This is in part to see how well he understands the increased amount of material presented to him. It is also to prepare him for answering such questions in higher education and on job applications.

Here is one way to organize responses to essay questions:

1. Start with a free draft. Here your teen can brainstorm. Encourage him to write down anything he thinks should be a part of the answer.

2. Set priorities. He should look over his free draft and start to choose the ideas that are most important. These should be presented at the beginning of his answer. He can use a highlighter to mark these concepts. Or he can number them.

3. Start writing. The first paragraph is usually the hardest. Your teen should devote enough time to making sure it notes the most important concepts in his answer. After he is satisfied with the first paragraph, he’ll be surprised at how easily the rest of the answer will take shape.

4. Prepare a final draft. He should check his main points carefully. Sometimes a word or two can make a sentence mean something he didn’t intend it to. He should also pay close attention here to details such as grammar, usage, and punctuation.

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