Paragraph development
More alternatives to puny paragraphs

Puny paragraphs ("inadequate paragraph development" in teacher-speak) is the bane of writing teachers from elementary school to graduate school.

It's about time those of us in the business of teaching writing did something to teach students how to develop a paragraph instead of just yelling at students about their underdeveloped paragraphs.

Unless you teach them what a developed paragraph is, students don't have a clue what you're yelling about anyway.

The solution is simple:

Reduce paragraph building to a fill-in-the-blanks simplicity until students get the hang of the thing.

I know that sends chills down the spines of English teachers, but breaking a complex skill down into a predictable sequence of activities works.

Teach rote strategies first

The easiest skills to teach and to learn are those that require the least creativity. So when you teach beginning writers, teach them strategies that can be learned by rote, that require no imagination.

In other words, start with the old standby: the kind of expository paragraphs associated with the five paragraph essay.

A strategy is a plan for achieving a specific goal.

Paragraph development requires using several strategies:

• Expository paragraph strategy plans a minimum of three pieces of evidence per body paragraphs.

• Ripple strategy helps students to find different kinds of evidence to use as support.

• The evidence waltz strategy enables students to compose paragraphs that develop the significance of the evidence.

If they are allowed to stick to writing formulaic persuasive pattern prose using these three strategies, beginning writers can become competent nonfiction writers with a minimum amount of hassle.

If their teachers switch to a different genre before students can use the thesis + support pattern, they undo most of their work.

Then add more development options

Instead of developing a paragraph by using three different pieces of evidences from three different sources, a writer might use one of these alternatives:

• Narrative paragraph (i.e, one using chronological organization)

• A single anecdote

• An extended description

• Analogy

• Example or illustration

I recommend you gradually ease competent writers away from total reliance on rote strategies for fleshing out their paragraphs to using these less formulaic means when they are appropriate.

Let writing prompts name options

To accomplish that transition, use writing prompts that require students to develop one body paragraph of their essay using something other than the standard three pieces of evidence.

That requirement is very realistic. Writers often have to develop a paragraph or section of a long work using one of these alternatives to straight evidence presentation.

The requirement also gives students a measure of grade protection. They don't have to produce an entire paper in a new genre; lack of fluency with the new development technique won't sink their grade.

You can learn how to use writing prompts to ease students away from formula writing in my workshop getting creative with the 5 paragraph essay.

Teaching alternatives

In my experience, students who master standard formulaic paragraph development don't need to be taught other means of developing paragraphs if they are presented with authentic writing situations that require an alternate type of development.

If your students do need help, you can teach a second alternative by comparison to the one they already handle competently.

Remember, teach just one development technique at a time and give students enough practice that they become competent at using it.