Some students need to have options. 1. Students should reflect on which of these aspects should be addressed in the introductory paragraph. "The primary goals of writing are to communicate, to persuade, to inform, to learn, to reflect about yourself, and also to entertain others. Make Paragraph Writing Concrete Just like we use manipulatives in math, writing needs to be concrete too. MINI LESSON #5 TOPIC SENTENCES is the first mini lesson for paragraph writing. I have, however, had considerable success using the following strategy to help students write more lively, effective introductory paragraphs. Some teachers have trouble teaching the structure of five paragraph essays because they start with the introduction paragraph. Show students an anchor chart to introduce the three lessons on paragraph writing. Other students need to be provided with or guided through selecting sources. — Steve Graham, Arizona State University Children’s writing development tends to parallel their development as readers. To write a good introduction paragraph, you need to first identify your audience. When a student perfectly understands what he writes an essay for, it will be much easier for him to draw the outline and start writing. The introduction to your portfolio is a great way to tell your readers who you are and briefly explain what you'll be talking about. OFFER TOPIC CHOICE. Teach. Here are the steps I took to teach paragraph writing. Engaging a reader in a single paragraph is a difficult task but an important skill to develop in both academic writing and storytelling. The body paragraphs are where the bulk of students’ ideas will be written AND the topics of the body paragraphs need to be set for students to write a thesis sentence. Read more about how I scaffold the introduction and conclusion paragraphs on my blog. A well-written introductory paragraph hooks the reader, previews the contents of the entirety of the essay in a thesis sentence and lays out the … When I first introduce paragraph writing, I begin with a burger. Teachers of writing will instantly recognize these “dead fish” beginnings. I use a fairly common symbol to articulate the role of an introductory paragraph. Paragraphs need to have topic sentences. It is a way of organizing and expressing the main idea of the paragraph! Being able to write a good essay is an essential skill for your future. So, teach your students that they should not be in a hurry to write their essays at once they've chosen the topic. As many as 80 percents of corporations with employment growth potential assess their applicants’ writing skills during the hiring process. An introductory paragraph, as the opening of a conventional essay, composition, or report, is designed to grab people's attention. We have a whole class discussion about what makes a fantastic burger and the purpose of each component. It answers questions like why, how, or where. Teaching middle-school students to write an introductory paragraph should focus on developing an introductory sentence, including key facts and providing an overview of the writing assignment's structure. Always teach the body paragraphs first! How to Write a Good Essay Introduction? When teaching students how to write an introduction, teach them to avoid the following: Clichés: Dead expressions will lose the audience. The Definition of a Well Known Word: High school writers love defining words in the introduction that everybody over the age of three knows. We are all too familiar with them. Because students' writing abilities vary, they need different kinds of structure with topic selection. Make them decide upon the purpose of an essay. The genre of the text will largely determine which of these should be included and which left out. Yes, a burger! It informs readers about the topic and why they should care about it but also adds enough intrigue to get them to continue to read. 1. What really makes writing motivating for young children is sharing it and being successful with it." If you're using your portfolio to attract customers, it's important to give a few examples of professional accomplishments and make your introduction stand out by adding a couple of personal details.