"A list for improving literacy with focus on middle grades." <[email protected]> writes: >I am currently working with struggling students in a pushin model in >grade >8. The students write many litereary essays and often have trouble with >intros and conclusions. Does anyone have any methods to help with this?
Hi! I'll get the ball rolling. With my kids, I take three approaches. First, I offer an example of an essay and ask them to think about what works well, what doesn't, and why. Usually, the functions of introduction and conclusion come out of that conversation, and I'll reinforce those goals with kids as they write. Second, I will mime (or sketch on scrap paper) something that basically looks like an hourglass with a long vertical waist, the idea being that an introduction starts broad, with big ideas, and gradually narrows its focus to the body, while the conclusion works in the opposite direction, starting with a narrow focus and gradually broadening back out again. Third, I will beg and plead with them not to write the introduction and conclusion until they have finished the body. I tell them that often as they write the body, the main idea of the essay comes more clearly into focus, and this makes it easier to write the introduction and conclusion. That's one approach. I bet others of you have other ideas as well! Take care, Bill Ivey Stoneleigh-Burnham School _______________________________________________ The Literacy Workshop ListServ http://www.literacyworkshop.org To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/lit_literacyworkshop.org. Search the LIT archives at http://snipurl.com/LITArchive
