter is.

Generally speaking, you want to structure your essay in one of two ways.

The Point-by-Point Method

In this method, you discuss one specific aspect or criterion of both subjects at the time. For example, if you’re comparing two fiction novels, you may devote the first paragraph of your essay to the theme, then the next to character development, and so on.

This method provides direct comparisons at each point of your analysis. This, in turn, makes it easier for the reader to see the similarities and differences because they are directly juxtaposed against each other.

Block Method or Subject-By-Subject Method

In this approach, you dedicate one entire section — or block — of your essay to each subject. Using the same example above, you would first discuss all the relevant points and aspects of the first subject in block one, then do the same with the other subject in block two.

This method is best for dealing with many distinct and nuanced topics. It allows you to focus on each subject individually without going through a constant back-and-forth.

The drawback is that it requires thoughtful transitions to help the reader understand how the subjects relate since all points are not directly compared throughout the essay.

Both organizational methods have their advantages, and one isn’t necessarily better than the other.

As long as the process aligns with your thesis and helps highlight the similarities and differences you intend to explore, you should be well on your way.

How Much Space Should You Devote to Each Topic

At first glance, it may seem obvious that you should devote equal space to each topic, but that isn’t always true.

That isn’t to say that you should devote 80% to one subject and 20% to the other, but sometimes striking the right balance requires a bit of imbalance .

Consider the depth and complexity of each topic and outline the points you need to cover. Some subjects might naturally require more time and space to explain the more intricate details. If that’s the case, feel free to devote more analysis to one topic as long as it doesn’t detract from the other.

You’ll be fine if you utilize transitional phrases and connecting sentences to help maintain symmetry. Always provide clear and compelling comparisons supporting your thesis and guide your reader through your logical and informed argument.

Why Revision Is Essential

While writing your compare-and-contrast essay, you will encounter content that won’t actually make it into your essay.

The research process can result in information overload, and with all this information floating around in your head, it may be challenging to see things like an outside reader would.

Revising your essay after a prolonged break is always a good idea. This will ensure that all your comparisons and contrasts are presented logically and clearly.

It also allows you time to refine your thesis, strengthen your arguments, and ensure your essay flows as well on paper as it does in your mind.

Tips for Writing Compare-And-Contrast Essays

Now that you understand the basics of a compare-and-contrast essay, let’s examine some strategies that can help elevate your writing and make it stand out.

1. Choose Strong Topics

No matter how good your writing may be, it will do little good if you have nothing to write about. Do your research and select rich topics that give you plenty to cover. The best concepts should wow your reader, just from the title alone.

Of course, the research process can take time, especially when you’re reading dense scholarly articles. If you want to quickly grasp the main points of lengthy articles, book excerpts, or any other piece of writing, look at Smodin’s AI Summarizer.

With this tool, you can save time and energy on reading and instead focus on analyzing the material.

2. Use Critical Analysis and Create an Outline

In academic settings, it can be challenging to be original. If you’re in an undergraduate setting, you’re probably used to elementary, surface-level observations on topics.

As you advance your education, critical analysis becomes crucial. Understanding the more profound implications, historical contexts, and underlying themes is necessary for success.

Critical analysis is a great way to stand out regardless of your education level. Smodin’s essay writer can help you create an outline within seconds, allowing you to explore multiple possibilities simultaneously.

Then, you can choose an outline that offers a compelling, thought-provoking analysis and allows Smodin to work its magic in creating an essay that will wow any reader.

3. Use Varied Language and Syntax

Even if your topic is thought-provoking and original, it must still be readable. Avoid monotonous writing by varying sentence structure and vocabulary as much as possible. You don’t want to consult a thesaurus for every sentence, but you do want to keep things fresh.

Smodin’s AI Rewriter is perfect for refining your drafts and improving the clarity and readability of your essay. This is especially useful when fine-tuning a compare-and-contrast essay where clear and distinct language is essential for bouncing between two subjects.

The AI Rewriter can also assist in paraphrasing text, providing alternative ways to express the same ideas with new vocabulary and different sentence constructions. This helps prevent repetitive phrasing and enhances the overall variety of your essay.

4. Use Direct Quotes When Possible

Using direct quotes in an essay is often a balancing act. Use too many, and your essay can become cluttered and lose its original voice. Use too few, and you miss an opportunity to nail down your arguments with an outside, authoritative voice.

As with all things related to writing, the answer lies in balance. If you ensure each quote is relevant to the thesis and effectively integrate them into your essay, your argument can be elevated to the next level.

Remember that citing each quote is crucial to maintaining academic integrity. To ensure that your essay complies with academic standards, use the Smodin Plagiarism Checker .

Not only does this tool help ensure that all quotes are accurately cited, but it also gives you peace of mind that your own narrative remains intact and your writing is free from unintentional plagiarism.

5. Nail down Your Argument in the Conclusion

Students sometimes forget that their teachers and professors read dozens — and sometimes hundreds — of essays on the same subject. Your goal as a writer should always be to make reading your essay as simple as possible.

A well-crafted conclusion helps you reiterate and reinforce your thesis, making sure it stands out in the reader’s mind. The end of your essay is your chance to synthesize the arguments presented in your essay to emphasize the insights gained through your comparison.

Before submitting your essay, consider using Smodin’s AI Chat feature for preliminary feedback. While it cannot predict your grader’s bias, it can provide enough critical insight to assess the persuasiveness of your argument.

