Paragraph Writing

It's impossible super hard to get my little 2nd graders to understand how and why we write paragraphs. I had to come up with some way to help them start to learn why authors do this, and how we do it.

This is a pretty lame idea, but it's seemed to work...

Before we begin our post write, after we've revised and edited and all that fancy stuff, we sit down and talk about the points in our writing. Each point is basically a new idea, with new reasons, or new points.


I have them put a little sticker wherever we "start a new idea" or "new point" or "new reason" or new whatever. Here's what it looks like:

Then, I teach them the Paragraph Rap. Super lame-o.... but not to them! We stand up, and yell sing

and do movements to "Hop down, two fingers!!!" 

And of course, I model model model and do tons of thinking aloud.


Whenever they see the little sticker while doing their post write, they know it's a new point, so time for a new paragraph. And....in a perfect 2nd grade world, they would hop down to the next line, and put two finger spaces...


First time we did this: Miserable fail. Random two finger spaces, or ALL the lines two finger spaces...a big old mess.


Second time: Some got it, some sorta did, most of us didn't.


Third time: More of us are getting it. And I'm starting to get excited.


Hopefully by the time they get to third grade (which is right around the corner!!!!) they'll have some understanding of paragraphs and why we use them! Hopefully.


How do you help you little ones learn to write paragraphs???

:)