The Paragraph Book 3

This highly specialized writing intervention series targets middle school students with learning differences who have not been successful in conventional language arts programs. The series’ step-by-step approach builds writing competency from the ground up—students learn to edit, format, and build paragraphs while mastering 4 basic writing strands required in regular English and content area classes and standards-based state tests. By the end of the book, students are writing complete essays. Lively writing, illustrations, and a systematic approach make this series easy to teach and to use. After a review of Books 1 and 2, Book 3 presents the Expository Paragraph. Three kinds of Expo Paragraphs are covered in Book 3: the Paragraph That Names Things, the Example Paragraph, and the Paragraph That Tells Why. As in previous books, students start from the ground up. They brainstorm, make lists, and use the number formula to construct simple paragraphs. From there, they learn how to write supporting sentences with sound reasons, add variety with quantity terms and details, and craft introductions and conclusions. By the end of the book, students are writing multiparagraph essays. Editing and revisiting old writing is encouraged, and the highly structured format fosters success. Every fourth or fifth lesson is a review. Skills Addressed • The Expository Paragraph • The number formula • Brainstorming with lists • Transitions • Giving reasons • Topic sentences • Conclusions • Supporting sentences • Editing marks • Quantity terms • Sound reasoning. Grades 5-8