writing paragraphs instructional program

7/28/2019 Writing Paragraphs Instructional Program

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Name of Student: CH

Initiator:Jami Shlensky

Context for Instruction:

Instruction will take place at Central High School in a co-taught English classroom or

in a self-contained resource classroom. It will occur between the hours of 12:40 and 2:25. If

the instruction occurs in the English classroom, instruction will occur during independent

reading time at desks located at the back of the classroom or in the hallway. The classroom

teachers and a full class of students will be silently reading independently. If the instruction

takes place in the resource classroom, it will occur during independent work time in the

classroom at the students desk. Other students, the classroom teacher, and a teachers aide

will be present but working independently. The materials that are used include paper,

worksheets, and online activities.

Program Objective:

CH will write a paragraph that contains a topic sentence, at least three supporting

details, a summary sentence, a conclusion, transitional devices, and various types of

sentence structures. On a rubric that assesses all of these paragraph-writing skills, CH will

score 22 of 24 on 4 out of 5 attempts.

Generalization:

In order to make sure that the student is generalizing the skill of writing complete

paragraphs I will generalize the skill across various topics and mediums. I will have the

student hand write paragraphs as well as type paragraphs. The topics that she composes

the paragraphs on will cover a variety of topics so that she can see how all paragraphs

demand similar components.

Rationale:

CHs acquisition of foundational composition skills will allow her writing to develop

to grade level. CHs ideas, thoughts, and analysis of texts and concepts have depth but her

writing deficit interferes with her communication of that understanding. If she is able to


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acquire skills that will allow her to write essays more clearly her writing will improve in all

areas. She will be able to communicate her ideas and will be prepared for future

educational facilities in terms of composition.

Assessment Procedures:

In order to assess CH on writing paragraphs, this procedure should be followed:

1. Hand out assessment to students. Assessments will be a piece of paper with aprompt on it. Ex: Please write a complete paragraph about rebellion.

2. Give verbal directions by reading the prompt out loud.3. When student indicates she is finished, collect assessment.4. Grade assessment, using rubric.5. Chart and Graph results

**Do not prompt or positively reinforce during assessment

Assessment Schedule:

I will instruct for three 25-minute sessions and then assess on the 4th session. Theschedule will run as follows: teach, teach, teach, assess.

Instructional Procedures:

Chunking of information will be used to teach how write complete paragraphs. One

skill will be introduced at a time to reduce the amount of time required for an instruction

session, and increase probability of correct student responses. For the skills not yet

instructed upon, the instructor should assist the student in completing these steps by doing

them with the student, explaining each step verbally as it is completed. Each skill should be

instructed upon for three consecutive sessions. After the three instructional days and the

assessment, the next skill on the rubric should be instructed upon.

The skills are as follows:

1. Topic sentence2. Supporting details3. Summary


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4. Conclusion5. Transition devices6. Sentence variation

After each skill has been instructed upon individually, sessions should be spent on using

all the skills fluidly while writing.

Stimulus Promptso No stimulus prompts are introduced at the beginning of instructing upon

a target procedure but if error patterns are noted, highlighting the error,

as followed, may be used to prevent errors.

Provide student with a model paragraph with the error area andproper procedures highlighted. If the student is having trouble

writing topic sentences, provide numerous examples of acceptable

topic sentences.

Response Promptso The previous skill becomes the response prompt. No additional response

prompts are provided

Reinforcement:Within instruction, if the student offers the correct response she will receive

specific, direct verbal praise such as Nice C, thats right. First we need a topic sentence.

After three days of instruction on a specific portion of writing paragraphs, it will no longer

be positively reinforced. If at any time performance falls, reinforcement of previous skills

can be returned to and faded again until performance is stabilized.

Maintenance:

Once criterion for mastery has been met and the material has been generalized, a

maintenance probe will be taken every two weeks. The presence of a topic sentence,

supporting details, a summary, conclusion, the use of transitional devices, and sentence

variation within CHs maintenance probe, as well as other classroom assignments, will

ensure that the skills were acquired and are being maintained.


