Thanks, Scott, for sharing the specific ideas on teaching about the
structure of paragraphs. I like the idea of using an array of graphic
devices (like type faces, levels of indentation, and color).  I had
already planned to use the color coding method to help some high school
ESL students understand the basic "topic sentence + support" structure of
a paragraph.

Another idea that I came up with was to use the following visual analogy.
If you go to the Virtual Museum of Iraq website (and there are doubtless
other similar museum sites, but I'm working mostly with Iraqi students),
you will see the opportunity to enter several different rooms. Once you
enter a room, you see several objects.  If you look at the objects from a
distance, you can't see them well at all.  If you click on the object, you
move in closer to it.  You click again on one of the links that come up
and you have a chance to explore the object in much greater detail.   The
point I'm trying to make is that exploring an 'item' up close in all its
detail is what the supporting sentences of the paragraph should do. 
Looking at the object from a short distance away is what the topic
sentence does.  And choosing ONE object to focus on in the whole room is
the function of a paragraph (rather than writing about everything in the
room in generalities).

A couple of learners in this class apparently have a high visual/spatial
intelligence and are very interested in art.  I thought this might be a
way to bridge from their visual/spatial intelligence to concepts of
paragraph structure.


Scott Woods wrote:
> Craig,
>
> I use several methods to teach advanced literacy explicitly.
>
> For paragraph structure, I have students read paragraphs that have been
> indented, following Christensen, to show their levels of generality.  I
> point
> out how one sentence leads to another, and have students explain to their
> partner the relationship of each sentence to the others. I also italicize
> antecedent structures and bold all consequent structures. This allows
> students
> to see how one sentence in discourse refers to another. Following this, I
> present the same paragraphs in scrambled order, initially including the
> bolding
> and italicizing.  Students unscramble the paragraphs, usually working with
> a
> partner initially, later working independently and comparing, discussing,
> and
> defending their order.  This forces them to think very hard about the
> structure
> of paragraphs, something that takes explicit instruction and practice. 
> When
> they write their own paragraphs, I have them italicize and bold the
> antecedents
> and consequents to show the connections in their own writing.  I also have
> them
> highlight each sentence to show its function: blue for openers, green for
> topic
> sentences and conclusions, yellow for the next level of generality, and
> pink for
> detail sentences.  Students can look at their own paragraphs and see how
> they
> are organized and cohere.  This also reduces the amount of time I have to
> take
> on each paper; if students have done the careful work of structuring their
> work
> and have shown me how it is orgainized, I can read for other features and
> give
> other feedback.
>
>
> Scott Woods


R. Michael Medley, Ph.D.
Professor of English
Eastern Mennonite University

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