'Writer's Guide to Powerful Paragraphs'

[Roxy Roller]

Has anyone used this? If so, how? :bigear:

[Leanna Tomlinson]

This book has many exercises which teach the writer how to manipulate the paragraph and write effectively about many different subjects. It is written to a mature student, but I have effectively used this with my 6th and 7th graders.

 

I usually use these exercises to solidify the paragraph and get the mental muscles ready for the essay. Later, I may use a few of the more difficult exercises even after my students are writing essays. The examples are written at a high school or college level, so it's easy to use with older students, but I find it difficult to use with students younger than 6th grade.

 

I really like focusing on the paragraph. It makes it easier to hone in on the nuances of writing and address larger problems such as structure while not requiring hours of work. When the student conquers the paragraph, essays are much easier.

[Roxy Roller]

This book has many exercises which teach the writer how to manipulate the paragraph and write effectively about many different subjects. It is written to a mature student, but I have effectively used this with my 6th and 7th graders.

 

I usually use these exercises to solidify the paragraph and get the mental muscles ready for the essay. Later, I may use a few of the more difficult exercises even after my students are writing essays. The examples are written at a high school or college level, so it's easy to use with older students, but I find it difficult to use with students younger than 6th grade.

 

I really like focusing on the paragraph. It makes it easier to hone in on the nuances of writing and address larger problems such as structure while not requiring hours of work. When the student conquers the paragraph, essays are much easier.

 

Thank you for your response, Leanna. I want to use this book with my DD11, who is in sixth grade. I really want to concentrate on getting her to write amazing paragraphs this year. Will we be able to handle this book if we have not done much for writing in our homeschool? Do you have any tips for using it with an 11YO beginner? We have done copywork and narration, and my daughter will write stories, but I feel like we need to concentrate on structure. I am currently doing Writing Strands 3 with her, because that is where I was told an older beginner should be, but it is not really what I was looking for.

[Leanna Tomlinson]

Thank you for your response, Leanna. I want to use this book with my DD11, who is in sixth grade. I really want to concentrate on getting her to write amazing paragraphs this year. Will we be able to handle this book if we have not done much for writing in our homeschool? Do you have any tips for using it with an 11YO beginner? We have done copywork and narration, and my daughter will write stories, but I feel like we need to concentrate on structure. I am currently doing Writing Strands 3 with her, because that is where I was told an older beginner should be, but it is not really what I was looking for.

 

I think working on paragraphs is an excellent way to advance her writing. After using "The Lost Tools of Writing" I learned to teach 3 different "canons" of writing: Invention (thinking), Arrangement (structure), and Elocution (style, words, expression). "Writer's Guide to Powerful Paragraphs" focuses on structure.

 

I still think this book can be effective, and you've inspired me to pull mine out again. The short and simple structure of the paragraph will allow you to spend time on the thinking process prior to writing and on the elocution as she revises her paragraphs.

 

Here's what I would do:

1) Explain the exercise. Read the examples.

2) Decide WHAT she will write about. Sometimes you will make this decision for her, sometimes you can let her decide.

3) Teach her how to plan her writing by either brainstorming, outlining, using graphic organizers or combining all three. This step may require discussion. Many kids just don't know what they want to write. Ask her questions. Help her think through the subject. Model the process for her by writing your own paragraph.

4)Let her write her first draft. Again, she may need some hand-holding at first.

5) In her revision you can address elocution. Help her fine tune her word choices, develop academic language, tone, sentence structure, etc. At first it may be obvious what she needs, but if you need help with elocution, you may want another resource. IEW addresses this with its "dress-ups" and "sentence openers", LTOW discusses "verb errors", "strong subjects", "nominalizations", and "schemes and tropes".

 

Addressing all of these concepts while concentrating on the paragraph can keep her from becoming overwhelmed. It is much more beneficial to write something well than to write something long. If she's comfortable with the paragraph she will be well prepared for the upper grades.

[Roxy Roller]

I think working on paragraphs is an excellent way to advance her writing. After using "The Lost Tools of Writing" I learned to teach 3 different "canons" of writing: Invention (thinking), Arrangement (structure), and Elocution (style, words, expression). "Writer's Guide to Powerful Paragraphs" focuses on structure.

 

I still think this book can be effective, and you've inspired me to pull mine out again. The short and simple structure of the paragraph will allow you to spend time on the thinking process prior to writing and on the elocution as she revises her paragraphs.

 

Here's what I would do:

1) Explain the exercise. Read the examples.

2) Decide WHAT she will write about. Sometimes you will make this decision for her, sometimes you can let her decide.

3) Teach her how to plan her writing by either brainstorming, outlining, using graphic organizers or combining all three. This step may require discussion. Many kids just don't know what they want to write. Ask her questions. Help her think through the subject. Model the process for her by writing your own paragraph.

4)Let her write her first draft. Again, she may need some hand-holding at first.

5) In her revision you can address elocution. Help her fine tune her word choices, develop academic language, tone, sentence structure, etc. At first it may be obvious what she needs, but if you need help with elocution, you may want another resource. IEW addresses this with its "dress-ups" and "sentence openers", LTOW discusses "verb errors", "strong subjects", "nominalizations", and "schemes and tropes".

 

Addressing all of these concepts while concentrating on the paragraph can keep her from becoming overwhelmed. It is much more beneficial to write something well than to write something long. If she's comfortable with the paragraph she will be well prepared for the upper grades.

 

I am glad that I am on the right track. We did try IEW, last year, but my DD11 said that she didn't like it, and I decided that instead of making her continue, and start to hate writing, we would stop. I may pull IEW out to let her use the 'dress-ups', lists of adverbs and 'sentence openers'. I want to really drill structure this year, so that in the years to come she can think more about style and content when moving to essays.

 

Would you recommend Lost Tools of Writing as well?

[Leanna Tomlinson]

I am glad that I am on the right track. We did try IEW, last year, but my DD11 said that she didn't like it, and I decided that instead of making her continue, and start to hate writing, we would stop. I may pull IEW out to let her use the 'dress-ups', lists of adverbs and 'sentence openers'. I want to really drill structure this year, so that in the years to come she can think more about style and content when moving to essays.

 

Would you recommend Lost Tools of Writing as well?

 

I think using an IEW checklist along with your paragraph writing will work well. I love LTOW, but it's not for everyone. It is my favorite writing program for 7th-9th grades, but it is not "open and go". There is some prep work for the teacher, and you still need to come up with essay topics.

 

For this year, I think your plan of sticking with the paragraph is a great one. Let her do so many paragraphs that they are easy for her. Require that her paragraphs are well structured, well worded, and have quality content. Next year, you can decide what route to take for the essay. LTOW is one excellent option for the essay, but there are many others.

[Roxy Roller]

Thank you for your help, Leanna!:)