Teaching Writing

Organize around key sentences

• One point per paragraph
• Point suggested in one sentence
• Early in the paragraph

Organize around key sentences

• Key sentences

• Are to paragraphs as street signs are to cities
• Orient
• Navigate

Organize around key sentences

• Are like topic sentences
• Announce the topic of the paragraph
• Simply with little detail
• Without trying to prove the point
• Broad enough to “cover” everything in the paragraph, but no broader
• Tell what the rest of the paragraph is about
• “Is the rest of the paragraph about that?”

• Key sentences

Organize around key sentences

• Key sentences

• Are like topic sentences
• Should be short and memorable
• Should use key words as subjects