Paragraphs have unity and coherence. A paragraph has a single minded focus. There must be no information in the paragraph which does not serve that purpose. We call these “good paragraphs.” The best of the best are known as “perfect paragraphs.”
But not all paragraphs are good… let alone perfect. In fact, it doesn’t take much [...]
The State of Affairs for “Beginning, Middle, and Endings” in Student Writing
The sad truth is students aren’t interested in beginning, middle, and ending. No. I’m not sure that they ever were… but in this modern age… it’s passé. It’s boring. It doesn’t pique their interest… and they don’t see what it is so important about [...]
Two Kinds of Writing Assignments for Student Essays and Reports
1. The topic has not been assigned. Students choose the topic.
2. The topic has been assigned. Students must follow the directions and stay on topic.
Teachers must find the right balance between these two methods when giving assignments.
These ideas will help when you do assign the [...]
A Paragraph Beautifully Defined
A paragraph is a collection of sentences with unity of purpose. A paragraph handles and exhausts a distinct topic.
Alexander Bain – 1871
This description of a paragraph is about as good as it gets! Alexander Bain is also credited as having been the first person to have formally laid down the rules [...]
State Standards, Standardized Tests, and… Writer’s Workshop?
In the real world of state standards and standardized tests, it can be a little difficult for a teacher to get their head around what Writer’s Workshop is. As long as I have been teaching there has been a continuing push towards making teachers more and more accountable for [...]
(If your children or students are struggling with paragraphs… be sure to read “Teaching Children Paragraph Writing is Hard!)
The Different Kinds of Paragraphs
1. How-to Paragraph (Process Paragraph) – First, Next, Then, Finally
2. Compare and Contrast Paragraph – Eggplant is both good…and bad!
3. Descriptive Paragraph – It was a dark and stormy night, yet the moon had an enchanting [...]
What is a paragraph and how do you teach children to write a paragraph?
“A paragraph is a group of sentences about one main idea or topic. A paragraph usually contains between 5-8 sentences about that one main idea or topic. All of your sentences in the paragraph must be about that one main idea or [...]
The Dentist
A while back I was having some rather annoying dental issues. My dentist, Dr. Karen, had all sorts of ideas. She was saying, “Well, we could try this procedure or we could try that procedure…”
In the end I explained to her that my bottom line was, “I want it fixed. The truth is… I [...]