If you are like me, your teacher just told you to write a topic sentence, some supporting sentences, and a closer, and ta da- you have a cohesive paragraph! The closest you came to a visual was possibly the hamburger model (see below). You know, top and bottom bun (AKA topic and closing sentences) and meat with toppings in between (supporting sentences). This was a popular model/strategy about ten years ago, but still rears its' ugly head in schools across the county today. The problem with this appetizing model is that kid writers have no idea that the ideas "between the buns" have to connect, build, and be organized.. They throw all kids of "topic" related topping sentences together and the reader ends up...confused and "sick" when it comes to understanding the writer's ideas. We want more for our students and their readers. We want to build strong, coherent and effective writers. We know you want the same, so let's get you on the same page.
What we have found is that the Stoplight Paragraphing strategy that comes from Step-Up-to-Writing is a valuable visual and language tool for our writers. We teach them that everything from a paragraph to an essay (from 1st to 5th grade) must offer readers ideas that are organized and developed. The graphics above and below show you how this support for paragraphing allows students to be intentional with their supporting ideas, evidence, and additional thinking- and it's flexible. It is a strategy that can be modified for all writers. In first grade, students focus on writing greens and yellows (topic sentences and supporting reasons, facts, or details.) Over time, when the writer is ready, he or she learns how to add the reds (an explanation or example to support reasons) the yellow. Should a writer choose to, he or she could use one yellow, two reds, and one more yellow before wrapping up their paragraph. It's not a formula or an "everyone do it the same" strategy. It is, however, an everyone organize and build your ideas logically strategy.
Since our school has started to teach students how to write with a "stoplight" in mind, we have seen growth in our writers. This growth has been both internally evident through the analysis of student writing in all content areas, as well as evident in our state writing assessment scores. We attribute this increase in effective writing communication to teachers and students all speaking the same language, students building on understandings of paragraphing as their ideas grow more complex, the use of the strategy in all types of writing and classes, and the high value we have for our writers maintaining autonomy to make wise choices for how to support their ideas for their readers. The Stoplight strategy is making a positive impact.
Now, YOU can be a support for your child(ren). You can speak this same language by asking your child to "Slow Down and give you a reason" (yellow) or "Stop and tell more" (red) when you see areas for clarification or justification in their writing or speaking. This can happen in the realm of homework help, or dinner conversation. As educators, we know that what we do at school is directly connected to the support you offer at home and we want you to be informed and confident. It is my hope that this blog entry has helped. Of course, if you have any questions about this, or any other strategy, just ask and we will do our best to find the answers you seek.
Sample dinner conversation (A way to enjoy your hamburgers as food and your Stoplight as a guide for organizing and developing conversation.)
Parent; How was your day?
Child: good
Parent: Slow down and share what was good about your day. (a detail, reason, fact)
Child: We got to sing a fun song in music.
Parent: Stop and tell me more about that song. (ex. What was it? How did it go?)
Child: responds
Parent: Ok, so what else made your day good? (another yellow sentence will follow)
and so it goes.