Writing Assessment Services
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Student, Parent, and Professional Reviews

I know there are many comments below, but I am proud of every one of them, some of the fruit of over thirteen years serving clients online.



Comments 2007 - 2010


"I want to thank for how you have worked with us this year.  It has been nothing short of terrific and we have received many compliments from the parents.  P.B., the school administrator has also been very impressed and would potentially like to expand the program next year if possible."  Board member of a school for which I developed a Progymnasmata curriculum and completed evaluations through the school year

"I just want to tell you once again how much I appreciate you!  I know this kind of [assignment] is not your cup of tea.  A person of lesser character would have done a half hearted job.  Yet, you did a superb job of grading all of them with thought and thoroughness.  I so appreciate you!!!! . . .THANK YOU SO MUCH!  You know how hard parenting and homeschooling are, and how grateful any of us are for those who come along side in their areas of expertise and truly HELP!   THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU! OK, I am done." Mother of students enrolled in Evaluations using their own curriculum

"I have immensely enjoyed working with you, and I cannot wait for the next half of this workshop!" Student completing Part One of Apprenticeship Writing Workshop.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!  I just got my Analytical Writing scores back, and I received a score of 5.5 [out of 6 possible]on my essays!  My hats off to you for such a great tutorial!" Adult I helped prepare for the GRE (Graduate Record Examination)


"Thank you so very much.  I will be purchasing packages for two children next year . . . .  I value your service immensely.  I think I would be frozen in a panic without you!  I majored in Chemistry and Biology which means that I didn't know what a dangling modifier was until I started homeschooling. ; - )    It is difficult for me to evaluate or help them improve what they write.  Although I am learning. Thank you so very much for providing this service for us."  Homeschooling mom

  "I just wanted to tell you that L. scored a 66 on the writing section of the PSAT (95 percentile), and I know that your work with her contributed a lot to her success.  Thank you!!  I don't think she had very good writing instruction prior to her coming to you, so be encouraged that you are making a difference in students' lives.  :-) . . . L. is finding that she has been well-prepared for [Rhetoric I], which is considered one of the hardest classes [The Potter's School] offers.  Again, thank you for your work with her!" Mom of a student who completed Progymnasmata Tutorial: Beginning and Intermediate.

Comments 2002 - 2006


From Tutors and Other Professionals

Please see this link for a nice review by Heidi Shaw in The Old Schoolhouse: The Magazine for Homeschool Families : http://www.thehomeschoolmagazine.com/reviews/reviews.php?rid=1097

"Thank you for your fine work!  You really fill a crucial niche for the online tutorials.  I'll keep sending people your direction!  All I hear is radiant rounds of applause and appreciation.  Keep up the good work!" Norm Lund, Oxford Tutorials

 "Your material is the best I've seen so far."  "Thank you for your cutting edge work in this area. "  Headmasters of two different Classical Christian schools

From a Student

 "Y'all, I just finished the Mid-term exam a few minutes ago, and I just wanted to say this Progym stuff really is so helpful.  While answering the . . . essay questions I noticed that things were going smoother, faster, and my writing quality was better.  I realised that it was because I had all the stuff I have learned in this class to help me!  I was unconsciously using Progym essay patterns, and it was making the end result so so so much better. Has anybody else experienced this? Thanks Mrs. Marsch! "  Student commenting on the message board for my Great Books Writing Workshop

From Parents

"The Progymnasmata: Preliminary Rhetoric Exercises  Part One was enlightening, fun to read and made the whole idea of classical composition less intimidating for me. At last I understand why students need to know what a metaphor is or how to write an anecdote . . .[U]ntil reading your handbook didn't see them as a means to enhance one's persuasive writing. You helped me see The Point and for that, I am so grateful. Thank you! . . . That you do this for a ministry shines through your work in its quality and in the generous quantity of practical help and insight you share with those of us who are trying to teach our children to write effectively." Homeschooling Mom

"I wanted you to know that my daughter H. just received her PSAT scores.  . . In writing skills she scored in the 99th percentile. . .  H. told me that your correcting her writing was a big help. . . [S]he remembered many of the things in question were areas you had addressed in her writing. . . . We are very grateful for the services you provide."  Homeschooling Mom

