What parents have written about Alexandria Tutorials:
Excellent mentor! Because we want our children to read, think, discuss and write, Alexandria Tutorials is a good fit for our family. Mr. Turnbull is a godly man who loves mentoring young people and challenges them to think biblically as they read through great books from antiquity to modern times. After learning how to write an essay in Mr. Turnbull's Writing the Essay course, our scholars eagerly enrolled in Great Books I and are currently taking Great Books II. In order to become better writers, our students must write. When they write, they express their understanding of what they have read. Mr. Turnbull gives weekly writing assignments as they read through each book: one to two paragraphs per week leading up to the five-paragraph essay at the end of the book. During class discussion, he passes the microphone to various students (from around the country) who answer questions and give insights on the reading assignments. Because of how he engages the students and appreciates their writing efforts, they want to improve their writing skills. Average writers become good writers. Good writers become better writers. It really happens! Also, because some of these books are tough to read, our children do a lot of mental stretching, exercising their minds in preparation for the challenges they will face as adults. Mr. Turnbull helps them to address difficult subjects as they constantly turn to Scripture for guidance. Money well-spent! Peruse the Web site for additional course offerings.--Kimberlynn C.
I would highly recommend (and in fact already have recommended) this tutorial to other students and families. While distance education may not be the best format for all students, this Internet tutorial was a great match for my son. [He] especially enjoyed the discussions and the application of logic principles in writing arguments. --The Youngs
Every home educator has areas (s)he is not comfortable teaching. I liked the books you chose and I liked the fact that you gave the students papers to write on a regular basis so they could put to practice what they learned. The variety of homework was appealing to me and kept the class interesting. --The Andersons
As a tutor you had an excellent balance for Thomas of knowledge, humor, Godly wisdom, patience and expectations. --Paula W.
Thought provoking questions and comments from the instructor illuminated the subject - Mr. Turnbull connected literature to modern life and to the broad academic world of ideas. The instructor nurtured the budding philosopher in all the students with positive remarks, ever-present humor, and gentle encouragement. Mr. Turnbull's encouraging teaching style can be described as engaged, thoughtful, challenging, and delightful. A rare treasure. --Lisa B.
And from students:
Refinement, encouragement, and advice are simply indispensable to good writing. I received each of these in full measure from Mr. Turnbull. -Matt K.
Eximious! It was a great class and I enjoyed it immensely. I hope future students have as much fun as I did. I also really liked rewriting essays. It really stretched my brain.-Meredith S.
This review was written by Anne Weiland, mother of Marcel, a student in my 2002/03 Writing the Essay class. It is reprinted from Docendo Discimus, the newsletter of the Classical Christian Home Educators of Sacramento/ Roseville, with permission of the author.
Online Essay Writing Class
By Anne Weiland
Last fall, my son Marcel, age 12, began his first on line class. Taught by Matthew Turnbull (using Fritz Hinrichs’ server, see gbt.org), the one-year course covers the span from writing paragraphs to writing essays. Mr. Turnbull combines the reading of high-quality literature with plenty of writing practice to give students a rich experience in the world of words.
The reading has included Shakespeare’s Macbeth, Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice and Sir Walter Scott’s Ivanhoe. Weekly reading assignments are discussed in class with students sometimes assigned to summarize a chapter or discuss a given character. The students’ (ages 12-17) comments range from insightful to irrelevant, and from poignant and touching to hilarious. The stimulating experience of reading and discussing great literature with peers and an enthusiastic, knowledgeable teacher is difficult to reproduce at home.
Reading is a springboard to writing. Using some of the Institute for Excellence in Writing materials and some of his own, Mr. Turnbull teaches style, structure and logic, all critical to good writing. Students have a writing assignment every week, which in itself is a help in improving students’ skills. Essays are spread out over several weeks. He provides helpful comments on every assignment, letter grades only if requested.
So how has this experience been for us? On the whole the class has been a beneficial addition to our homeschool. My son has had tons of writing practice (see his first essay below), and has stretched in his reading ability as well. I really never imagined having my 12-year-old son read Pride and Prejudice. I absolutely love that the tough assignments come from someone other than me! My role in the class has been to help him with his writing, especially in the outline phase, and I’ve also taken the time to read along with him. My only reservation is that the technology can be a distraction and a hindrance. “Okay, can you hear me?…I got booted off again…”etc. A live in-the-flesh classroom would be ideal. Unfortunately, Mr. Turnbull lives in Washington State and I don’t know of a live class here that would measure up to this one. The intangible benefits of having a teacher outside our family who has similar values, spiritual and academic, and is speaking into our son’s life, are undoubtedly worthwhile. It’s worth putting up with the technical difficulties.