Writing Paragraphs

Natalie Rawls
EDUC 661
 What is a paragraph?
• A developed, but manageable thought.
 Problems with Writing
• Only about 1 out of 4 students in grades 4,
8, and 12 write at or above the “proficient”
level
• About 4 out of 5 in the above grades write
at or above the “basic” level
• Only 1 out of 100 writes at an “advanced”
level
 Problems with Writing
continued…
• According to Dudley Barlow, writing
is time-consuming for both the
student and the teacher. This is one
reason it is rarely done in its entirety.
Solutions to the Problem
• Dudley Barlow states that we need a “Writing
Revolution”, or a new educational way to
help teachers, professors, and administrators
encourage students to write.
• Double the amount of time that students
write.
• Include journal writing in your daily routine.
 Solutions to the
Problem continued…
• Encourage more writing during the school day in
curriculum areas not traditionally associated with
writing.
• Writes notes to your child and ask for a written
response.
• Expect complete sentences.
• Do not focus on handwriting, until all thoughts are on
paper.
 How do we help students write
better paragraphs without
actually doing it for them?
• Help students develop ideas as they write and
then reflect back on that process
• Use the writing throughout a lesson or unit,
rather than at the end of a lesson. The writing
will then be a tool to develop understanding.
• Make the paragraph a main unit for reflection.
(Bakalis, Maria)
Websites about Writing.
• The first website is called
Brainpop. Brainpop is a website
that has a collection of short
animated videos that can be used
to introduce, review, or conclude a
unit of study.
http://www.brainpop.com/
Websites about Writing
continued…
• This website contains power
writing tips for writing
paragraphs. There is also power
transition words that strengthen
paragraphs.
http://bonny-kate-es.knox.k12tn.net/cavewebpage/
prgrph.html
 Types of tests/evaluations that
can be used.
• Assess the child before any instruction is given by
giving that child a story starter to complete.
• Use the LEAP writing checklist to assess the
writing sample.
• Based on the results from the checklist structure
activities for that child to focus on, which will
strengthen his/her weaknesses, yet still allow
him/her to strengthen his/her strengths.
• This can be administered by the teacher. Checklist
can be found at the Louisiana State Department of
Education website.
Accommodations and
Modifications
• Allow students to use computer or some type
of technology for writing. This will allow
students to focus more on writing than
spelling, grammar, penmanship, etc.
• Allow students to use dictionary and
thesaurus.
• Use story starters if child is having
difficulties beginning their story.
• Use a visual showing the parts of a well
written paragraph.
 Activities for Writing a
Paragraph
• Journal Writing
• Hamburger Model
• Missing Mitten
 Journal Writing
• The five rules to journal writing, which will make
this a priority for both teachers and students are:
– Put it in your lesson plan
– Write first, solve problems (attendance, homework)
later
– Write with the students. Practice what you preach.
– Write like the students. Model frustration and a
breakthrough.
– Commiserate and celebrate. Celebrate inspiration and
completed writings.
 Hamburger Model
• The hamburger paragraph format
provides a clear structure for
writing an organized paragraph.
Students can
make a
visual with the
hamburger parts
or can write their
sentences on each
piece to create
their paragraph.
You can also
stress to the
students how
important
sequencing is to
the flow of the
 Missing Mittens
• This lesson begins with the teacher reading, The
Missing Mitten Mystery by Steven Kellogg.
• The students then design their own matching pair of
mittens.
• Share the “lost and found” ads from your local
newspaper and discuss what type of information the ads
include.
• Have students write descriptive paragraphs to serve as
“lost and found” ads for one of their mittens.
• After the ads are completed, students exchange mittens.
• Students will then begin reading their description aloud.
The other students holding the missing mittens will
determine if they have the mitten being described by the
ad.
 Information Collected
•
From
http://millennium.fortunecity.com/donald/368/help/burgerpara.html
• http://home.earthlink.net/~mrstephenson/pcms/Unified_Resources/Unit-01/
• http://www.lessonplanspage.com/printables/PLAHamburgerParagraphIdea45.
htm
• http://www.bpsd.k12.pa.us/washington/Mrs.Joseph/writing.htm
• http://bonny-kate-es.knox.k12tn.net/cavewebpage/prgrph.html
• http://cfge.wm.edu/Teaching%20Models/HamburgerModel-Primary,htm
• Bounds J. & Barrow, H. (2004). Missing mitten (descriptive paragraphs).
Instructor, 113, 41.
• Worth-Baker, M. (2004). Plan to write. Teaching Pre K – 8, 35. 64.
• Barlow, D. (2003). The teachers’ lounge. The Education Digest, 69, 62 – 64.
• Barkalis, M. (2003). Direct teaching of paragraph cohesion.
Teaching History, 110, 18 – 26.