"I cannot thank you enough for your instruction and your assessment. I believe that your class was just the bridge between "mom" and "college professor" that R. needed. I believe that you forced B. to see that composition cannot always be writing about what you feel like writing about, and that there are literary rules. My kids are better off for having had this semester with you." Mom of students in a local writing class

"All of these [lectures-"Use of Imitation in Writing," "The Progymnasmata," and "Evaluating Composition"] are really helpful. Cindy knows her stuff. Everyone teaching writing would do well to listen to these three. . . .  I highly recommend these three tapes." Homeschooling Mom on the Well Trained Mind message board, commenting on tapes of my talks at the CiRCE Conference 2002

"Thank you so much for your reply and for your evaluation of S's first paper.  I really appreciate your positive and often funny comments mixed in with all the helpful, concrete advice.  I was worried your evaluation would be rough on an eighth grader, but you had the perfect touch with S. and keyed into right where she was at in her ability somehow.  You're a great evaluator and I thank you for your care." Homeschooling Mom

"Thank you for your honest comments which are always unarguably correct; we appreciate the time you take to make constructive criticisms.  Of course, the compliments make for even better reading!  :)"  Homeschooling mom who organizes a local writing class to order evaluations of their work together

Select Comments 1996 - 2002

From Tutors and Other Professionals
"Your work with my Great Books students this year has been invaluable! You've provided the depth in your critiques of the student papers and in your careful comments that makes all the difference for those who are looking for serious writing guidance. Your service is a wonderful complement to the discussion focus of the Great Books Tutorials, and I very much appreciate you making your service available to my students and their families. Thank you so much for your work with them this year!" Wes Callihan, Schola Tutorials

"Thank you for your good work- it is a great help to me!" Fritz Hinrichs, Escondido Tutorial Service

"Thanks so much for your balanced and helpful remarks on the IEW and Writing Strands programs. Would it be all right for me to post them on our bulletin board? I do think IEW could be a great tool for co-ops, and I'd like to make that known." Susan Wise Bauer, co-author of The Well Trained Mind

"Cindy Marsch's Writing Assessment Services provides a wonderful service -- in-depth critique of student papers at an affordable rate." Favorite Links page of www.welltrainedmind.com (Susan Wise Bauer)

"I reviewed your samples and I must say that you are *very* good at what you do! I am impressed. I would like to offer my students your services." Paul Herrick, Classical E Academy

From Parents
"I can't thank you enough for your constructive comments in evaluating L and B's work. You are helping them progress from superficial to more thoughtful writing..."

Most valuable part of the evaluations service? "Your concise comments provide another wording, with better precision, than I can, and reinforces the skills I am trying to teach.
Least valuable? "Everything we have received has been valuable. . . . You are helping to train up a godly, articulate generation. Don't grow weary in this wonderful work!"

"The most valuable part of this service to this mom is stress relief!!! :-] You are encouraging C toward excellence in an area in which I am ill equipped! Thank you for your excellent services!"

"By far, the most value we've received from your service has been a professional view of T's writing. As a homeschooler with one child, I tend to get myself into a box...where I can't see the forest for the trees and have no idea how we are really doing. I now know more about T's writing, my abilities, and what needs to happen. Thanks."

"You do a really good job and are very thorough. Your use of examples or your own reworking of problem areas was excellent. So overall I give you an A+ :-) "

"Your evaluations of D's papers have been VERY helpful. At fifteen, D is not fond of receiving comments on his work from me. Yours, however, are hitting the mark. He told me...that he needed to thank you for helping him. He feels like your comments give him something he can work on."

From Students
"Thank you so much for grading my papers these past few years. I have learned so much from your corrections. Writing has never been my strong subject, but I appreciate your patience with me. :) This is my last year with Schola...I am going to college this coming fall so I guess this will be the last paper I send you. :( Thanks again for all your work!"

"First I just want to thank you for your work in grading our papers. I think you do a great job... I think you are very fair and good on your grading. Writing has never been one of my good spots. :-) "

"Thank you for your help with my writing this year. I'm not sure whether I improved much, but at least I can recognize when my writing is bad now :) I've read and re-read your 'PEP talk' paper many, many times... What helped most of all for me were some of the tips on grammar and style, like making the verbs active and stronger.

© 1997-2010 Cindy Marsch