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Research Rationale

Wallaces and Botts article on teaching paragraph composition using Statement

Pies surrounded the idea of a strategy in which students are taught to support their

statements with specific details, facts, and examples. They are taught using a model and

planning guides for writing paragraphs. The method was successful on all the participants

in the study for improving their paragraph writing skills. The Sundeen article covered the

process of using graphic organizers to teach writing to students. The idea of using graphic

organizers allows students to see each part of the paragraph that they must compose in a

structured, explicit format. As a result, according to the author, the writing skills of

students improved.

From these two articles, it is apparent that teaching writing in an explicit, systematic

way will be most beneficial to students. Visual guides, as well as other supports, are useful

for students to understand what paragraphs within an essay are composed of. There are

specific components that must be present within a well-written paragraph. As a result,

teaching a learning tool that well help students mentally organize these components will

improve their writing skills.

References

Sundeen, T. H. (2007). So What's the Big Idea? Using Graphic Organizers to Guide Writing

for Secondary Students With Learning and Behavioral Issues. Beyond

Behavior, 16(3), 29-34.

Wallace, G. W., & Bott, D. A. (1989). Statement-Pie: A Strategy to Improve the Paragraph

Writing Skills of Adolescents with Learning Disabilities.Journal Of Learning

Disabilities,22(9),


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Blank Data Sheet

Writing Complete Paragraphs

CATEGOR

Y 4 - Above 3 - Meets 2 - Approaching 1 - Below 0-Score

Topic

Sentence

The topic sentence is

clear, concise, and tells

the reader what the

paragraph is about.

The topic

sentence states

the topic

clearly.

The opening

sentence

communicates

only part of the

big idea of the

paragraph.

There is an

opening sentence

but it does not

communicate

what the

paragraph is

about.

There is

no topic

sentence.

Supporting

Details

There are three

supporting details that

are clear, straightforward,

and related to the topic.

There are three

supporting

details.

There are 1-2

supporting

details.

There is one

supporting detail.

There are

no

supportin

g details.

Summary A summary sentence

follows the supportingdetails. The sentence

accurately sums up what

the paragraph is about

and gives way to a

conclusion sentence.

A summary

sentencefollows the

supporting

details and

gives way to a

conclusion

sentence.

A summary

sentence followsthe supporting

details.

The sentence

following thesupporting details

does not

accurately

summarize the

paragraph.

There is

nosummary

sentence.

Conclusion At the end of the

paragraph there is a

conclusion sentence that

finalizes what was said in

the paragraph. It is clear,

straightforward, and

wraps up the paragraph.It leaves the reader

feeling finished with the

paragraph.

At the end of

the paragraph

there is a

conclusion

sentence that

finalizes what

was said in theparagraph. It

leaves the

reader feeling

finished with

the paragraph.

At the end of the

paragraph there is

a conclusion

sentence that

finalizes what

was said in the

paragraph.

At the end of the

paragraph there is

a conclusion

sentence. It leaves

the reader

hanging, however.

There is

no

conclusio

n

sentence.

Transition

Devices

There are two or more

transition devices used

properly such as

however, although, in

addition.

There are two

transition

devices used

properly.

There is one

transition device

used properly.

There are

transition devices,

used improperly.

There are

no

transition

devices.

Sentence

Variation

There are three or more

different sentence types

and structures used in theparagraph. The variation

of the sentences causes

flow within the

paragraph and ensures it

does not sound

redundant.

There are three

different

sentence typesand structures

used in the

paragraph.

There are two

different sentence

types andstructures used in

the paragraph.

There is one

different sentence

types andstructures used in

the paragraph.

All of the

sentences

arestructured

the same

way.

Total


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Blank Graph

Data and Aimline

0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1

1.2

CH

CH

Dat

e

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

18

20

2224

2/7/2013

(Baseline)

Aimline

CH

CH


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Writing Essays

GrammarVocabular

Use of transitiondevices

Structure

Flow

Topic

Sentence

Details

Summary

Conclusion

Knowledge of

Words

Sentence

Structure

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