Incorporate the chat’s feedback and then fine-tune your conclusion to ensure that it reiterates your opening thesis and elucidates any new findings you presented along the way.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: what are practical ways to choose topics for a compare-and-contrast essay.

When choosing topics for a compare-and-contrast essay, look for subjects with enough in common to be compared but different enough to allow for a meaningful discussion. Also, pick topics from the same category, such as two novels, two historical events, or two theories.

Q: Can I Combine the Point-By-Point and Block Methods?

While it’s generally best to stick to one organizational structure, writers can sometimes successfully combine both methods. For example, the block method can provide a detailed overview of each subject, and then the point-by-point method can be applied to make specific comparisons of crucial aspects.

Q: What Is the Best Way To Integrate Direct Quotes Without Disrupting the Flow of My Essay?

Introducing each quote with a bit of analysis or explanation can help set the context for your quote. Follow up the quote with further interpretation and link it to your main argument. Keep the quotes concise to enhance your narrative instead of detracting from it.

Q: How Often Should I Use Smodin’s AI Chat Feature for Feedback During Writing?

As often as you like! The great thing about AI tools like Smodin is they never get tired. Use it after completing your drafts and before final revisions to ensure your essay’s structure and arguments are clear and compelling.

Mastering the art of the compare-and-contrast essay is mainly dependent on critical thinking. By carefully selecting your topics, organizing your arguments clearly, and utilizing tools like Smodin’s AI, you can enhance the quality and impact of your essays.

Remember, the goal is not just to fulfill an assignment but to craft a piece that stands out in its insight and clarity. With the strategies and tools discussed, you’re well-equipped to create essays that meet and exceed expectations.

Utilize these techniques and leverage the power of AI to elevate your essays to the next level!

Coming Alongside Sharing What We Know Providing Great Resources

Lost Tools of Writing – Comparison Essay

$ 49.95

LTW: Comparison Essays  fulfills the purpose of understanding people, things, or ideas more deeply, or assessing whether one is better or in some way more desirable than another. The bigger purpose of these thinking and writing skills is to grow in wisdom and prudence by practicing making finer distinctions and better decisions. Students can learn and practice principles and habits of decision-making for their own lives.

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What You’ll Find in  LTW: Comparison Essay

• A focus on the common topic of comparison

• Comparing for understanding or for assessment

• Understanding a new kind of writing after the persuasive essay

• Foundational metaphor plus more complex metaphors

• Plenty of review

All-in-one combination Student Workbook/Teacher Guide. LTW: Comparison Essays does not have a separate teacher guide.

Welcome to  The Lost Tools of Writing: Comparison Essay . This semester-long program provides a way for students to gain more practice in foundational thinking skills plus practice in writing a different kind of essay. Through  LTW: Comparison Essays , students will solidify the foundations laid in LTW I, develop deeper thinking skills, master an additional form of essay-writing, and delve more deeply into analogical thinking with different kinds of metaphor-writing. The skills students gain through  LTW: Comparison Essay  extend beyond academics to life in the world, cultivating more refined and careful thinking about people, things, ideas, and their own decisions.

Deeper Thinking  

The goal of using the common topics is not to think about the topics, but to think with them. Just as repeated practice allows a player to throw a football without thinking about how to grip it or a musician to play a piece of music without thinking of where to put her fingers, repetition allows us to internalize thinking skills so that we can put our focus where it needs to be: on the people and things in our decisions. Internalizing the means of thinking frees us to think about about our decisions and the people, places, and things that are in them—to think with the tools and not about them.

A Different Kind of Writing

By writing comparison essays after persuasive essays, students will be able to compare the two kinds of writing to each other. They will find that all writing requires coming up with something to say (invention), organizing the material (arrangement), and expressing ideas in a fitting way (elocution). Further, they will see that the common topics and elocution tools they learned in Level I have prepared them to complete any kind of writing. As long as they are given an outline (those forms that come to us by tradition and make each kind of writing what it is) they can execute any kind of writing.

The Overall Picture of a Comparison Outline 

When we compare two items we can do so for different reasons. Sometimes we want to assess which one is better than the others. But sometimes, as is often the case with studies in history and literature (and friendships), we simply desire to gain a deeper understanding of both people. Comparison essays can help us gain understanding.

Sometimes we compare because we do need to choose one thing over the other. We can only attend one college, play a limited time in a recital, and eat one meal for lunch. Comparing can help us find the similarities and differences we need to know in order to decide which choice is best. Also, deciding repeatedly about our writing hones our ability to make wise decisions when they matter in our lives. Comparison essays cultivate that skill.

Three outlines are presented in this book of comparison essays. The first is simple; then complexity builds with each successive outline. The third outline is repeated in Essay Four to allow for more practice with the most difficult form. You will find the block outline used when comparing is for the purpose of further understanding. The point-by-point outline is used when we make an assessment about which item is better.

Elocution begins with a review of Level I’s metaphor lesson. Succeeding lessons build on that foundation, leading the students to create the more complex expanded metaphor, leading them into more and more analogical thinking.

All the skills that students learned in every canon of Level I can be applied in these comparison essays since Level I skills are universal thinking, organizing, and writing skills. Sometimes the review will be more obvious and sometimes less so. But in  LTW: Comparison Essay  you will be led through a way to expand on Level I skills through a different kind of writing with many lessons and benefits of its own.

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