There's no set length for a good paragraph, but the short block of text should contain key components. A handout on paragraphs, the 12th in a series of 24, outlines a five-step process for paragraph development. Additionally, the handout describes common problems writers face and uses original and revised paragraphs to show changes that improve writing.

Concepts

paragraph organization, paragraph structure, paragraph writing, writing paragraphs

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Additional Tags

english language arts

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Instructional Ideas

• Model the five-step process for the class, and then have learners practice independently
• Analyze paragraphs from magazine articles or non-fiction books to determine how editors organize them
  

Classroom Considerations

• Some hyperlinks (such as the Paragraph Development Examples page) are designed to be read along with the text

Pros

• Includes headers, bold text, bullet points, and indentation to make the handout easy to skim and scan
• Provides models and examples to illustrate each key point or step in a process

Cons

• Focuses on a standard style of organization and does not account for unique paragraph structures

Common Core

W.9-10.4 W.9-10.5 W.9-10.10 W.11-12.4 W.11-12.5 W.11-12.10